Special libraries reality check

Jane Edinger will be well-known to many of us through her activities with ALIA. She has been a member of the Biblia editorial team, co-ordinator of Library and Information Week 2001, and is an ALIA silver pin recipient. Jane has worked in the library industry since her graduation from Curtin University in 1990. Her first job was at a law library in Queensland and she has since worked in the health, engineering and resource sectors. She has held positions in both the government sector and private enterprise. During her career Jane has taken a break from traditional library work to work as a website developer and has run her own information services consultancy. As Jane says, 'It's been a varied ride to date'. All these experiences have come to fruition in her book entitled Reality Check - the pocket guide to special librarianship.

The book is based on Jane's and her colleagues' experiences in the 'real world' of special libraries. I asked Jane what prompted her to write the book. She replied 'I think the prompt was writing procedures for the information service I'm currently employed in, which made me reflect on what I know and how I came to know it. This led me to think about how little I knew when I came out of library school, how much wisdom I had accumulated since then and how important it is for everyone of us to share what we know.'

In writing the book Jane states that she started with a framework of relevant facts and filled in the framework with text. She showed the first draft to her colleagues and received suggestions on what should be added. One of the features of the book is the 'reality checks' scattered throughout. These are drawn from Jane's and her colleagues' experiences. As Jane says 'The book isn't really by me, I just put the words together, it is actually a work of collective consciousness - I just haven't named all the individuals who contributed (thanks to everyone I talked with or who provided suggestions, feedback or reality checks).'

The book is 'Australian-centric' in that the suggested resources and services recommended are Australian companies and products. Jane has titled the book Australian Edition so that any overseas purchasers are aware that the book refers to the Australian library environment.

Jane anticipates the book will become a 'must have' for graduates entering the world of libraries particularly in the corporate sector, as it provides answers to the demands of managing information centers. Jane also hopes that the book could be useful to those already in the industry by providing pointers to resources they may not be aware exist, or by bringing particular tips or ideas to their notice.

Reality check is available from:
Charted Information Services
166 Whatley Crescent, Maylands WA 6051
ph 08 9272 1267, fx 08 9471 8567

order form PDF [224KB]

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