Marilyn Johnson's latest work is This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cyberlibrarians Can Save Us All. It is a great overview of what is happening in the library profession. It is a good read for those who want more information about what goes on in libraries. However it has been causing a bit of discussion in library circles. Like any book on a profession, there will be those who say that it is biased and does not portray things accurately. Of course it doesn't. There are thousands of different libraries out there, and despite everything, they are all run a little bit differently. And librarians come in many shapes, ages and sizes. There is no one size fits all. This book reflects only a small slice of those library lives.
If you are in libraryland, this book will be merely a confirmation of many issues and concepts that you have read about in an professional magazine. You probably have heard about some of these people or have read about them. It might not be news to you. Give it to that relative who thinks you just read at a desk all day. But for those who are not in libraryland - this may be a eye-opening read about what really goes on.
It is obvious that Johnson likes librarians and libraries. She has fallen in love with research, and that has opened her eyes to this other world. Maybe her book will convince some budget makers that libraries are a good investment for your communities' dollars.(Oh but wait - a lot of those policy makers don't read and they will tell you so - scary huh?) Take it out from your library and see what you think. And support your local library.
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