994 College & Research Libraries November 2018 Creating the High-Functioning Library Space: Expert Advice from Librarians, Archi- tects, and Designers. Marta Mestrovic Deyrup, ed. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Libraries Unlimited, 2017. 158p. Paper $70.00 (ISBN 978-1-4408-4058-6). In my mind, renovations and expansions fall into the same category as fundraising and staff supervision: no one ever mentioned them in library school, but some- how they sneaked in and became my entire job. Unlike most other administrative functions, however, major renovations and expansions come along rarely, and most librarians will work on only a scant few such projects in their careers, if any. That means the majority of library administrators overseeing building projects are either do- ing it for the first time or haven’t done so in quite a while. Happily, we can now count Creating the High-Functioning Library Space in our toolkit for library-building projects. The premise of this collection of essays is to provide a nuts and bolts how-to for library administrators by call- ing on experienced librarians as well as experts outside our own field. Editor Marta Mestrovic Deyrup does a good job of bringing in a range of voices (out of eighteen authors, five are architects, two are designers, and one is a security professional), and their essays shed much- needed light on the processes and skillsets of professionals outside the library and information sector. Reading the chapters by architects and designers reminded me of what Donald Rumsfeld famously referred to as “unknown unknowns”: I didn’t realize that I was unaware of a whole host of sustainable design options, but after reading Creating the High-Functioning Library Space I at least know to seek them out and learn more about them in the future. The chapters are arranged thematically, starting with the visioning and input process, moving into design, and finishing with a few chapters on specifics you don’t want to forget (storage!). The initial chapters cover the importance of preparing for a renova- tion and some concrete steps on how to get the ball rolling. Readers will learn about steering committees and how to develop them; what library mapping is and why you need it; and how to define the library’s purpose and audience. Librarians in the initial stages of considering a renovation would be well served to read these chapters as early in the process as possible. Getting a renovation off the ground can require years of work soliciting input, managing personalities and expectations, and working to articulate clearly defined goals. These chapters make the process a little less daunting. Once you’re through the visioning and have moved on to managing the building process, the chapters narrow in on specific aspects of design and construction. “Work- ing with the Contractor,” by Pixey Ann Mosley, is a particularly practical and useful overview. By explaining the typical contractor business model and reviewing their role, Mosley takes the mystery out of the selection process and prepares librarians to deal with delays, safety concerns, and time-sensitive decision making. “Library Program- ming,” by Daria Pizzetta, gives an overview of how programming (the decisions about the special needs of the library) is achieved. This is a process of priority setting, and Pizzetta’s chapter includes lists of questions designed to help clarify your library’s needs. “Principles of Good Design,” by Jody Lee Drafta and Traci Engel Lesneski, gives an overview of the elements to consider in the design process and sets out a blueprint for the rest of the book. The following chapters tend to go into deeper analysis of a particular design element: for example, “Lighting Fundamentals” by Carla Gallina and Traci Lesneski and “Integrating Technology” by Edward M. Corrado. These Book Reviews 995 chapters are helpful and thorough; they can be easily referenced throughout the design process. Pursuing a renovation is a major undertaking, and no single work can cover all the details needed to successfully oversee such a project. As several chapter authors point out, new buildings must take on the challenge of planning not just for the present but also for the future. With the accelerated pace of growth and change in the library field, that is no simple task, but Creating the High-Functioning Library Space is an excellent place to start. While this work doesn’t cover everything—notably absent is a chapter on fundraising for renovations—it does answer many of the practical questions librar- ians will have about getting started, provide insight on how best to communicate with professionals from different fields, and set expectations for the process. The biographies at the end of each chapter are helpful references for further reading. I recommend this book in its entirety to any librarian considering a renovation in the future. I also recommend relevant chapters to librarians at any stage of a current renovation who need guidance on a specific issue.—Dana Hart, Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, Vermont Mary Francis. The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts (Publications in Librarianship No. 71). Chicago, Ill.: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2017. 184p. $48.00 (ISBN 978-0-8389-8933-3). The purpose of Mary Francis’ book is to make a persuasive case in favor of bringing fun into library instruction in an academic setting and to provide a structured approach for doing so that is rooted in the ACRL Threshold Concepts. Mary Francis is an associate professor of library science as well as a reference and instruction librarian at Dakota State University. The book is a pragmatic-minded, approachable volume designed to introduce readers to the benefits of including fun as an element in instructional design and the theories underlying fun as a motivational tool, as well as provide a set of example lesson plans that integrate fun and specifically address the ACRL Threshold Concepts. Following an introduction that lays out the scope of the volume and the author’s path toward writing it, the book is arranged in two sections: Part I: Background and Theory, which introduces the reader to the role of fun in learning; and Part II: Fun as a Means of Motivation, which lays out a practical approach to using fun in instruction. A final conclusion reiterates the book’s core message: that fun is a useful tool in the instruction librarian’s kit and can bring concrete benefits. Part I, chapter 1: Motivation of Students focuses on and summarizes the psychologi- cal and behavioral theories of motivation, including the ARCS and MUSIC models for creating motivation in students during instruction. Chapter 2 breaks down what the author means when she talks about “fun” as an instructional element, offers supporting arguments in favor of fun as an intentional part of instructional design, and introduces the reader to the three kinds of instructional fun she intends to discuss: humor, games, and group work. Chapter 3 goes on to focus on humor specifically, including its ben- efits; its potential to create positive connections between students and instructor and between the students and the content; and things to consider when using humor in a lesson plan. Chapter 4 looks at games, gamification, and game design elements that can be used in instruction and provides a short overview of the research on games in learning. Chapter 5 looks at the myriad forms that group work can take and offers a brief summary of the theory behind group work. _GoBack _GoBack _GoBack