The transformed library : e-books, expertise, and evolution

This wide-ranging survey takes stock of our institutions' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, analyzing how libraries and the very concept of librarianship have been comprehensively transformed over the past few decades. A respected veteran of libraries who has witnessed first-hand the many changes in the library world, Woodward provides a balanced, realistic look at the situation confronting both libraries and information professionals. In an assessment that proves both provocative and stimulating, sheExamines the key technological and economic developments that have already had an impact on librarianship, and offers a frank evaluation of the roles libraries must fill today and in the futureSums up the trends in library management of e-books and other electronic media, in the process showing how libraries can enlarge their function as community hubs through digital innovationAnalyzes the skills and versatility today's library professionals need to survive and thrive, presenting career advice for staying current in the field's changed professional environmentOffers survival strategies tailored to librarians' particular contexts, including academic, public, and school librariesThe Transformed Library is an institution that can be more vibrant and relevant than ever, and Woodward's book demonstrates how.

Reviews 2

Booklist Review

The goal of this book is to assess the current state of libraries (academic, public, and school); thoughtfully predict future scenarios; and provide suggestions for how librarians can survive these scenarios and, in doing so, create better libraries. The nine-chapter volume discusses the history of e-books in libraries, including the ever-present battle with publishers, the growing cyberness of services, the library as place, and the future of library careers. Academic, public, and school libraries are given a chapter each on survival strategies in the current climate. Woodward is a library consultant with experience working in both academic and public libraries, and her candid writing about topics like social networking and toxic library environments is a breath of fresh air. This dose of realism is especially useful for library students and professional newbies.--Compton-Dzak, Emily Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Woodward (principal, Wind River Nonprofit & Library Consulting; Nonprofit Essentials: Managing Technology) argues in this short book that although futurists and prognosticators as a group make faulty assumptions when predicting the future, they do sometimes get things right. Are librarians and libraries facing oblivion as some prognosticators claim? Woodward outlines the technological forces that have coalesced to "threaten" the future of libraries including financial constraints, digital books, ebook-publisher approaches to libraries, outsourcing, downsizing library space, and librarians' reaction to perceived threats. The author offers "Survival Strategies" for academic, public, and school libraries. As the title suggests, many forces beyond librarians' control have already transformed the library. Evolution occurs in a changing environment (i.e., today's libraries) if an organism (i.e., a library) is able to adapt. Librarians and libraries have it in their DNA not only to survive and avoid extinction but also to thrive, says Woodward. In addition to endnotes, each chapter has references for further reading. VERDICT Recommended for library administrators in most public libraries.-Robert Battenfeld, B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Lib., Long Island Univ.-C.W. Post Campus (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Introduction	p. ix
1 Gutenberg Meets Kindle: The Arrival of Digital Books	p. 1
2 Libraries vs. E-Publishers: The Library's Point of View	p. 13
3 The Age of High Anxiety: Threats That Fuel Library Nightmares	p. 31
4 The Library in Cyberspace	p. 44
5 Will the Coffee Shop Save Us?: The Library as Place	p. 55
6 Library Careers that Won't Go Away	p. 68
7 Survival Strategies for Public Libraries	p. 78
8 Survival Strategies for Academic Libraries	p. 94
9 Survival Strategies for School Libraries	p. 111
Conclusion	p. 123
Index	p. 127

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