Pekoll, K. Beyond Banned Books: defending intellectual freedom throughout your library. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019. 150 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 1901 9. £58.95.
Bartlett, J. A. and Acadia,S. Libraries That Learn: keys to managing organizational knowledge. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019. 168 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 1831 9. £42.95.
An enjoyable exploration for lovers of Wales
TO encapsulate the history and culture of a nation in 100 objects is a daunting task but Welsh librarian, Andrew Green, has succeeded admirably in this handsome volume. Each object has an excel- lent full page photograph with a clear and revealing explanation facing it. Rolant Dafi s’s photo- graphs are high quality and greatly enhance our enjoyment of this book. Whilst the judiciously selected objects illustrate all aspects of Welsh history and culture, one of the aims of the book is to encourage people to visit the archives, museums and libraries where the objects can be found. Details of each repos- itory are provided and an accompanying map shows where all the objects are located.
The time span of the objects is extensive, ranging from a Neanderthal hand axe to the 2012 Welsh Coast Path waymarker. Even more impressive is the range of objects, depicted refl ect- ing the diversity of Welsh culture. Serious documents depicting elections, borough charters, and strikes sit alongside Catatonia’s fi rst record, a Corgi car and a Laura Ashley dress.
Every object has a story to tell and the accompanying descriptions are informa- tive and often moving. The Welsh language reading cards from Esgairdawe
October-November 2019
Taking a look at supporting youth development and services
Green, A. Wales in 100 Objects. Carmarthen: Gomer Press, 2018. 222 pp. ISBN: 978 1 78562 158 1. £19.99.
School depict the struggle to get Welsh accepted in this school. The Penrhyn slate quarry strike poster reveals industrial strife and a poster for the good ship Credo indi- cates that many people were forced to seek a better life overseas because of hardship in Wales. The informative text accompanying each object is excellent and gives clear explanations to topics, such as the path to devolved government.
For anyone who loves Wales this book is a joy as all facets of Welsh culture are so admirably depicted.
Diana Dixon Honorary book reviews editor
THE aim of this book is to provide balanced back- ground facts to inform decisions about collection development. It could prove particularly useful to those new to youth services and/or working with teen- agers but be aware that the focus on the USA might mean specifi cs don’t apply here. There’s also a defi - nite slant towards public libraries that leaves some examples irrelevant in other libraries.
Unfortunately, I felt the book had a weak start with its chap- ter on teenage myth-busting. Many of the myths discussed I felt to have been busted a long time ago but this may be due to personal experience rather than conventional wisdom. I found the recurring theme of encour- aging us to treat teenagers as individuals somewhat obvious. However, later chapters were much more interesting. In a chapter on brain development, Burek Pierce suggests that focusing on theorists such as Piaget is less appropriate these days and refers us to studies by Giedd who believes the brain is not fully formed until age 25. This should inform our services for young people. This chapter defi nitely piqued my interest and made me want to know more.
A later chapter on technology gave a balanced reading of video games and their eff ect on teenagers. It went on to suggest that rather than censoring or ban- ning social media sites, librarians should seek to understand how
Pierce, J. B. Sex, Brains and Video Games: information and inspiration for youth. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2017. 202 pp. ISBN: 978 0 8389 1548 6. $57.
teens are aff ected by them. It’s the pervasiveness of the messages they receive rather than their content alone that causes problems. To provide a com- prehensive, supportive service Burek Pierce believes collabo- ration with other departments and communities is essential. This is an easy book to read due to its clear style but is a mixed bag in terms of content. Other readers may gain some- thing completely diff erent from it so it’s defi nitely worth a look.
Elizabeth Cutler Librarian, Dudley College
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