TITLE: This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All
AUTHOR: Marilyn Johnson
STARTED: July 10, 2010
FINISHED: July 18, 2010
PAGES: 272
GENRE: Books About Books
FIRST SENTENCE: Down the street from the library in Deadwood, South Dakota, the peace is shattered several times a day by the noise of gunfire - just noise.
SUMMARY: [From Amazon.com
] In an information age full of Google-powered searches, free-by-Bittorrent media downloads and Wiki-powered knowledge databases, the librarian may seem like an antiquated concept. Author and editor Johnson (The Dead Beat) is here to reverse that notion with a topical, witty study of the vital ways modern librarians uphold their traditional roles as educators, archivists, and curators of a community legacy. Illuminating the state of the modern librarian with humor and authority, Johnson showcases librarians working on the cutting edge of virtual reality simulations, guarding the Constitution and redefining information services-as well as working hard to serve and satisfy readers, making this volume a bit guilty of long-form reader flattery. Johnson also makes the important case for libraries-the brick-and-mortar kind-as an irreplaceable bridge crossing economic community divides. Johnson's wry report is a must-read for anyone who's used a library in the past quarter century. THOUGHTS: I am only slightly biased when I say that I liked this book. Okay, that's a lie. I'm incredibly biased when I say that I liked this book. I am a librarian afterall. I like the idea that we're saving everybody. That said, I did not love this book wholeheartedly. There were flaws abundant among the stories of librarians being awesome.
The whole point of This Book is Overdue! is to explain to readers how librarians and libraries are fantastic. That is not a premise which is difficult to argue. Aside from the occasional Fox New Story, most people are aware that libraries do good things. So, what Johnson has written is a love letter about libraries, the work they do, and the goals they hope to achieve. That all sounds good to me! Johnson does a nice job of showcasing all the ways in which we librarians rock - from archivists, to author helpers, reading promotoes, the freedom fighters. We do rule.
What Johnson fails to do is show the flaws of our industry. She brings up the occasional technological issue, but neglects to mention the greater problems of the profession and its work. I would have loved to see a serious discussion about how a lot librarians are protective whiners instead of proactive advocates. I would have liked to see more information about how we are outdated (yes, I admit, Google does it faster than we ever could... but they can't always do it better).
Additionally, I wish Johnson had followed through with her stories and arguments. Often times she'd bring up a point, use a narrative illustration, and then just jump to something else. There was no follow through or discussion of greater impact of her ideas. Every story felt individual. There was no broader discussion of the profession as a whole.
The book was a fun, quick read. If you're a librarian it's an ego booster. It was all things nice, but could have used a lot more substance and a bit less "We all wear superhero capes to work."
I also wonder how many non-library types would actually read this.
RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]
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