This book surprised me, and not because of its subject area, as I am familiar with Herring's online poster, 10 Reasons Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library (https://www2.winthrop.edu/dacus/about/Librarypostereprint.pdf). This poster offers 10 points outlining why libraries are still worthwhile and relevant in the digital age, although in the 13 years since the development of this poster, the Internet has also developed. Some of the reasons in the original poster are no longer as definitive as they once were.
I had expected there would, at some point, be a book giving a more detailed and rounded approach to this topic, and indeed Herring published this book under the title Fool's Gold in 2007. What I had not expected was a substantially updated argument and a rather provocative discussion with some challenging new food for thought.
Points 1–6 of the original 10 reasons are still clearly visible as separate chapters in this new work, but after that are two new sections covering Reading and Literacy, and Privacy and Piracy. This is followed by final discussions, wherein lies the real merit of the book.
The first of these discussions considers practicalities of the present environment for libraries. With a focus on staffing, clients, collections and spaces and buildings, consideration is given to the changes and trends already in place with the rapid advances in technology. Herring builds a platform that takes the preceding discussion of the theoretical into the practical, pragmatic world of real libraries. The final discussion is new and is at the heart of the content of this book. It asks the essential question, ‘Are libraries obsolete after all?’ and explores both sides of the argument in depth and without prejudice. This brings a realistic and impartial debate to the reader, allowing both sides of the argument to be viewed clearly, with evidence and argument presented logically and comprehensively.
Herring, Dean of Library Services at Winthrop University, presents this well-referenced work as an updated and on-going debate on the relevance or obsolescence of libraries in the digital age. The information is presented, and the final conclusion is left for the reader to make. This is provocative and challenging and demands thoughtful engagement by those involved in libraries as management, staff and users.
This is recommended for the wide sweep of librarians and highly recommended for academic library staff and management. It will promote honest and thoughtful debate on this important issue facing all libraries in the ever-advancing digital age.