BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google by John Palfrey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
John Palfrey is a noted academic and educator who has served as head of the Harvard law Library (as a non-librarian), as a leading proponent and President of the board of the Digital Public Library of America, and is now the head of the Andover Academy. He has written extensively on the intersection of technology and information.
This book makes the argument that the role of libraries should expand as technology advances. He believes that in order to remain relevant that libraries need to learn to adapt to these changes. Specifically, libraries need to embrace the transition from print to digital information and the transformation of the role of the physical space of libraries from an area for book storage to an area for community building and knowledge creation.. He prescribes a steady transition rather than an abrupt one but makes it very clear that these changes are necessary and that in those cases where old services conflict or are incompatible with new ones that the new ones need to move out.
These recommendations can seem harsh from a person outside of the librarian fraternity but Palfrey's reverence for libraries and his continual acknowledgement of librarians who are already moving in this direction makes things more palatable.
Libraries are understandably slow to change, this is one of the reasons libraries have lasted so long. However, in the digital age all organizations have to adapt more quickly - libraries included. There are worse places to start than the ideas in this book. Highly recommended.
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