Communities of Practice in the Academic Library: Strategies for Implementation

by Michelle Reale

How can academic librarians strengthen their practice of teaching and provide education through access to information, using intentional efforts to both learn and share in a social context? Building and fostering communities of practice (CoP) is the ideal way forward, as Reale demonstrates in her new book, which is both inspirational and practical. With her guidance, readers will
 

112 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2022

Reviews

[Eric Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, accessible introduction to communities of practice and compatible practices geared toward academic librarians. The first four chapters of the book provide an overview of communities of practice and guidance on developing one in one's local context, while the last five chapters provide introductions to five practices that easily incorporate into communities of practice. Reale provides an articulate overview of communities of practice while pointing to strategies in the academic librarian context, but not to the extent that it would be unhelpful to any other professional. She is self-defacing at times, which keeps the tone light and brings in a few laughs. While I have mixed feelings about the five additional strategies (why these and not others?), it helps fill out the text and provides useful frameworks for a community of practice. I do wish the publisher would have used a slightly larger font in the book, but I was able to adjust as I moved through the read.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It lost me towards the end but is practical for when you want to start a CoP (which I’m doing).