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A useful resource and go-to guide for information handlers
THIS book covers the main areas of information rights – freedom of infor- mation, data protection and the environmental information regulations. When I fi rst saw it, I
wondered how a book so slim could be of much use to pro- fessionals working in fi elds where they have to deal with information rights. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Another pleasant surprise was that the chapters on free- dom of information covered both the UK and Scottish legislation – something that, in my experience, is rare to fi nd.
The chapters are well set out and are written in a very accessible style, off ering guidance on the practicalities of handling and recording requests as well as covering the legal technicalities such as exemptions to disclosure or how to calculate the number of working days within which a request must be responded to.
Each section provides both the wording from the legislation which is useful for reference and for cross-refer- encing against other sources, and interpretation for dealing with requests in practice. The contents pages are set out so that it is easy to use the book as a point of reference. The fi nal two chapters give a brief introduction to other information-related laws and also some sources of further information and guidance.
48 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Practical career advice from an American point of view
Maguire, Rachel. Information Rights for Records Managers. London: Facet, 2019. 212 pp. ISBN 978 1 7833 0244 4. £69.95. CILIP members £55.95.
I would point out that however good a book may be, one should not solely rely on it and should also refer to the legislation and offi cial regulator’s guidance, a point also made by the author. As a resource it would be useful for those who have experience of handling infor- mation requests as a go-to guide or reminder and would be an invaluable resource to those just starting out. I would recommend this book as a good addition to the bookshelf of anyone working in information governance, records management or any other information related profession.
Alison Kendall
FROM an American per- spective this book argues that you can grow your LIS career whatever situation you are in or how you feel, you just need to be willing to choose to grow. This emphasis is played out in the book and is very encour- aging, but in trying to appeal to information professionals at any stage in their career it does lose some focus. Themes such as change, uncertainty and complexity are emphasised as ever present realities, and you are encouraged to consider how you can move forward within this context rather than railing against it. Useful activities are highlighted such as keeping up to date with the transferable skills being articulated in job vacancies, doing an in-depth self-appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses, and the dangers of not keeping an open mind to how you can develop. The workbook-style layout encourages you to refl ect on what you’ve read, how it relates to your situation, and what you might want to do about it. The author stresses the need not to just read the book, but to do something practical – excellent advice, but much of the content is overly repetitive; indeed, the book could have been condensed, leaving the reader with more time to carry out the actions they identify.
Developing a “growth mind- set” is key to the book and the author uses a signifi cant number of quotes from other authors to give insight into how to do this – fewer quotes
Williams, C. Be opportunity minded – start growing your career now. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019. 204 pp. ISBN 978 0 8389 1772 5. $49.99.
would have made the book more focused. The book relies heavily on views of others rather than the author sharing more of her own thoughts.
You are helpfully encouraged
to fi lter opportunities by asking yourself if they are profession- ally meaningful, positively challenging and professional on-target. The book is written within an American context so whether it is useful to you or any mentees or employees you may have, will be determined by how much you refl ect, engage with, and act on, the ideas presented.
Suzie Williams
Academic Liaison Librarian University of Sunderland
January-February 2020
Book Reviews
pp48-49.indd 4
21/01/2020 16:15
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