This volume presents a thoughtful and well-organized combination of position papers and case studies by seasoned and beginning linguistic fieldworkers as well as community members. In the words of one of the editors, “the book should be seen both as a characterization of challenges afforded by language documentation at this point in time and as a set of informed suggestions for directions to be pursued” (xviii).

The book is divided into five parts. Part 1 is composed of three position papers that address the relationship between language documentation practices and values. Ch. 1 defends the relevance of practice-based orientations to theory-building. Ch. 2 evaluates the ethical responsibilities to communities of speakers in empowerment and community-based paradigms. Ch. 3 calls attention to unique circumstances that must be negotiated within and between communities and academic institutions.

Part 2 focuses on the question of adequacy in language documentation. The position paper in Ch. 4 argues that evaluating adequacy may mean surrendering preconceived notions of what it means to document a language; three case studies follow. Ch. 5 shows how decisions about what to document can lead to biases in linguistic descriptions. Ch. 6 emphasizes the need to document all oral narratives and natural conversations offered by communities. Ch. 7 describes an ongoing project to develop infrastructure that allows active access to data and related scientific materials.

Part 3 takes a critical look at technology in language documentation. The position paper in Ch. 8 asks linguists to first determine what they value in a documentation project before considering how technology can best be used to serve it; three case studies follow. Ch. 9 describes the network of complex problems facing attempts to create digital language documentation. Ch. 10 details the methods and reasons for handling and sharing data in archives. Ch. 11 presents a series of suggestions for incorporating culturally oriented work into linguistic projects on the Web.

Part 4 examines models of successful collaborations. The position paper in Ch. 12 asks why there is often a large gap between how linguists view their own work and the criticisms leveled at them by native speakers and communities. Ch. 13, also a position paper, motivates several general principles of collaboration; four case studies follow. Ch. 14 presents an ongoing project devoted to storing and digitizing documentary materials with the assistance of the target communities. Ch. 15 reports an unusual case of spontaneous collaboration between a health-service NGO and a language revitalization project. Ch. 16 offers suggestions for making legacy materials more accessible. Ch. 17 discusses the positive impact that documenting pragmatics may have on language maintenance efforts.

Part 5 addresses training in field linguistics. The position paper in Ch. 18 argues that higher quality training of both students and community members will result in higher quality co-constructed projects. The case study in Ch. 19 reports on a training project designed to empower speakers to undertake documentation efforts in their own communities. The concluding chapter cogently brings together many of the issues raised throughout the book.