Bibliotech: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google

In his latest book, Palfrey (head, Phillips Andover Academy; board of directors, Digital P.L. of America; Born Digital) offers a celebration of libraries as well as a dose of tough love. The author believes that libraries are critical to the future of American democracy, social justice, and cultural preservation, but they must be willing to adapt and innovate in order to remain relevant as society transitions from preferring mostly analog to mostly digital. He argues that libraries' primary focus should no longer be information access and collections, although these will remain important, but they will need to focus on knowledge creation, collaboration, and dissemination. This book is a starting point for thinking about libraries' role in an increasingly digital and connected society, but there is still a lot more work that could and should be done to extend Palfrey's arguments. Chapters are arranged thematically and can be read in any order.