Can people work from home? Should they work from home? Rutgers University librarians Weber and De Fino present evidence that people can and should, arguing that remote and hybrid work schedules are better for employees, libraries, and the environment….Though many recent studies have documented the improved productivity of employees who have chosen to work remotely, libraries were thrown into this largely unexplored realm, most with little or no time to plan as a result of the pandemic. Even were it not for pandemics, unforeseen electrical outages, floods, weather emergencies, earthquakes, terrorism, active shooters, and other unfortunate events require that libraries create emergency plans, taking into account the possibility of short- and long-term closures. Applicable to both public and technical services, this work is required reading for librarians and administrators of all types of libraries.

Library Journal, Starred Review

In Virtual Technical Services: A Handbook, Mary Beth Weber and Melissa De Fino have crafted a thought provoking, sometimes idealistic, sometimes practical tome on perform­ing technical services work remotely. The book addresses remote work both as a temporary measure in response to a calamitous event, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a permanent working arrangement. This book was an intriguing and rewarding read. The authors' anecdotes about their own experiences of facilitating remote work during not only their COVID-19 pandemic response, but through their experience with 9/11 and several hurricanes bring authenticity to the topics addressed. Its detailing of many factors to consider when initiating remote technical service work is helpful whether one is looking to respond to an emergency or to move to some form of hybrid or full remote work operation.

Technical Services Quarterly

One of the most enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may be the way it changed how we think about work, and this is no less true for libraries and their technical services employees. Authors Mary Beth Weber and Melissa De Fino capture this paradigm shift in their very timely publication, Virtual Technical Services: A Handbook. While the book was inspired by the recent pandemic, it is more ambitious than simply a handbook for how to manage during a crisis; rather, it is designed to show the way toward considering full- or part-time telecommuting options for all technical services staff on a permanent basis.... While most librarians have lived through this recent pandemic, this deeply researched book will prove highly useful to technical services librarians as they navigate future crises or simply move to implement a permanent telecommuting option for their staff. This book includes an index and a robust bibliography, and would be appropriate for professional collection in all libraries.

Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship