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Book Reviews

The 21st Century Black Librarian in Amer-
ica: Issues and Challenges. Eds. Andrew 
P. Jackson, Julius C. Jefferson Jr., and 
Akilah S. Nosakhere. Lanham, Md.: 
Scarecrow Press, 2012. 277p., $80.00 
(ISBN 9780810882454). LC 2011-042051. 

The powerful legacy of librarian, mentor, 
and activist Dr. E.J. Josey (1924–2009) 
permeates and inspires this collection of 
essays addressing the diverse and mul-
tifarious concerns of the black librarian 
in America. This edition, which follows 
two earlier versions edited by Josey in 
1970 and 1994, begins with a dedication 
to Josey, a selected bibliography of his 
works, and a tribute to him by the Black 
Caucus of the American Library Associa-
tion (BCALA). Indeed, Josey influences 
every page in this comprehensive volume 
with his work providing inspiration and 
guidance to black librarians in America. 

With 47 chapters and eight parts, this 
wide-ranging collection offers a varied 
and prolific assortment of essays related 
to black librarianship in America. The 
unifying theme of this collection is that, 
despite the hard work and accomplish-
ments of black librarianship’s preeminent 
activists and scholars, such as Josey, there 
still remains much work to be done, “glass 
ceilings to be shattered, closed doors 
to be opened.” Activism against racism 
in America remains as relevant as ever, 
and the 21st-century generation of black 
librarians is encouraged to continue the 
work of Josey and others: “Our respon-
sibility to ancestor warriors and elders 
has not yet been fulfilled.” Racism in the 
profession of librarianship continues to 
obstruct recruitment of black librarians 
to the field and their advancement in the 
profession. 

Part I focuses on the school library. As 
the introduction notes, “all are in agree-
ment that students with low academic 
skills typically come from schools with 
poorly equipped school libraries.” Part II 

addresses issues in the pub-
lic library. Themes explored 
in this section include the 
financial difficulties faced 
by public libraries in dif-
ficult economic times and 
the centrality of the public 
library to the community as a safe place 
for all people, from job seekers to the 
homeless, to seek assistance and refuge. 
Part III discusses black librarianship in 
terms of the academic library. A variety 
of perspectives from the academic library 
are presented. Part IV focuses on the 
special library. The chapters presented 
here address health sciences and medical 
librarianship and private institutional li-
braries. Part V discusses state and federal 
libraries, and Part VI addresses issues in 
the library and information school: both 
sections contain important essays about 
recruitment and retention of black librar-
ians in the profession. Part VII focuses 
on library technology and its impact on 
librarianship and information access. Ac-
cess to Africana collections in historically 
black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is 
one such topic addressed in this section. 
Finally, Part VIII, “Issues and Profiles,” is 
a diverse mélange of essays that discuss 
“challenges that have plagued librarian-
ship for decades.” 

This volume is highly recommended 
for collections concerned with diversity 
in librarianship, the history of the field 
of librarianship, the education of library 
professionals, and activism in the profes-
sion.—Maria T. Accardi, Indiana University 
Southeast.

Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo. UContent: The 
Information Professional’s Guide to 
User-Generated Content. Medford, N.J.: 
Information Today, 2012. 340p., $49.50 
(ISBN 9781573874250). LC2011-043838. 

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