Library Journal article:
For decades, Library Journal reviews have concluded by recommending titles for particular types of libraries or collections, with an occasional nod to a type of reader—the generalist, the student, the fan. Phrases like “highly recommended for larger libraries,” “recommended for medium-sized and large fiction collections,” and “for academic libraries only” have been standard fare at the end of reviews. Librarians know the drill so well that many just skip to that final sentence to get the recommendation and move on. They’re looking for the quick yea or nay cum evaluation.
Now, responding to librarians’ requests that we frame reviews for their readers rather than for their colleagues only, we’re abandoning the wording we’ve become known for—and sometimes teased about (see below)—along with the guidance for the librarian once considered core to LJ reviews.
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