Take This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians And Cybrarians Can Save Us All Presented By Marilyn Johnson Listed As Physical Book

Book is Overdue is a quick read with an identity crisis, Should the book be a serious analysis of the manner in which libraries and librarians are changing, for better or for worse, with the rise of technology Should it be a memoirish narrative of the author's experience visiting libraries both in real and Second Life and librarians What about a huggy chapter on teaching potential librarians from developing cultures how to use technology to improve the lives of their patrons These parts coalesce less into a coherent whole and more into what seems like what could have been a long magazine article stretched thin into an undersized book with large font.


The text includes positives, sure, The chapter that compassionately contrasts the desire of an aging New York librarian, who wants to preserve a unique but rarely used collection, with the push of young, hipper librarians who focus on customer service and the needs of the broader public, is well done.
And the chapter on “Second Life” librarians made me, um, feel a lot better about the time I spend on Goodreads, And I love that the author acknowledges that some librarians are evil enough to bounce to the front of material waiting lists, Johnson falls flat when she goes into cheerleader mode, Yes, yes, I know, you respect librarians, You said that about,times, and guess what, your readership probably respects librarians, too, Yay. Near the end I felt like I was reading that part of a sixth grader's essay when she really, really needs to pad a couple pages to reach the required length.
And Johnson's distaste of stackweeding confused me, Ok, I get it, you worry that some valuable books might get lost in the weeding process, But where the hell are you supposed to put these books that no one reads What about the books that are falling apart Yes, it's a shame.
Is that all you got

Maybe because I'm already converted to the message Johnson is preaching I didn't get much from This Book Is Overdue.
It's ok. If I needed more than a few hours with the book I doubt I would have continued, Johnson failed, I think, to acknowledge that readers are probably going to see through what I perceived as a wellintentioned attempt to sell books on a slam dunk topic readers love to read about reading, right that covers its lack of substance with a chatty narrative.
Ok. Not great. Look for This Book Is Overdue within a month of two in the discount sections of bookstores everywhere, Can I give this nonI don't want to offend anyone, least of all my heroes: librarians, So, suffice it to say, this book was not at all what I expected and I expect my expectations are not really at fault here.
I knew I was going for librarian lite when I saw the cover and title, but was excited to learn more about modern librarianship and anything about peripheral library staff that support our amazing librarians like media or digital specialists, information specialists and beyond.
But I didn't get any of that, A weird chapter about a virtual reality game almost reduced me to tears, Like what What did I just read

So, did I offend anyone Sorry,

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 cyberage, 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, Overall informative and entertaining, definitely as others mentioned a "feel good" book about libraries, and how essential libraries are to present populations and not as a relic of the past.
Though I would knock off a halfstar for the chapter on Second Life as far as I can tell from the literature, librarians are obsessed with it, but as a librarian, I don't know anyone who is and I'm certainly not, though I'm not going to lie I stopped midchapter to see if there were any WoW guilds for librarians.
I'd advise to just skim or skip that chapter, I don't think it would diminish from the rest of the book, If you want to read a book about the history of libraries, what they do and how they do it, and how they cope with the changing times, you're overdue to read The Library Book by Susan Orleans.
If you want to read about librarian blogs, librarian sims websites, and how some local librarians furnish their homes then you're overdue to read this book.
Ostensibly about how volunteers and libraries can archive the increasing data available in an online society, this book reads more like a research paper hastily assembled by a student who would rather be discussing the research topic on message boards than completing an academic review.
Loved it. I was already a fan of marilyn johnson from her previous book, The Dead Beat, which was all about obituaries, At the time, I said her writing was like Mary Roach but better, and I stand by that, I think she's the best "many perspectives on a single subject" author around, and this one is of course of special interest to anyone interested in reading and libraries, which should be anyone reading this review.
I'm very excited to work on the marketing for the paperback of this next year, Librarian blogs: I am coming for you! originally published January

My one year anniversary of being a library clerk within the La Crosse County Libraries is fast approaching, and Im finding myself reflecting upon the stereotypes and connotations with the terms “library” and “librarian” and how they differ from my own personal experiences, both in front of and behind the circulation desk.


In an effort to reflect in a wellrounded manner that didn't only center around me, I picked up the book called This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson, to see how it would address said stereotypes and possibly provide some insightful commentary on how the roles libraries and librarians play in society have evolved as they grow and develop into the digital age.


The book was definitely an interesting read, with many cool anecdotes about awesome librarians standing up to the government to protect constitutional rights of privacy in the face of thePatriot Act, organizing campaigns to fight censorship, and finding new, innovative ways to utilize technology to better serve the public.


The way it portrays librarians as such important moversandshakers is definitely a far cry from the common media portrayal of librarians being draconian, outoftouch curmudgeons or mousey oldfashioned recluses.
This stance was appreciated, but I still felt that placing the libraries and people who frequent them on such a pedestal doesnt accurately reflect on what its truly like to experience or work in a library on a personal level.


There is one point the book mentions that I agree with wholeheartedly that I dont feel is emphasized enough: librarians are here to help.
We love to help. Ask a question about where resources about certain topics are we will get up and show you, Ask a question about a certain piece of technology we will enthusiastically do our best to troubleshoot, Need recommendations based off of books or movies youve seen before Well have a list for you! This element of service is literally my favorite part of the job.


Listen, if it wasnt obvious enough, I love libraries! I grew up as an avid library user, loved the books and programs, and anticipated going to the library whenever I could.
Imagine my joy when I was able to get an actual job as a library clerk, I could now refer to the “really nice library people” I grew up with as coworkers it was downright surreal for me at the time.


I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to give back to the place that always made me feel welcome and provided so many hours and hours of recreation, free resources, and other positive experiences for me throughout my childhood.


When I was younger, I didnt view librarians as largerthanlife heroes okay maybe I did, a little, However, the reason I did wasnt because I was acutely aware of the important jobs that they performed that were “saving us all, ” Rather, it was because my librarians did their best to help out with any issue I had, with no judgement, occasionally playing the role as a confidant and, well, being “the really nice library people.
” For me, that was enough,

Librarians can be seen as everyday heroes, whether they are organizing a campaign about free speech or simply recommending a book, Now that Ive moved “behind the desk,” I try and do my best to fill the shoes of those who have come before me and play the role, however small, for others that my librarians did for me.
My library experiences have shaped who Ive become as a person, and I too strive to follow their example, and to pass on the tradition of providing a welcoming space for patrons to feel comfortable as they use our libraries to ask questions, learn, and grow.


Find this book and other titles within sitelinkour catalog,
This was a really fun book, and I'm glad I finally got around to listening to it, I wasn't a huge fan of the reader, but the content was interesting enough that it didn't matter too much,

I couldn't help but wonder what a nonlibrary reader would think of the book, Does everyone consider librarians to be defenders of freedom like we do Does anyone else find the necessary, and seemingly unlikely, symbiosis between the IT department and the cataloging department interesting Librarians have sued the attorney general, preserved ancient tomes, taught noncomputer users to take screen shots, and are well on their way to saving the world! I'm a librarian, and I know that I'm biased, but still.
We're interesting. We blog and protest, and lots of us have lots of tattoos,

Someone else who reviewed This Book is Overdue said she didn't like the author injecting so much of her personal story into the book.
But I really enjoyed it because Marilyn Johnson isn't a librarian, and I wanted to get her take on Library Land, She really did her homework!

As enjoyable as this read was for me, there was a long section on Second Life that I honestly just wanted to end.
Apparently Second Life played a significant role in the lives of many librarians for a time, but it was nothing I had ever witnessed.
And Johnson did jump around a little bit, but I thought it was okay for this type of book, All in all, I had a lot of fun! 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 generalwith 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 tried, I just couldn't get through this book, As

a librarian I hoped for some revelations and information in this book, instead I just got bored, I can't do a proper review because after forcing myself through the firstpages, which took me four weeks, I threw in the towel.


Marilyn Johnson is clever and somewhat entertaining, but her constant amazement and wonder at everything librarians could do got really old, Blah .