This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson

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

Marilyn Johnson

SUMMARY: In a world suffering from an overload of information, librarians are the capable guides who willingly and freely offer their expertise to the populace daily in a variety of traditional and unexpected venues. Marilyn Johnson’s newest book supports this statement through an exploration of a diverse sampling of the fantastic, fun, brave, and bizarre people who make up the field.

ONESMARTCUPCAKE THINKS: Since I decided that library science was my chosen career and destiny, my friends constantly send me varied links about libraries and librarians. This book was one of these many links and it caught my eye immediately. I finally got my paws on it last week and speed through it with great relish.

Johnson has a fun and very readable writing style. I feel that her quirky but well-researched approach to this topic works very well in producing a book appealing to the average reader as well as the library and information professional. Johnson’s examples run the gamut of librarians and cybrarians, ranging from blunt bloggers to social activists to tattooed children’s librarians and beyond.

In this book, Johnson has managed to capture the passion, humor, and commitment of modern librarians. She illustrates the many facets of this quickly evolving profession and makes a convincing case for its continued relevance and necessity. However, despite her obvious admiration for librarians and their diverse sub-cultures, Johnson maintains a sense of balance and a critical eye. The result is a frank but inspiring exploration of librarians, cybrarians, and their key place in modern society. I really enjoyed this book both for its subject matter and Johnson’s fun but informative style. Her previous book, The Dead Beat, deals with the fascinating world of obituaries and I can’t wait to track down a copy and check it out.

5/5 STARS