06/15/2016
Many types of academics are currently trying to figure out how to build a broad base of expertise across all areas of their organizations, in order to combine traditional and emerging library services that meet the present and future needs of faculty, researchers, and students. Hoffman (head of planning & assessment; Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas) pulls together examples of how academic libraries worldwide are handling this important yet difficult task. Meant to offer concrete examples rather than best practices, chapters are broken into three main themes: training and infrastructure, data services and data literacy, and research as conversation. This book provides a holistic overview to the future of research support in academic libraries, but its brevity prevents it from providing depth for the topics explored. This should not be viewed as a deficit of the text, rather as a call for additional texts that explore these topics more fully. VERDICT A worthwhile read for academic librarians who are looking to create new functional areas in libraries with budget and staffing constraints, as well as those seeking an international perspective on the future of research support in academic settings.—Amanda Folk, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Greensburg
