Of his earlier book, Against the Grain raved, “Reading this book brings a sense of hope, inspiration, and excitement for what the future holds for the new generation of hyperlinked librarians entering our profession.” Now Stephens is back with a newly curated collection of succinct writings that will refresh your view of the profession and invigorate your work. Associate Professor at San Jose State University, Stephens encourages curiosity and creativity in his students and all library workers by connecting trends from outside the profession to its bedrock values. With a humanist lens, he reflects on such topics as

how libraries can empower kindness;
developing a coterie of kindred spirits at conferences outside libraryland;
inspiring creativity in library patrons;
the most effective professional development experiences;
comfort, joy, and hygge in the library;
the characteristics of compassionate leadership;
how to contend with a devil’s advocate; and
mentoring new librarians.


Whether you’ve just landed your first job or a longtime professional, Stephens’ perspective will reenergize your commitment to librarianship and the important work that libraries are doing every day.