Wyckoff, Amy, and Harris, Marie. Career Programming for Today’s Teens. Chicago: ALA, 2019. 200 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 1759 6. £62.50


Hennig, Nicole. Privacy and Security Online: best practices for cybersecurity. Chicago: ALA. 36 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 1612 4. £44.50.


Is digital preservation a craft? An extensive look at the practice


THE author has spent over a decade trying to make sense of digital preservation, having worked at a number of institutions including the Library of Congress. The book is intended as a point of entry into the practice, and a point of reference for developing your own skills as a digital preservation practi- tioner.


The intended audience is current and new workers in library, archive and museums services plus the scholars and researchers who interact with them. The aim of the book is to guide you through the pro- cesses of making and enacting your own digital preservation strategy.


Included is a history of pres- ervation in a range of areas; useful and intended to make the reader think conceptually about the nature of digital records and how they differ. The remit of the books also covers the basics: the differ- ence between hoarding and preservation, planning and storage facilities, mitigating risk, the relationship between digital data and the database, and dealing with future tech- nological change. Different file types and structures are examined using the concept of ‘layers’ of data. Owens is impressed with the ‘wis- dom’ of the cultural heritage professions, advising use of their systems and practices in storage and preservation, access and use.


The key message is that digital preservation is a craft,


June-July 2020


An interesting collection providing ideas for the teaching librarian


Owens, Trevor. The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019. 226 pp. ISBN 978 1 4214 2697 6. £22.50.


not a science. Digital practi- tioners should craft the right approach for a given preser- vation concept, consistently engaging with the conceptual issues raised in the book. Included are extensive, well-chosen and easy to understand examples highlighting key issues and the tone of the text is conver- sational. There’s a lot to get your teeth into but the format doesn’t make it easy to dip into although it is fully refer- enced with an index. The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation will be useful for those working in rel- evant industries and students interested in the topic.


Julie Davis


Local Studies Library, Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre


COMPRISING of six vol- umes, each covering one of the difference threshold concepts that make up the ACRL’s 2015 Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, this mixed collection of lesson plans, ideas, reflections and some links to materials is aimed at librarians that teach, but could be useful for anyone instructing on research methods courses, academic skills, or improv- ing student’s writing. The aim of the books is to capture how librarians prac- tically use the Framework in conjunction with educational theories and pedagogy. All chapters follow the same structure which includes a breakdown of what level of student and subject area that lesson plan is aimed at; which learning theory or instruc- tional strategy is specifically being addresses, and usually an Appendix containing sam- ples of activities. As explained in the introduction, the book is made to dip in and out of, and readers are encouraged to start “at a place of curiosity”. I would recommend that anyone using this book ground themselves in the Framework and other concepts such as metaliteracy before- hand, as this is discussed by some chapter authors. Some chapters do assume already existing teaching competen- cies, such as being able to lead group discussions, which may put off librarians completely new to teaching. There are bibliographies for each chap-


Oberlies, Mary, K. Mattsona, Janna, L. (eds). Framing Information Literacy: teaching grounded in theory, pedagogy, and practice. Chicago: ACRL. 138 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 8981 4. £29.40.


ter, which I found very useful in expanding my knowledge of unfamiliar concepts or theories mentioned in the lesson plan.


Each volume ends with an identical conclusion, a collection of quotes from the chapter authors on various questions such as what the best teaching advice they’ve ever had was. I liked this idea a lot, it humanised the writers, and could be very inspiring for those new to teaching.


Altogether, this is an inter- esting collection, that could provide inspiration or ideas for future sessions.


Jess Haigh


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 53


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