This Book Is Overdue!

A passion for libraries and for all genres of knowledge is celebrated by Marilyn Johnson, who explores the lives of librarians as champions of confidentiality rights and harbingers of boundless curiosity, among other things. The need for librarians to help navigate the Information Age's limitless portals and the mazes beyond them is more vital than ever. Hillary Huber narrates the often-hilarious revelations about libraries, librarians, and readers with lively humor. Reporting on the more than 450 librarian blogs to the virtual world of librarian avatars, Second Life, THIS BOOK never ceases to dazzle. Daily struggles--of burgeoning collection automation, issues of open access and literacy, and fierce defense of the Constitution--have resulted in a hip generation of visionary, increasingly activist librarians. Everyone should listen to this book--especially when votes on the fates of libraries hang in the balance all over. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 1, 2010
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.