Introduction to Public Librarianship, Fourth Edition

by Jenny S. Bossaller, Denice Adkins, Kathleen de la Peña McCook (foreword)

Genres: Nonfiction

344 pages, Paperback

Published June 9, 2025

Reviews

[Elyrria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an important read for anyone who loves books, libraries, and freedom, even if they aren't a librarian. Despite often being utilized as a textbook, it is very readable and engaging. If you are a grassroots organizer, someone fighting censorship, or a good human who wants to see libraries thrive, this is for you. Each chapter is a concise (but thorough) overview of the topic in the heading, with sources cited at the end. This new edition is relevant for social workers, public administrators, advocates, sociologists, and people who want to fight for the freedom to access information. There's an entire chapter devoted to advocacy for those who want to learn how to support libraries through local funding and other means. This is a practical, down-to-earth approach to librarianship AND responsible community stewardship, and unlike many other librarianship books, it recently came out in June 2025 and is up-to-date!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly acceptable and very broad overview of professional public librarianship.