116 College & Research Libraries January 2017 Toward the end of the book, there is a chapter on open peer review, which, although interesting, has only a tenuous connection with altmetrics and seems rather out of place. This contribution is seemingly in favor of open peer review—a process about which many researchers, myself included, are still not entirely persuaded. The traditional single-blind peer-review process is unquestionably open to abuse, but other potential alternatives to this system such as double-blind peer review, or empowering and incen- tivizing editors to rein in unruly reviewers, are mentioned only in passing or not at all. If this book had been called something more general, such as “The Online Academic” or “Social Media for Researchers,” it would have fulfilled its brief nicely. Unfortunately, when a book is called “Altmetrics,” one expects to read about altmetrics. I would have liked to see more critical discussion of altmetrics and less about social media. I learned a lot about various social media tools of which I had not previously heard, and I will undoubtedly be using some of what I have learned in my own work supporting re- searchers, but I wanted to learn more about altmetrics and whether they are a viable alternative to traditional metrics.—Craig Aaen-Stockdale, BI Norwegian Business School References Erdt, Mojisola, Aarthy Nagarajan, Sei-Ching Joanna Sin, and Yin-Leng Theng. In press. “Altmetrics: an analysis of the state-of-the-art in measuring research impact on social media.” Scientometrics. doi:10.1007/s11192-016-2077-0. Farbrot, A. 2015. Sosiale medier for forskere, kommunikasjonsrådgivere og fageksperter. Oslo: Cappelen Damm. Priem, J., D. Taraborelli, P. Groth, and C. Neylon. 2010. “Altmetrics: A Manifesto.” Last modified 28 September 2011. http://altmetrics.org/manifesto. Barbara Allan. Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning: A Practical Guide for Librarians and Educators. London: Facet Publishing, 2016. 178p. Paper, $75.00 (ISBN 978-1-78330-070-9). On the opening page of her latest work, Dr. Barbara Allan, whose professional career has included working as a librarian, an instructor in higher education, and Dean of the Business School at the University of Westminster (U.K.), promises to deliver “an introduction to the current landscape in higher education” (1). To that end, Dr. Allan, whose previous publications include well-reviewed volumes such as The No-nonsense Guide to Training in Libraries (2013), Supporting Research Students (2009), and Blended Learning (2007), has chosen well the topics to discuss, balancing between some that are more theoretical in nature and others that are more practical. The overall structure of the book is highly effective: The introduction includes abstracts for each chapter, and each chapter includes a brief introduction to the topic at hand. Following that are brief treatments (typically 3–5 paragraphs) on subtopics therein, as well as examples and case studies intended to offer clarification on key points. Further aiding readers is the inclusion of a works-cited page at the conclusion of each chapter, and the final eight pages of the book are dedicated to a comprehensive index. All of these factors create a text that piques the professional interest and lends itself to easy, targeted exploration. Much of the content is what one would expect of an introductory text; however, in what must be an effort to be thorough, familiar concepts such as “information literacy,” “flipped classroom,” and the software PowerPoint are briefly explained. Further, in a chapter on effective instruction, the common sense admonition to “provide students with sufficient time to work on” active learning exercises seems unnecessary (84). Similarly, explaining that student learning can be assessed through the use of assign- ments is hardly an unknown concept, even to the least experienced higher education doi:10.5860/crl.78.1.116 http://altmetrics.org/manifesto Book Reviews 117 professional (144). Conversely, there are some topics rich for discussion that seemingly receive more truncated examination. Combine that with the fact that the text is not written exclusively for academic librarians, and one result is a limited discussion of certain topics of great interest to that audience. One example is the limited scope of the exploration of the ACRL Framework. Specifically, while the individual elements of the framework are listed, and a case study included, there is relatively little in the way of a detailed discussion about this important change to the manner by which academic librarianship defines information literacy and its potential effects on student learning. But, if this text is sometimes guilty of overexplaining some concepts while ignoring others that are of particular interest to academic librarians, it must also be said that it is a work that can certainly benefit many among that group. Though not written exclusively for academic librarians, it can be argued that that very fact is actually part of the strength of this work. Broadly speaking, the text is very effective at considering university and college libraries within the larger context of both their institution as well as higher education as a whole. Examples of this are replete throughout. One powerful discussion is that of the diversity of students being served at institutions of higher learning, a discussion that goes well beyond traditional definitions to include students facing physical challenges, part-time students, interna- tional students, and others; and the manner in which Dr. Allan dismantles stereotypes (example: international students are more likely to cheat) about some of those groups is particularly affecting. Similarly, the chapter dealing with the increased pressure on colleges and universities to ready students for careers is very enlightening. While observing that such efforts have been the purview of others on campuses everywhere, Dr. Allan, citing recent literature on the topic, challenges academic librarians to become partners in this effort, including incorporating “employability skills” into information literacy sessions (50). The chapter also includes suggestions for possible collaborations with campus stakeholders as well as ideas for working with students directly. For academic librarians, their primary interest in this text is certain to be found in its discussions on learning, course design, and instruction. For example, the chapter focusing on five separate, relatively recent, theories as to how students learn is both relevant to instructional librarians and, because of the book’s introductory nature, easy to understand. Further, because the theories differ from one another both in vocabulary and emphasis, this chapter is quite thought provoking. Also of a slightly theoretical nature, and just as useful, is the chapter focusing on “programme design and development” (101). The chapter provides a template for considering in advance who their audience will be, what that audience is likely expecting from a session, and what an instructor wants them to learn during their attendance at the session, as well as a basic approach to facilitating a session. Though written for an audience that goes beyond, but also includes, academic librarians, not all the points made will seem immediately relevant. However, because of its sound theoretical underpinnings, there is a generalizability that is unmistakable. Also, while information of this kind is likely to be especially helpful to less experienced librarians, it can be argued that even the most seasoned professionals are constantly reevaluating what they are doing and why they are doing it. These two chapters assist in that effort. Also included is a chapter that describes active learning exercises that instructional librarians, and other educators, can consider using during their sessions, with no fewer than 20 different activities highlighted. Of course, because of the one-shot nature of many instructional sessions, some of the suggested activities are more feasible than others, but for less experienced instructional librarians looking for ideas to introduce active learning exercises to their sessions, or those who are more experienced in search of new ideas, this chapter is certain to be of interest. Just as important to academic librarians will be 118 College & Research Libraries January 2017 chapters focusing on “Delivering learning experiences,” which includes discussion about, and suggestions for, effectively leading sessions whether in-person or online. In this latest work, Dr. Allan has created a text that achieves nearly the impossible: There is something of interest to nearly everyone who works with students, including academic librarians. Though it is arguably of the greatest use to those who are least experienced, there are thoughtful ideas and suggestions that even the most experienced among us will find intriguing and useful.—Joseph Aubele, California State University, Long Beach Reviewing the Academic Library: A Guide to Self-study and External Review. Eleanor Mitchell and Peggy Seiden, eds. Chicago: American Library Association, 2015. 352p. Paper, $66.00 (ISBN 978-0-8389-8783-4). Reviewing the Academic Library, edited by Eleanor Mitchell and Peggy Seiden, is a well-structured and well-argued exposition of the multitude of elements involved in reviewing the performance and/or accreditation of the modern academic library. The book is structured into three part parts, with each of the subsequent chapters also sorted into the three parts. This organization allows a well thought-out construction of the elements involved in the review of the academic library. The first of the three sections is called “Why Review,” which has a total of four chapters that delve into the variety of reasons a library may be subject to a review; chief among these reasons is accreditation. Crystal Baird and Ellie Fogarty in chapter 1 indicate that “Academic librarians who recognize their role as central to the educa- tional quality of their college or university will find themselves and their work implicit throughout accreditation standards.” (15) The authors of the first two chapters on accreditation do a good job of illustrating the two roles a library can play in accreditation. The first role is as an academic unit within a university that is subject to certain standards. The second is the ways in which the library can help a specific department with its accreditation. Since the academic library can often walk a fine line between being the subject of review and aiding in a review process, it is helpful for the reader to see the distinction between the two. Throughout the “Why Review” section are quotes and excerpts from the different accrediting agencies for academic institutions. This can be very helpful for the reader who is employed by an institution that is governed by accreditation. The second section, entitled “Approaches to the Process,” builds from the first sec- tion in discussing the different types of approaches to the assessment/review process. These approaches are focused on the concept of self-study, through which the use of standards and external reviews are offered by the authors as methods. The interesting parts of this section are the extensive planning and discussions included in the appen- dix of chapter 7 on external reviews. The reader will find very detailed schedules as a framework for conducting an effective external review. The final chapter in section II is a very informative discussion from the standard bearers of LibQual, Texas A&M, about developing a culture of assessment. The third and final section is entitled “Gathering Supporting Data—Assessment Methods.” The chapters in this section are focused on the variety of methodologies for data collection that exist. Data collection can range from making sure that we as libraries are measuring what we are supposed to be measuring, to metrics as a source of data, and finally a very interesting chapter on measuring IT services using mixed methods. It is interesting to see an IT assessment discussion, since IT departments are often closely linked with the library as either an internal department or part of the larger campus, yet they are rarely talked about from an assessment standpoint. From there the final chapters, 15 and 16, take a larger viewpoint and move to discussions of doi:10.5860/crl.78.1.118 _GoBack _GoBack _GoBack _GoBack _GoBack _GoBack