Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out [Paperback]

Katia Roberto (Author), Jessamyn Charity West (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786416084 | ISBN-13: 978-0786416080 | Publication Date: May 8, 2003 | Edition: First Edition

"Revolting librarians aren’t defined by what they are, they are defined by what they do. In fact, it’s not even what they do, but how they do it"—Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West, in the Preface.

This compilation of witty, insightful, and readable writings on the various aspects of alternative librarianship edited by two outspoken library professionals is a sequel to Revolting Librarians, which was published in 1972. The contributors, including Alison Bechdel, Sanford Berman, and Utne Reader librarian Chris Dodge, cover topics that range from library education and librarianship as a profession to the more political and spiritual aspects of librarianship. The contributions include critiques of library and information science programs, firsthand accounts of work experiences, and original fiction, poetry and art. Ten of the original librarians who wrote essays for Revolting Librarians back in 1972 reflect upon what they wrote thirty years ago and the turns that their lives and careers have taken since.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Revolting Librarians (double entendre very much intended!) came out 31 years ago, in 1972, when the 1960s were in full swing. An early example of desktop publishing, it had a red cover and sold for only two dollars! Library Journal called it "highly readable fun." Library Resources & Technical Services (LRTS) was more hesitant, describing the book as "a statement of discontent with almost every aspect of the American library establishment" that offered little practical guidance. These comments apply just as well to this Festschrift in honor of the first edition. The red cover is gone, and the cost has risen to $35. But 56 contributors, many returning from the first edition, rant and rave in a friendly, nostalgic style. It may not change much, but it's a fun read. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Katia Roberto is the Head of Monographs Original Cataloging at the University of Georgia Libraries. Business researcher Jessamyn West is writer and editor of librarian.net. She divides her time between Seattle, Washington and Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 229 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company; First Edition edition (May 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786416084
• ISBN-13: 978-0786416080
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #564,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jessamyn West is a community technology librarian and community manager of the massive group blog MetaFilter.com. She lives in a rural area of Central Vermont where she teaches basic computer skills and assists tiny libraries with technology planning and implementation. She maintains an online presence at jessamyn.com and librarian.net and has had her address and phone number on the Internet for a decade. Her favorite color is orange.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars revolting librarians needed, now more than ever, May 29, 2003

By 

Stephen Fesenmaier (charleston, wv USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out (Paperback)

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Revolting Librarians Needed, More Now than Ever

I am one of thousands of librarians who read the
original book that was published in 1972 - I read it in 1978 when I
first came to work in a library. I had a difficult time getting through
library school, and Don Roberts, one of the original authors, kept me
going. After I began my first job ever in a library, I instantly had
doubts about continuing given the conformism, lack of pay, etc. -
until I found a copy of Revolting Librarians and discovered that many
other librarians and library staff had exactly the same feelings I did.
Now, 30 years latter, a second version has come out. I think that it
is vastly superior to the first for several reasons.

One, I love the cover art much better. The hammer and books is
perfect. Second, I love the pieces by Sandy Berman and even better,
the piece detailing how he was forced into early retirement. Third, I
love Bruce Jensen's piece on providing library services to day
laborers. It was amazing - I thought that only Berman and Prof.
McCook had such radical ideas! I also love the other original authors,
in particular, the original editor's followup on what has happened
since. I wish that my own piece, "Fez the Barbarian Librarian Fights
the Biblio-Nazis" had been included, as well as Carol Reid's piece. I
just hope that all librarians and library staff get to see a copy, and
read it. Maybe a lot of librarian book selectors will even buy it and
maybe library school teachers will also use it. I think that the current
political climate in America, more than ever, demands that true
information professionals see that they must revolt against Patriot
Acts that would seem appropriate during the McCarthy Era, but not
now.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome and essential, January 28, 2004

By 

fml66 "fml66" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out (Paperback)

This is a book for librarians and library students (and anyone else who cares about libraries). It's a book that's essential to have on your shelf if you're either of those, or thinking about becoming one.

It's an irreverent update of the 1972 book "Revolting Librarians," which I read while I was applying to library schools. That book was written in a much different time, and some of its writing was dated and showed it, but its attitude was what was key: a brawling, feisty collection of poems and essays and other pieces written by librarians and paraprofessionals who were tired of the bureaucratization of librarianship. The book really took a serious and long-overdue look at the tension between librarianship as a calling and librarianship as a career, a tension which, if anything, is even more pronounced thirty-odd years later.

I have to admit that if I'd had "Redux" before I'd applied to library school, I might have not been so gung-ho about applying (or attending). But that's the beauty of this book. You need to know what you're getting into, and this book provides that. There's an essay on "What Library Schools Still Aren't Teaching Us" (a lot), and there's a list (sarcastic, of course) of "What I Really Learned in Library School." If that's not enough, there's a cartoon by Alison Bechdel and a short piece by her on why Mo decided to go to library school.

There are also great sections on jobs, career and other librarianship issues, on individual librarians and their experiences, and a bunch of pieces by contributors to the original book.

Highly recommended -- no, more than that -- absolutely necessary.