Staff Development: A Practical Guide, edited by Andrea W. Stewart, Carlette Washington-Hoagland, and Carol T. Zsulya

Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 4^th ed.

Edited by Andrea Wigbels Stewart, Carlette Washington-Hoagland, and Carol T. Zsulya. ALA Editions, 2013, 219 pp., ISBN 978-0-8389-1149-5, (paper).

Faced with frequent and rapid change in the workplace, library employees must continue to adapt and grow professionally. In this excellent fourth edition of Staff Development, editors Stewart, Washington-Hoagland, and Zsulya have brought together sixteen papers from leaders in the library field that provide the reader with the tools needed to implement a staff development program.  In the introduction readers are encouraged to think of staff development as incremental change, rather than large sweeping change. Staff members develop most effectively over time, by making small adjustments in their behavior, or learning new skills.

Chapters are arranged in a logical order, in four parts. The first section starts with an introduction to the concept of staff development, and is followed by chapters on conducting a needs assessment, setting goals, and the questions to be considered when starting a staff development program. The second section addresses the development process itself, with chapters on developing orientation programs for new staff, achieving consensus on core competencies for library employees, coaching staff, cross-training, customer service, leadership, and succession planning. The third collection of chapters addresses practical considerations, such as how to plan and implement a staff development program, the application of instructional design concepts to staff training, and the use of online videos to support training. Finally, the book concludes with a thoughtful discussion on assessment.

Overall, Staff Development is a well-written and thoughtful collection of chapters that address all aspects of staff development in libraries. It includes references at the end of each chapter as well as an index. It would be an excellent addition to any professional library.

Previously published:

Mugridge, Rebecca L. Review of the book Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 4th ed. Edited by Andrea Wigbels Stewart, Carlette Washington-Hoagland, and Carol T. Zsulya. Catholic Library World 84:1 (2013): 60.