Book Reviews 161 Jeff Sundquist, Julie Artman, and Douglas R. Dechow. Your Craft as a Teaching Librarian : Us- ing Acting Skills to Create a Dynamic Presence, Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2022. 130p. Paper, $52.00 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-3917-8). Your Craft as a Teaching Librarian is a revised and expanded edition of The Craft of Librarian Instruction, published in 2016. Authors Sundquist (Dean of the Library at Monterey Peninsula College), Artman (librarian at Chap- man University with experience as a theatre director, producer, acting coach, and actor), and Dechow (digital humanities and science librarian at Chapman University) state on page one of the prologue that they “hope to demonstrate how acting techniques can sharpen your instructional skills and establish your teaching identity, enliven your performance, and create an invigorating (and stress-free) learning experience for your students.” They maintain that the book is “intended for newly hired instruction librarians, librarians with little or no teaching experience, those dealing with shyness or stage fright, as well as more experienced librarians in need of a refreshed perspective” (p. viii). The book is divided into three sections. Chapters in each section contain exercises related to the content, along with questions and answers related to instructional scenarios to “identify potential challenges, offer solutions and provide tips on deepening your teaching skills” (viii). Further reading lists for each chapter are also provided. Section 1 addresses how to prepare and rehearse to greet your students and avoid “stage fright” when conducting library instruction sessions. This section begins with a short overview of the evolution of instruction in academic libraries and rightly points out that although there is a high demand for library graduates with teaching abilities, coupled with an expectation by employers that new hires possess the abilities required to begin formal instruction imme- diately, “unfortunately, Library and Information Science graduate programs continue to lag in providing pedagogical coursework.…” (p. 2). This section then covers acting-related techniques and exercises including centering, visualization, awareness, memorization, and improvisation. These techniques and exercises “provide a method to calm your inner state of mind (p. 12),” and when practiced on a regular basis will “alleviate discomfort, shyness, and anxiety, replacing nervous thoughts with atten- tion and resulting in a clearer presentation style” (p. 13). Section 2 details “how to perform and connect with your student audience to provide the best possible educational experience” (p. viii). Included in this section are overviews of techniques employed by actors and directors that can be used by instruction librarians when teaching and planning to teach, including characterization, role-playing, script writing, motivation, teaching and learning cues, and super objectives (overarching objectives that can help sustain focus, en- gagement, and direction) (p. 67). Also included is a welcome discussion of the transition from the Information Literacy Competency Standards to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education around 2015. The shift from a competency-based approach in the Standards to a theoretical approach in the Framework posed both teaching challenges and opportunities for information literacy instruction programs. The authors maintain that “the Framework and the mindset it encourages give us as teachers of information literacy the opportunity to explore a new role for ourselves in the classroom, one that also takes its inspiration from the theater” in the sense that it is “focused not on teaching, but on learning, not on the stage, but on the thresholds” https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/craft-librarian-instruction-using-acting-techniques-create-your-teaching-presence https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/craft-librarian-instruction-using-acting-techniques-create-your-teaching-presence 162 College & Research Libraries January 2023 (p. 56). These “thresholds” are six information literacy-based concepts that present a way of understanding, interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress. The final and noticeably shortest section “helps you as the teacher/performer to reflect on development and sharpen your unique teaching presence” (p. viii). The authors encourage the reader to “think of reflection as involving both the class and the preparation undertaken before it: class outcomes in addition to all the preparation and performance exercises from previous chapters that you employed (or did not)” (p. 98). Having spent nearly a quarter of a century in academic library instruction, I found this slim volume to be a worthwhile long afternoon read that will no doubt have a positive influ- ence on how I practice my craft. If anything were to be added I would advocate for a section on dealing with persistent librarian stereotypes and approaches to disrupting them using acting techniques such as storytelling and humor. Finally, while it is productive and appropriate to consider acting techniques as we prepare to go before our student audiences, we must also remember how important and powerful it is to bring elements of our authentic selves to the classroom experience. —David M. Dettman, University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Fostering Student Success: Academic, Social, and Financial Initiatives. Sigrid Kelsey, ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2022. 208 pp. Paperback, $59.99, (978-0-8389-3829-4) As a Student Success Librarian, I am heartened to see this book and its focus on the many ways that libraries can help college students succeed in an academic environment radically altered by current events such as “the pandemic, racial justice movements, and changing student demo- graphics” (p. ix). As noted in the introduction, Fostering Student Success focuses on how college and university librarians can support students academically, socially, and financially. Vulnerable student groups are the focus of many of the chapters—that is, students who may have challenges such as racism, childcare difficulties, financial problems, or other barriers to overcome. These vulnerable populations, according to the American College Health Association, include Black, Latinx, Native American and First Nation, Asian American, first-generation low-income, LGBTQ+, international students, unauthorized students, disabled students, and any number of intersectional groups. These students have been identified as being especially affected by the pandemic (pp. ix–x). It may seem daunting to try to address the potential issues that these students may be cop- ing with. Fortunately, the contributing authors provide a wealth of suggestions and solutions. The text is separated into three parts. Part I, “Support in Rapidly Changing Learning Environments,” addresses permanent changes libraries will need to make in order to assist students in an academic environment that is constantly in flux. Part II, “Programming That Fosters Inclusion,” provides ideas for outreach events that encourage inclusion and equity. Part III, “Libraries Providing Financial Support,” looks at how libraries can remove physical and financial barriers that can keep students from succeeding. All three sections acknowledge that academia has been irrevocably changed by the events of the past couple of years and recommend changes that libraries must make in order to support students on an academic level in this new context. Joyce Garczynski of the Towson University (Maryland) library created a makerspace geared toward providing access to the tools and skills needed to succeed in data careers. This effort responded to the university’s