Customer Reviews

Future Libraries: Dreams, Madness and Reality

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What they didn't teach you in school. Clear thoughs on the future of libraries, rather than hype and blue sky. If you only read one book on libraries, read this one or his newest, Being Analog. If you haven't read either, you are not well informed on the subject. Hint: Professors from Schools of Information Science hate them.

The subtitle of this book gives you an idea of its tone - overdramatic to the point of silliness. It's hard to take Crawford and Gorman's points seriously amid references to straw men such as 'technojunkies,' 'enemies of the library' and 'suicidal librarians.' The authors do make some intriguing arguments to defend their sensible (if conservative) view of libraries of the future, though their style of writing makes them seem more reactionary than they actually are. I found aspects of this book interesting and useful, but it's far from the best book I've read on the subject.

Crawford & Gorman's book has been nothing but an
inspiration to me. I am an LIS graduate student
and these two librarians are heroes.
They utterly DEMOLISH the feasiblity/desirability
of "All digital libraries" and make solid arguements
for real, existing libraries.

These guys simply just ROCK.
Read William F. Birdsall also, to get a Cannuck
perspective on the same issue.

I dislike Crawford's non-sequitors about
"socialism" but beyond that, every
progressive librarian should read them

LONG LIVE LIBRARIANSHIP!

Crawford and Gorman. Gorman and Crawford. Two minds are usually better than one, but in this case, all that is amplified are biases and egos. Contrary to their self-inflated view of themselves, their whiney opinions have zero impact on library practices or the future of libraries.

Sure sure, Crawford, for example, works for the RLG; and Gorman, well, Gorman is Gorman, so his opinions and thoughts must be worth paying attention to.

Puhleeze....

Gorman and Crawford. Crawford and Gorman. Kind of like Laurel and Hardy. Only not as intelligent, amusing, or insightful.