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The focus of this ambitious volume is ANCIL, A New Curriculum for Information Literacy. The editors developed this approach in the U.K., so it is both distinct from and resonant with ACRL’s information literacy standards. For readers in the U.S., this volume provides an opportunity to rethink approaches, borrow ideas, draw comparisons, and revisit information literacy concepts.

ANCIL comprises ten elements that map to the chronological development of the undergraduate researcher. The editors insist that these strands are represented best visually, but the written list is compelling too:

1. Transitioning from school to higher education.
2. Becoming an independent learner.
3. Developing academic literacies.
4. Mapping and evaluating the information landscape.
5. Discovering resources in one’s discipline.
6. Managing information.
7. Engaging with the ethical dimension of information.
8. Presenting and communicating knowledge.
9. Synthesizing information and creating new knowledge.
10. Engaging with the social dimension of information.

Coupled with this process is the crucial mandate to “seek out partnerships and to work interprofessionally in our schools, colleges and universities.” What better way to involve librarians in the careers of undergraduates than to embed information literacy every step of the way?

The ten strands serve as titles for ten of the twelve chapters, which leads the reader to expect that chapter authors will ground their ideas firmly in the ANCIL model in general and the strand titling their chapters in particular. Some do and some don’t. One chapter focuses on teaching graduate students to conduct literature reviews, whereas ANCIL itself focuses on undergraduates. Perhaps this is a minor quibble—librarians could adapt the methods described for undergraduates—but these slight disconnects occur in several chapters, and often led this reviewer to glance at the running headers for a reminder of which strand was under discussion. Despite this occasional lack of focus, however, the volume delivers on its promise to provide a holistic view of the ANCIL model. You’ll less often find innovations as useful explications of what has worked for each author and how it proves the efficacy of ANCIL.

An excellent companion to this title would be the Godwin and Parker edited volume, Information Literacy Beyond Library 2.0, which provides a wealth of practical examples with an eye toward the future.