Highly-respected authors G. Edward Evans, a long-time academic library director, and Fulbright Scholar, and ALA President-Elect and past ACRL president, Camila Alire, who also served as dean of two ARL libraries, draw from their combined professional, educational, and authorship experience of over seventy-five years to provide a comprehensive examination of academic librarianship. This authoritative new source, ideal for practitioners looking to advance their careers and for use as text in LIS programs, explores the unique nature of academic librarianship and guides readers to understand what is required to have a successful career in academic librarianship. Featured Review: "Refreshingly, Alire...and Evans...do an excellent job of balancing an overview of the academic library's place within the university and higher education as a whole, while also examining the details of the library's inner workings...this is an excellent text...for preparing librarians to take their places in academia, particularly as academic library directors...Essential reading for academic librarians." - Library Journal, October 2010 Evans and Alire explain the important ways in which the higher education environment distinguishes academic libraries from other types of libraries, and readers will gain practical insight into their distinct political and operational characteristics. They fully explore the core issues in contemporary academic librarianship, readers will be prepared to tackle all aspects of their jobs and ascend the organizational ladder. Each chapter is dedicated to a key issue in the field, with topics including: • Teaching faculty roles • Campus governance • Curriculum • The student body • Collection development • Providing quality service • Funding • Facilities • Staff • Technology and IT support A chapter on career development will benefit both aspiring and practicing academic librarians looking to enter or advance in the field, and a concluding section explores the future of academic librarianship through valuable input from more than fifteen experienced academic library deans and directors.