novels), there is something to be said for BloomTs belief thatone must take up the challenge of reading the classics.Perhaps this is my own bias as an English Literaturegraduate, but I feel librarians, teachers, and even parentsshould not be afraid to emphasize the rewards that readingchallenging works can bring. Young adults who arrive atuniversity lacking the patience to deal with difficult textsmay soon find themselves lost and frustrated with theircourses.

Overall, the strengths of Reading Matters lie in its fresh andengaging approach to the topic of pleasure reading. Thediscussion of contemporary issues such as the ‘‘Oprah effect’’and the impact of fashionable book stores indicate the authorsare in touch with the larger reading public. The authors writepersuasively, encouraging librarians to be more flexible andcreative in the way they approach pleasure reading and howthey structure the collection. The most compelling aspect ofthis book is the enthusiasm of the authors; their emphasis onthe importance of drawing pleasure from reading is somethingthat all who work in libraries can benefit from reflectingupon.—Justine Alsop, Humanities and Social SciencesLibrarian, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S3A1 CANADA bjalsop@brocku.caN.

doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2006.06.013

Strategic Planning and Management for LibraryManagers, by Joseph R. Matthews. Westport, Connecticut:Libraries Unlimited, 2005. 151 p. $40(pbk). ISBN 1-59158-231-8.

Strategic Planning is the means by which most organ-izations, including libraries, cope with a changing world. Itis a form of managerial prognostication based on what weknow and what we can practically expect about the changesin our culture. For information organizations like libraries,this is particularly important. Technology takes unexpectedtwists as one innovation affects the use of another unrelatedproduct.

Joseph R. Matthews, author of a score of books onautomation, online services, cataloging, measurement, andplanning has put together a good guide to this basicmanagerial necessity. The ten chapter text divides into threemain sections. Part One defines what strategy is and why weneed it. Strategies usually address issues of excellence,consumer perception, and the innovation of services (p. 43).Part Two lays out the values and options available for thoseengaging in Strategic Planning. It highlights traditionalmethodologies like SWOT Analysis (Strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, threats) and PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act). PartThree explains how to monitor and update strategic plansonce we have them in place. In essence, how do we makethem work? What are our performance measures? On almostevery page are embedded quotations, charts, definitions, andoutlines.

Matthews begins with the purpose of strategies, and is notafraid to laugh with our inept attempts at mission identification,quoting Dilbert creator Scott Adams, ‘‘The typical missionstatement is a long, awkward sentence that demonstratesmanagement’s inability to think clearly (p. 13).’’ Sadly, attimes, this is all too true.

However, about strategies Matthews writes ‘‘The key tounderstanding an organization’s plan is to see how the mostprecious resources within the organization (including suchthings as money and people’s time) are allocated and used todeliver products and services (p. 11).’’ Management andpolitics are both about how we cut up the pie and explainwho gets what in an organization. This has become particularlyimportant to libraries in our era of balancing cost allocationsrelating to online resources versus print; and in determiningwhere we will put our staffing dollars as we search for the rightprofessional skill sets.

Because reviewers deliver criticism, one minor quibble tonote: more than once Matthews includes examples, which hethen undermines. He includes a sample mission statement thathe says is too long, incorrectly focused, and erroneous. He doesthe same thing again with an appendix to a strategic plan,which he then criticizes for having imperfect goals dressed upas strategies (p. 141). In both cases, it would have been betterto offer positive, ‘‘best practices’’ models. Though we cancertainly learn by mistakes, it would have been nice to see howto do it right, not how to do it wrong.

Other works on library strategic planning worth noting areDonald Riggs’s Strategic Planning for Library Managers(Oryx, 1984) which, though dated, still provides a goodoverview of strategic planning ideas. Slightly more specialized,John Crowley’s Developing a Vision: Strategic Planning andthe Library Media Specialist (Greenwood, 1994) provides amethod which zeros in from a global vision to the particularmanagerial setting, while Strategic Planning for School LibraryMedia Centers (Scarecrow, 2002) by Mary Frances Zilonus,Carolyn Markusan, and Mary Beth Fincke contains goodtemplates for planning tasks and assignments. Other books inthe same mode are Strategic Planning basics for Speciallibraries by Doris Asantewa (ALA, 1992) and StrategicPlanning for library and information services by Sheila Corrall(Aslib, 1994).

Without a vision, it is said, the people (and the organization)perish. Our visions lead us to mission statements; our missionstatements lead to goals; our goals lead to action plans; and ouraction plans lead to objective re-evaluations. We pepperourselves with questions-who we are, what we are trying toaccomplish, how we are to we accomplish our goals, and arewe succeeding at what we are trying to do-all in the process ofstrategic planning. Matthew’s book can be recommended as agood aid in organizing these basic strategies.—James L.Sauer, Library Director, Eastern University, 1300 EagleRd., St. Davids, PA 19087 bjsauer@eastern.eduN.

doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2006.06.014

Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method, byGerald Weinberg. New York: Dorset House Publishing, 2006.194 p. $24.95. ISBN 0-932633-65-X.

Computer engineer, Gerald Weinberg writes that if youfollow his ‘‘Fieldstone Method,’’ and not be ‘‘discouraged bythe slings and arrows of outrageous reviewers, editors, andagents, you will succeed (p. 177).’’ Unfortunately the presented‘‘method’’ seems to be a pretext for the author to indulgehimself. Included are embarrassing exposes of people who

546 The Journal of Academic Librarianship

mistreated Weinberg during his life (except for his dogPango, who ‘‘was the only creature who never persecuted[him] (p. 7),’’ a two-page ‘‘partial listing’’ resume (in case thereader lost count of his accomplishments repeated throughoutthe text), and a mediocre metaphor for the writing processdelivered in pedestrian prose. Not recommended.—Amanda

Cain, Humanities Information Literacy Librarian, FrancisHarvey Green Library, West Chester University, WestChester, PA 19383 bacain@wcupa.eduN.

doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2006.06.015

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