Book excerpt: The written word is our primary tool for communication – with colleagues, administrators, stakeholders, and users. Poor use of words can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. Writing effectively will help you be a stronger colleague, manager, and librarian. In this book, you will learn how to: Define your audience and your primary messages Simplify your writing so that it is succinct and understandable Structure your written content so that it is most usable and accessible to your audience Approach different forms of writing in a way that is most effective to getting your message across Establish a voice and tone that reflects the identity of your organization and yourself as a professional The book covers writing for both print and Web-based publications and is aimed at all types of libraries.