Customer Reviews

This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"This Book Is Overdue" isn't going to be for everyone (and I still haven't figured out how it got saddled with that baffling subtitle), but Marilyn Johnson has done a great job of putting human faces on a profession that is often either beloved or ridiculed. The stereotype of the prim, shushing matron notwithstanding, Johnson's almost obsessive exploration of the roles, subcultures and future of librarians and librarianship in an era of shrinking budgets, digital media, cyberculture and declining readership turns out to be pretty compelling, enshrining a number of librarians who have changed their field, and in some ways, even our world.

Frequently depicting librarians as a breed apart who are nonetheless indispensable to mere mortals in search of information, no matter how arcane, she has written a book that celebrates the eccentricity and sheer diversity within their profession--a profession that in some ways is changing at breakneck speed and in others is securely rooted in tradition. Her topics veer from the librarians who sued the government, post-"Patriot" Act, to keep their patrons' records out of the hands of government spies, to avid blogger librarians, to the librarian avatars of Second Life, to the changing face of the New York Public Library, to name just a few, carrying readers along for a decidedly unconventional but fascinating ride.

I found the chapters on Radical Reference--activist librarians who take to the streets, using smart phones to dispense information--and the Second Life librarians to be particularly interesting, mainly because they represent such a departure from the traditional roles we're all familiar with. But as a writer who has relied on archivists' expertise to help me research four books, I have a special appreciation for the skills of that subdiscipline and especially enjoyed the chapter about the challenges they face as well.

If you really (REALLY) like books, if you remember the libraries of your youth with fondness (I kept "smelling" the old libraries from my childhood as I read the sections about bricks and mortar libraries), if you're an information junkie of any kind, you'll probably want to add this book to your reading list. There's a lot more going on within those hallowed walls than you may realize, and it may give you a whole new perspective. If knowledge is indeed power, then librarians may well be the unsung power brokers of our civilization.

Four stars for this unexpected pleasure.

Being a library advocate/activist as well as an elementary school library media tech, I had such high hopes for this book. I didn't even wait for my public library to get it in, I ordered it so I could get it right away. Unfortunately, I have to say this book did not measure up to my expectations. I loved what it was trying to do . . . show how important and relevant librarians have been and continue to be, but I found this book kind of . . . boring. It was mostly anecdotes of the author's experiences while researching this book. While some were interesting and I did learn some interesting things about librarians, I wanted more of a point and a focus to this book . . . not just a librarian rave but more about the importance of libraries in general--with points I could use in my letter writing campaigns to politicians and school boards on why libraries need to be funded and staffed adequately. So, while I'm glad someone had the idea to create a book like this, I just wish it would have been stronger.

I abandoned libraries long ago because I was convinced they were for senior citizens, for those on fixed incomes, for those who didn't have access to computer technology, and for book-loving kids whose schools had lost afer-school programs to budget cuts and personnel losses. Since I didn't fit into any of those categories I paid little attention to libraries. However, libraries came slightly back into my consciousness when the patriotism Act hit the headlines and we learned that librarians were not only defending "us", their reader/patrons, but defending our rights as well. This book is wonderfully reported yet far from encyclopedic. It is not limited to the crisis in libraries as it embraces many engaging voices and points of view (the author's not least among them). Just two examples: The Second Life chapter was riveting and comical (plus clearly explained an aspect of cyber world that's moving almost too fast to comprehend); and the stories of St. John's University's Rome campus, and what's happening there on behalf of literacy, social justice and international outreach, were so moving they deserve a book of their own (and maybe a movie). These people are FIERCE.
Andrew Carnegie, the "patron saint" and architect of the public library system would've bought this book (ideally, he would've bought many copies and then given them all away). He would've laughed, and winced, and been both alarmed and grateful. He would've been entertained, enlightened, and come away knowing more than he did when he started. In that, it perfectly fulfills a book's mission. Libraries and librarians are as vital as oxygen. In this time of great and sometimes scary transition (for books, for writers, for readers, and for the very concept of community), this is the book they (and we) deserve.

I requested this book from the Amazon Vine program because I love libraries and librarians. I thought I'd be reading a real discussion about the place of the library in this cyber-age. But I didn't get that. In fact, it's hard to say what I did get.

The problem is stated clearly and succinctly by the author early on (though I doubt she realized that she was describing her book!), when she says, "This is a story . . . researched partly on a computer in mazes so extended and complex -- every link a trapdoor to another set of links -- that I never found a sturdy place to stop and grasp the whole."

Her failure to "grasp the whole" has resulted in a book that is little more than a collection of anecdotes. Johnson has no thesis, no point, to tie these stories together. She jumps from a lengthy discussion about libraries and librarians on Second Life (and it occurred to me that it's been ages since I've heard anyone even mention Second Life!) to the serious matter of government intrusion into library records to decisions about archiving author records. (She actually spends nearly six pages on library blog entries about feces. Really.) She is uncritical about technology, so entranced by its usefulness that she cannot see its drawbacks.

And the book is too much about Johnson, HER interactions, what SHE did, what SHE thought.

I'm not saying, "Don't read this book." You may find some of the anecdotes amusing or interesting. Just don't expect any serious discussion or analysis of the problems facing libraries and librarians today.

I want to make sure people understand that my review is not a reflection of my opinion of librarians (I worked in a library for nearly five years). I gave the book two stars because it is poorly organized, and it did not focus on librarians the way I expected. I found the title to be misleading. I was looking forward to reading about librarians who have helped shaped the history of libraries, and secure their future in the world of technology. Instead the author sensationalized librarians by discussing topics like librarians who enjoy swearing or the way they dress. Overall, I thought this book was huge disservice to librarians. I was hoping the author would take the task of writing this book more seriously than she did.

I've often wondered what would happen to libraries in a world with instant online access, so I selected this book with high expectations. Marilyn Johnson begins with a brief historical example and an explanation of how librarians have helped libraries (and, especially, their patrons) adapt to this ever-changing online environment.

The first few chapters are full of stories from librarians illustrating their invaluable knowledge that a computer alone cannot provide. For example, librarians helping the unemployed create resumes (usually people who have never even heard of resumes), or making themselves available to answer questions 24/7 through web blogs.

The chapter, Big Brother and the Holdout Company, was extremely disturbing. I didn't know about the gag-order on the librarians during the Patriot Act debate, until I read this book. If you value your privacy, you will find this case very relevant...if you live in the States, that is.

Another chapter, How to Change the World showed how some librarians were using technology to improve the quality of human life in less-fortunate countries. It was interesting, but this chapter didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book. This section focused mostly on available technology -- not unlike an infomercial. I almost felt like I was reading another book entirely.

After that, the author seemed to wander away from the direction established in the beginning of the book. She spends several chapters making a big deal about librarians who don't look like the stereotype: blue hair, tattoos, using obscenities, etc. I wish Johnson had stuck to the transitional experiences of the librarians, in regards to the modernization of libraries, as well as their personal dedication to sharing knowledge. Gotham City was the only other part of the book worth reading -- just as fascinating as the Big Brother chapter, revealing more information not known to the general public.

Unfortunately, THIS BOOK IS OVERDUE lacked a serious focus, and strayed from the product description -- if you love libraries, perhaps Library: An Unquiet History would be a better choice.

Let's face it: avid readers like books, and so it is natural that they will like libraries, and a book about librarians sounds like a real winner. As someone who also enjoys using the many benefits of technology, I was especially drawn to a book subtitled ,"How Libraries and Librarians Can Save Us All".

From the title, the cover, and the book jacket narrative, one expects the book to be light in tone, which I enjoy. A light tone, however, doesn't excuse a light approach to organization or balance, and The Book is Overdue fails in that regard.

The first part of the book starts out well enough. There is good material about how technology is affecting library schools, patron services, and even the nature of libraries themselves. I was intrigued by the virtual libraries in virtual-reality game-playing worlds. And certainly no booklover can fail to cheer at the librarian heroes who defied the FBI in order to protect the reading habits of their patrons.

After that, the book went rapidly downhill, both in content and organization. Ms. Johnson did a tremendous amount of research and clearly loved every minute of it; then it seems she came back and just spewed it all out without enough attention to organization. The book skips around distractingly and annoyingly. For example, the chapter Gotham City is primarily about the New York Public Library, but in the middle of it there is a long digression describing a specialized boxing library, after which the chapter returns to the Public Library. The boxing library does show another interesting aspect of libraries, but did the discussion of it really belong in the middle of the Public Library presentation?

The book also needs more balance. In her haste to assure readers that not all librarians wear flat shoes, buns, and go home to live with aging mothers, Ms. Johnson perhaps goes too far in the other direction and seems to glory in portraits as counterculture and bizarre as possible. There could have been more about librarians who are progressive in their professions but a bit more traditional in their personal habits.

Ms. Johnson obviously loves books and libraries as much as I do; she bubbles with enthusiasm. I just wish she had shared her enthusiasm in a more disciplined way. If you are a bibliophile who enjoys offbeat anecdotal narrative and can tolerate a rather stream-of-consciousness technique, then you will probably like this book a lot. If, however, you prefer a book from which you learn something and admire a more orderly style, then you should look somewhere else.

While the global economic climate remains volatile, and Internet giants like Google and Facebook seem to be all but taking over the planet, those of us in centuries-old professions are fighting to stay relevant. This is the impetus behind author and editor Marilyn Johnson's 2010 publication This Book is Overdue. In this latest work of nonfiction, Johnson, who also penned The Dead Beat, offers up some humorous in-depth investigative reporting on the misunderstood and underappreciated culture of librarians, painting them as high-tech heroes in an era where budget cuts are threatening cultural institutions, and "information sickness" is fast becoming an epidemic (Johnson evokes the imaginary disease from Ted Mooney's 1981 novel Easy Travel to Other Planets). Shedding light on the current issues facing libraries in an era of digital information overload, Johnson debunks the matronly shushing stereotype with accounts of Second Life avatar librarians and tattooed hipster librarians delivering "street reference" with iPhones to protestors during the 2008 Republican National Convention. However, not everyone will share Johnson's level of enthusiasm for these renegade tech-savvy librarians, or "cybrarians," and at times, Johnson is so entrenched in anecdote that the book loses some momentum and focus. Chapter 11, for example, is almost thirty pages of forgettable stories about archives materials and reads much like Nicolson Baker's equally fanatical 2001 book Double Fold. Nevertheless, Johnson's good intentions outweigh these shortcomings, and librarians and library lovers alike will find value in this book that asserts, "In tough times, a librarian is a terrible thing to waste."

I'm a librarian, so I am predisposed to enjoy books about libraries and enamored with books about librarians.

What I didn't know when I started this book, but perhaps should have inferred from the book's title (This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All) is the author, Marilyn Johnson, is not a librarian. The book isn't necessarily aimed at librarians, although I think there are things all librarians, readers and citizens could learn from this book. Ms. Johnson's first book is about obituaries, and she discovered librarians had absolutely fascinating obituaries and focused her next book on us. Awesome, yes?

Each chapter has a different topic. Some were more interesting to me than others, and although she explores many aspects of librarianship, especially in the modern and changing sense, it's not a comprehensive book (nor is it supposed to be.) It was so refreshing to have a non-librarian not only defend the profession but praise it. It's also honest. Librarians aren't saints, and Johnson points out some our individual and collective short comings.

If you like books, technology or organizational models at all, you will like this book. It's a fun, informative, and fascinating read. As a librarian, it was delightful to see an outsider take an honest look at the profession. As a reader, it was a delight to read Ms. Johnson's beautiful, descriptive language.

I'm not sure why I picked out Marilyn Johnson's This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Perhaps it's because my two best friends are librarians. Or it could be because I've always had a secret desire to be a librarian myself. In any case, I have a new appreciation for libraries and librarians. Johnson got the idea for this book while writing her first book, The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries. In her research, she discovered that the most interesting obituaries were of librarians.

Traditionally, librarians were considered to be bookish, inhibited, dull, anti-technology and concerned mostly with shelving and cataloging books. The librarians of today are tech-savvy, cutting-edge, quirky, innovative, outgoing, and helpful. Modern librarians have to think outside the box (or the book, for that matter). "The profession that had once been the quiet gatekeeper to discreet palaces of knowledge is now wrestling a raucous, multi-headed, madly multiplying beast of exploding information and information delivery systems." Johnson chronicles how libraries and librarians have changed over a few short decades. I first thought this book was written primarily for librarians, but was I wrong!

Just as librarians have changed, so have libraries. Instead of musty, quiet places housing collections of books and periodicals, libraries today are active, exciting places with computers, cafes, programs, book clubs, films, art shows and displays. It was librarians who had the vision for these changes. Perhaps the most cutting-edge are the virtual libraries of today. Found on the internet, these libraries are run by actual librarians (using fake screen names and avatars). One of the most famous is run by the Alliance Library System in Illinois. Two months after a call for volunteers, A Land of Lincoln was created offering "a virtual, historically accurate, 1860s White House, replete with period furniture; a Civil War graveyard; a Union encampment; the village of Lincolnshire...Abe's Springfield home, recreated from the original plans; and a plantation like the one where Mary Todd Lincoln spent her early life." There are also links to period information including recipes, popular novels, Lincoln cartoons, etc. The things that can be created in virtual libraries are mind-boggling.

While there was much humor to be found in this book, one sobering chapter detailed how four Connecticut librarians stood up to the government and the Patriot Act (and won).

Johnson gets bonus points for mentioning my great-great uncle, boxer Iron-Jaw Joe Grim. While she claims that he was the worst boxer in the history of boxing, his claim to fame was not his won-loss record but the fact that no boxer could knock him out--until late in his career.

Johnson writes that librarians today are "information professionals, teachers, police, community organizers, computer technicians, historians, confidents, clerks, social workers, storytellers." After reading This Book is Overdue, I will never look at librarians in quite the same way.

This book is like many (most?) non-fiction books in that it takes an interesting premise, develops it into a long article, and then expands it until you tire of the whole idea before you get to the end. I feel bad about criticizing it because the writing style is appealing and the subject deserves to be covered.

I felt that the book bogged down in chapter nine which covered online librarians' games and their fantasy world. After a couple of pages of this, I found it vacuous and about as interesting as all those games that friends share on Facebook. Fortunately I learned to turn those off using the "Hide" button, which is what I wanted to do with this chapter. Of course, I was able to skim over the rest of it, but damage had been done: I had gotten bored with the book. Since I felt an obligation to finish it as a Vine reviewer, I turned my attention to the next chapter, which was more substantive.

After that came a chapter asking "What's Worth Saving" - a timely question now that books are being digitized by the thousands. In some cases, the books are discarded or at least made inaccessible after being electronically scanned. What this means for the future of libraries and for tomorrow's readers is an interesting question to ponder. Certainly the digitizing of material makes it accessible to more people, offering a great democratizing of research, but with that comes an overload of information with little guidance on how to evaluate one source against another. I would have welcomed more pages on this subject.

I wavered between awarding this book three or four stars and decided to go with four because much of the book is interesting and well-written. Overall, it paints a picture of how the roles of libraries are changing and how they may be able to stay relevant in our communities.