SIMPSON, Martha Seif & Lucretia I. Duwel. Bringing Classes into the Public Library: A Handbook for Librarians. illus. by Mark A. Hatfield. 175p. appendix. index. McFarland. 2007. pap. $45. ISBN 978-0-7864-2806-9. LC 2006037527.

Simpson and Duwel are committed to the benefits of collaboration among public librarians, media specialists, and teachers. They have practiced this collaboration and offer a comprehensive how-to-do-it manual for promoting school visits to the public library. The book begins with detailed suggestions concerning staff needs, schedules, and cost estimates. Procedures and materials for elementary and secondary school visits are followed by an invaluable chapter detailing common challenges and possible solutions. A chapter on the benefits of class visits for students, educators, public librarians, and the community includes impacts and outcomes invaluable for preparing proposals for school and library administrators. The appendixes include comprehensive outlines and tips for class visits and assignment planning along with numerous sample forms that can be adapted for individual library use.—Rebecca Sheridan, Easttown Library & Information Center, Berwyn,
School Library Journal 8/1/07 ( )

School and public library cooperation is as essential as ever, particularly as many elementary school libraries are now staffed with paraprofessionals. Our authors propose class visits to the public library for both elementary and secondary classrooms and provide ideas from the public library perspective of how to make this happen. For many, these ideas are and should have been happening for many years, but personnel change and programs die and must be rekindled. If that is the case in your community, then this book is probably worth the price to get the conversation started. For the experienced, a whole new assessment needs to be made about connections, particularly digital, between school and public libraries so that information services are both complimentary and 24/7. Such ideas are not found in this book, but if you are reading this review and have advanced ideas for true collaboration and even integration, then perhaps you could write a book on the topic, or at least an article. ( )