Book Reviews 295

book. The second section about leadership in the face of transformation is relatively 
short in comparison. It may have been advantageous if, for example, rethinking library 
space was addressed as a very important leadership challenge that is composed of the 
characteristics of managing change among others. 

The book is a good start for librarians interested in learning more about the is-
sues current leaders face in the academic library. Even for existing leaders, there are 
interesting takes on the use of space and ways to encourage leadership development 
among existing managers. Books on leadership are difficult to quantify because they 
often boil down to a set of steps that are presented as universal truth for all to follow 
or as some kind of unique characteristics that people either have or they don’t. This 
book does a good job of illuminating some of the more nuts-and-bolts issues facing 
academic libraries currently and in the years to come.—Ryan Litsey, Texas Tech University

A. Arro Smith. Capturing Our Stories: An Oral History of Librarianship in Transition, with 
preface by Loriene Roy. Chicago: Neal-Schuman, imprint of American Library As-
sociation. 2017. 202p. Paper, $45.00 (ISBN 978-0-8389-1461-8). 

This work grew out of “Capturing Our Stories: Develop-
ing a National Oral History Program for Retiring/Retired 
Librarians,” a project organized by 2007/2008 ALA 
President Loriene Roy, who also wrote the preface to 
this work. The aim of this oral history project, which can 
be viewed at https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~stories/, 
was to collect and record interviews from retired librar-
ians in an effort to preserve their stories, experiences, 
and remembrances, all of which reflect the collective 
social memories of the library profession. A. Arro Smith, 
who was involved in organizing and implementing the 
project, continues supporting Roy’s mission through 
this book. In this work, which serves to supplement and 
analyze the oral history project, Smith offers a qualita-
tive study that identifies trends and repeated themes 
addressed by the thirty-five interviewees, all of whom 
are retirees from the profession. Smith, through the use 

of oral history theories and methodologies, sets out to present and explore the “unique 
stories of the everyday lives of librarians” (ix) and “the story of librarianship in the last 
half of the twentieth century [as] told by thirty-five individuals” (xvii). Through doing 
so, Smith argues, a “‘social memory’ of librarianship” (2) can be constructed. Much 
like the oral history project itself, Smith argues that it is vital to capture and examine 
the stories and experiences of this now-retired generation of librarians, as their careers 
spanned an era of significant change within the library profession. From typewriter to 
computer, card catalog to OPAC, phone to chat reference, this generation of librarians 
lived through a defining transitional moment in librarianship. 

Rather than providing a detailed summary of the entire oral history project, 
Smith offers a companion text that identifies and discusses common themes that 
emerged through the interviews. The work also provides a short primer on oral 
history literature and methodology, which is written specifically for librarians. The 
work contains two parts, the first of which is significantly longer than the second. 
Part I, “Capturing our Stories” (chapters 1 through 6), contains Smith’s analysis and 
discussion of the oral history project. Part II, “How to Capture Stories” (chapters 7 
and 8), discusses oral history methods and practices as they relate to librarianship.  
Part I discusses how reoccurring themes in the oral history project provide insight into 

doi:10.5860/crl.79.2.295



296 College & Research Libraries March 2018

the social memory of librarianship. Chapter 1, “Becoming a Librarian,” explores the 
shared memories of library school, which are a common experience across all fields of 
librarianship. The longest chapter in the work by far, it also details how interviewees 
entered librarianship, with some of them planning to do so from childhood, while 
others fell into it as “accidental librarians” (22). Chapter 2, “Cliché and Stereotype,” 
explores popular depictions of librarians, both among the public and within the profes-
sion. Smith distinguishes between the two, arguing that stereotypes are often assigned 
externally and are usually recognized as generalizations within the profession. Smith 
further argues that librarians define themselves by how they do not conform to the 
public stereotype of the “meek, frumpy, unmarried” shushing librarian archetype (71). 
Cliché, by contrast, are generalizations within the profession that express a shared social 
experience, often without interviewers realizing they are generalizing. Smith highlights 
stereotypes and clichés within the profession, noting how librarians in different areas 
of librarianship—technical services, public service, and management—employ cliché 
while discussing each other. Chapter 3, “Technology Memories,” explores librarians’ 
nostalgia and memories of how technological advancements changed the profession. 
The interviewees discuss the advent of typewriters, early computers, OPACS, online 
databases, even the wide-scale implementation of microfilm as an alternative to print 
journals. In each case, they provide a balanced account of the both the good and the bad. 
It is notable that the librarians acknowledged concerns surrounding new technology, 
including the fear that it was “taking the humanity out of the craft of librarianship” 
(95), but they also acknowledge that these advancements ultimately improved their 
ability to serve patrons. 

Chapter 4, “Regrets,” addresses hardships that interviewees encountered through 
their careers, including sexism, low pay, and the difficult decision to accept adminis-
trative positions. Librarians in this section discuss the sexism related to librarianship, 
the popular view that it is a “pink-collar” profession (121), and the subsequent lower 
wages it receives compared to other professions. Another recurring theme is regret over 
moving out of public or technical services to take up administrative duties. Interviewees 
note this move to administration required them to give up the daily librarian duties that 
had originally drawn them to the profession. A strength of this chapter is its measured 
tone. While the interviewees express regrets, they are all ultimately optimistic. This 
optimism carries over into chapter 5, “Helping People,” which explores the collective 
memories that librarians have of serving patrons. The manner in which librarians 
helped users varied, but Smith finds that service, unsurprisingly, was a recurring theme 
in the interviews. Chapter 6, “The Collective Memory of Librarianship,” serves as a 
conclusion for Part I, summarizing Smith’s analysis and findings from the oral history 
project. He reviews a number of themes from the previous chapters, including regret, 
cliché, technology, stereotype, nostalgia, and service. He also highlights two unexpected 
trends in the interviews, which were the number of “accidental librarians” who fell 
into the profession, and a general discomfort with cataloging that is held by librarians 
outside of technical services. As with the entire work, the chapter ends optimistically, 
reiterating the rewards of the profession.

Part II of the book provides a brief discussion of oral history methodology, particu-
larly as it relates to librarians. While an interesting addition to the work, it reads like 
an appendix or addendum, especially because chapter 6 reads like a conclusion to the 
book. Smith further reinforces this feeling by suggesting that readers “please feel free 
to skip these sections unless you are working on a formal, scholarly project” (143). 
Chapter 7, “A Primer on Oral History Theory and Methodology,” provides a short 
overview on practices and discussions in oral history, memory studies, and collective 
memory. An emphasis is placed on how these fields relate to librarianship. Smith ar-



Book Reviews 297

gues that these approaches and frameworks are useful in capturing the “‘bottom up’ 
story” from this generation of librarians, providing insight into the period of transition 
in which they lived (167). Finally, chapter 8, “Practical Oral History Advice,” offers 
suggestions to librarians planning similar studies. Smith warns that it is “rewarding 
and terribly labor-intensive” because it depends upon building human relationships 
(175). The chapter ends with “a final meditation on oral history” (183), which broadly 
and warmly encourages readers to embark upon similar projects.

This is an excellent companion and introduction to the “Capturing Our Stories” 
oral history project, which is accessible online through the School of Information at 
the University of Texas. By identifying trends and highlighting excerpts from the 
thirty-five recorded interviews, Smith provides a useful summary and overview of 
the project. In doing so, it gives readers an interesting window into the experiences of 
librarians who worked through the second half of the twentieth century. This aspect 
in particular would make the work an interesting reading for introductory classes on 
librarianship, or in courses in library history. The work is not, however, an exhaustive 
academic study. Readers interested in a more detailed academic examination will be 
better served by Smith’s 692-page (including appendixes) dissertation, which he has 
laudably posted online. “This book,” Smith assures the reader, “intends to be just the 
good stuff” from the dissertation (xvii). Similarly, the short primer on oral history prac-
tices in Part II is interesting, but more detailed studies on the topic can be found. The 
work is not meant to be a lengthy study, however; instead, it successfully serves as an 
interesting and useful window into the experiences of the last generation of librarians. 
Their stories, which span a significant period in the history of librarianship, will be of 
interest to librarians at all stages of their careers.—Richard M. Mikulski, Drew University

M. Leslie Madden, Laura Carscaddon, Denita Hampton, and Brenna Helmstutler. 
Now You’re a Manager: Quick and Practical Strategies for New Mid-Level Managers in 
Academic Libraries. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. 2017. 
94p. Paper, $28.00 (ISBN 978-0-8389-8787-2).

What do you get when four mid-level managers from 
an academic library begin to evaluate what they have 
learned from being in this important role? Most likely 
you would get a book much like the one authored by 
these four managers from the Georgia State University 
Library. Written to fill a gap in both the literature and 
available professional development courses on manage-
ment in academic libraries, this book provides advice to 
those mid-level managers who may be filling a leader-
ship role for the first time. This includes both leaders of 
teams as well as departments. The authors draw upon 
their own experiences, discussions held between them, 

and the literature they explored in an effort to learn to be a better, more effective 
manager. The reader of this book should keep in mind that it acts as an introduction 
to a range of concepts associated with being a manager. It is meant more as a tool for 
those who may have less experience as well as those who may want to rethink their 
current practice. 

The book is broken up into ten chapters. The authors indicate that the book can be 
used by an individual or as part of a discussion and that the chapters can be read in 
any order a person chooses. Chapters cover a range of topics associated with the work 
of being a manager. Some of the chapters deal with operational management issues 
like conducting effective meetings, building departments and teams, and dealing with 

doi:10.5860/crl.79.2.297