Creators in the Academic Library: Collections and Spaces, Rebecca Zuege Kuglitsch and Alexander C. Watkins (eds.), ACRL, 2023. 278p. Softcover, $72.00. 9780838939826 (Review 2 of a 2-volume title)

Creators in the Academic Library: Collections and Spaces, edited by Rebecca Zuege Kuglitsch and Alexander C. Watkins, is the twin pillar to the work by the same editorial team of Creators in the Academic Library: Instruction and Outreach. This second volume, Collections and Spaces, presents a similar approach of partnerships between faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Whereas Instruction and Outreach addressed the collaboration of faculty and students to design effective library instruction, this volume offers insight into the best practices of utilizing spaces, materials, methods, tools, and services. Kuglitsch and Watkins bring together an expansive group of authors, providing a combination of different perspectives that cover the concepts both of library as space and library as resource—with the two elements linked seamlessly throughout the narrative. Rather than compartmentalizing the aspects of collections and spaces into separate library related topics, the text fuses the two and presents both as a form of service to patrons.

The emphasis placed on equity in many of the chapters demonstrates the importance of representation and diversity in higher education. The chapters “I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It,” “Creating Equitable Access to Creator Spaces, Tools, and Resources,” and “MakeHERspace: Cultivating an Inclusive Creation Environment in the Library” center on the variety of current and potential patrons who should be represented when planning library spaces and resources. In creating inclusive environments, the authors lay a foundation for forming collaborations between library staff and users to create impactful services and safe spaces.

Collections and Spaces also examines the role of the creator and innovative activities within librarianship. The work develops continuously, chapters flowing seamlessly into the next, building a consistent thesis throughout the text. The core principle is that the library is not only a catalyst for invention, but is a fulcrum for the creators themselves. “From the Formal into the Informal: Connecting with Creator Students through Societies” directly addresses the need for intersectionality in instructional methods looking at the benefits of peer-led teaching in communities of practice in combination with research. Moving beyond traditional physical spaces, librarians can connect with student societies through instruction as well as outreach. This technique begins by centering the physical library but then extends beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar building to a virtual, online setting (p. 199).

“Special Collections as Muse,” by Harmeyer and Grimm, studies the novel use of collections to inspire students and spark further interest in given areas of study. The authors utilize special collections resources as a means of outreach and advancement, in addition to the role archivists play as repositories of knowledge. Partnerships between archivists and students can enhance classroom learning by linking to the historical past via materials available in special collections (p. 15)—an intersection between collection development as well as recognition of lived experience, and teaching. In a similar way, “Throwing It All at the Wall” is an excellent case study of addressing patron needs, developing a technology equipment collection, and studying usage results. Data collection then results in a cost analysis determining future funding for expanding the most highly utilized materials. In this way the editors link the importance of space and collections in strategic planning.

One of the most compelling connections between the chapters is the fact that all of the case studies compiled by the editors highlight the fact that the straight-forward steps taken by the authors could be easily applied to the reader’s own library. Inspiration for developing spaces and collections is not solely found within the classroom and research consultations. Rather, physical and digital library spaces—along with a library’s collection—can provide unique insights into service, instruction, and outreach roles.

The use of the library in facilitating pathways for projects focusing on environmental preservation is particularly compelling. Embree and Gilman’s “Creators for the Earth: The Academic Library’s Role in Supporting Sustainability Creators and Practitioners Across All Disciplines,” and Cassidy and Scully’s “How Collaborative Innovation Aided in the Fight Against COVID-19” provide powerful examples of librarian efforts advancing information literacy in connection with social responsibility. A few libraries built pollinator gardens, increased their recycling efforts, or added books promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility (p. 215). Texas Tech University Libraries supplemented their personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic using their 3D printer in their makerspace area making face shields (p. 94).

The target audience of Kuglitsch and Watkins’s Volume 2 is similar to that of Creators in the Academic Library: Instruction and Outreach—library professionals in higher education institutions, primarily in research university environments. Showcasing the ability for collaboration among library and other university departments, the chapters present both examples and overarching ethical approaches to creative projects in academic libraries. The chapter contributors utilize clear and direct language, and define methodologies and assessments through the structure of the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. The book can be used as a guide for initiating similar projects or for generating ideas that transcend the norms of traditional library space in order to develop new services. A comprehensive book, Volume 2 is best read as a companion to Volume 1. — Andrew Beman-Cavallaro, Assistant Librarian University of South Florida