Overview

Libraries today are more important than ever. More than just book repositories, libraries can become bulwarks against some of the most crucial challenges of our age: unequal access to education, jobs, and information. In BiblioTech , educator and technology expert John Palfrey argues that anyone seeking to participate in the 21st century needs to understand how to find and use the vast stores of information available online. And libraries, which play a crucial role in making these skills and information available, are at risk. In order to survive our rapidly modernizing world and dwindling government funding, libraries must make the transition to a digital future as soon as possible,by digitizing print material and ensuring that born-digital material is publicly available online. Not all of these changes will be easy for libraries to implement. But as Palfrey boldly argues, these modifications are vital if we hope to save libraries and, through them, the American democratic ideal.

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David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, former Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries In BiblioTech, John Palfrey challenges the library and archival communities to pursue new strategies to shape, rather than be shaped by, the digital revolution. This is a call to action for these institutions to reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world. BiblioTech argues for the creation of a new nostalgia, one that reaffirms the essential role of these institutions in a democratic society--to inform, to engage, and to delight. Amy Ryan, President of the Boston Public Library BiblioTech is a call to arms to foster democracy by supporting libraries. John Palfrey takes the reader on a library journey from the libraries of antiquity through the Carnegie era and into the digital age and beyond. He challenges all of us to keep the library relevant--as an information resource, cultural archive, a community gathering place, and most powerfully, as a cornerstone of democracy for an informed citizenry. Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Whether you think you know a lot about libraries today and in the future--or feel clueless about both issues--you will be enlightened by John Palfrey's thoughtful, timely, and lucid presentation.

Robert Darnton, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor of History and University Librarian, Harvard University John Palfrey makes a convincing case for the ever-increasing importance of libraries in 'the age of Google.' With wit and wisdom, he shows how they can help create a democratic digital future--provided that we overcome a nostalgic view of their past and an inadequate understanding of their place in the current information environment. Brian Bannon, Commissioner, Chicago Public Library BiblioTech offers a historical account of libraries' iconic past and chronicles the environmental shifts and dangers we may face if we fail to support and lead their next evolution. As libraries experience unprecedented instability, John Palfrey's BiblioTech offers unique insight into the complex challenges and opportunities in the digital and physical world while giving hope for a successful future. This is essential reading for librarians, educators, policy makers, and all who care about the public institutions that support the citizens who are the basis of a vibrant democracy. David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, former Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries In BiblioTech, John Palfrey challenges the library and archival communities to pursue new strategies to shape, rather than be shaped by, the digital revolution. This is a call to action for these institutions to reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world. BiblioTech argues for the creation of a new nostalgia, one that reaffirms the essential role of these institutions in a democratic society--to inform, to engage, and to delight. Amy Ryan, President of the Boston Public Library BiblioTech is a call to arms to foster democracy by supporting libraries. John Palfrey takes the reader on a library journey from the libraries of antiquity through the Carnegie era and into the digital age and beyond. He challenges all of us to keep the library relevant--as an information resource, cultural archive, a community gathering place, and most powerfully, as a cornerstone of democracy for an informed citizenry. Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Whether you think you know a lot about libraries today and in the future--or feel clueless about both issues--you will be enlightened by John Palfrey's thoughtful, timely, and lucid presentation.

Author Information

John Palfrey is Head of School at Phillips Andover Academy. Palfrey led the effort to reorganize the Harvard Law School Library, and is the founding chairman of the Digital Public Library of America. The author of several books including Born Digital, Palfrey lives in Andover, Massachusetts.

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