Facet have recently partnered with ALA publishing to offer joint publications of their titles. This title originated with ALA Press and the edition under review is the one published recently by Facet in London, UK.
The starting point for the book is the global recession which, as the editors note, means libraries are facing many problems. Instead of wallowing in doom and gloom, the editors charge that this presents an opportunity to the profession “for dramatic transformational change, and the creation of a vision of the future that excites library staff and stakeholders”.
At the heart of the book is a number of short-range scenarios, attempting to visualize what a modern service in each sector may look like. After some introductory chapters dealing with future trends, the concept of scenario planning and summarizing relevant literature on the future of libraries, the book devotes two chapters each to public and academic libraries. Both are discussed using the same format: a chapter discussing future views of each sector, followed by a chapter highlighting future trends and scenarios in each. It is likely that these chapters will be the most beneficial to library professionals, as they deal directly with the issues facing the sector. In the context of academic libraries, the focus is on aspects of scholarly publishing that are impacting the sector, as well as space issues. For public libraries, the concept of the library itself is under consideration – can they remain the same, or do they need to become something altogether different to meet the expectations of modern citizens?
It is good to see the issue of privatization of libraries discussed within the book also. While the editors do not take sides, they encourage communities to question where they wish the library to be over the long- rather than just the short- or medium-term, and consider how privatization may alter the library.
Overall it's a good thing to see this new wave of publishing from Facet of LIS materials from the USA, and of course reciprocally ALA of UK publications. In longer-term, it would be good to see a more concerted strategy whereby authors are encouraged to collaborate across the pond. It would provide genuine insight into the issues faced by professionals in each geographical area, and hopefully share good practice further. As it stands, this book does cite some examples from outside of the USA, such as the UK and Australia, but it is clear from the contributions that this is an American book. This does not pose huge problems in terms of its usefulness, given the concept, but it is worth considering for the future as the publishing relationship develops.
In summary, this is a book that offers much food for thought for academic and public library professionals seeking ideas. It is well-written, is practical and offers genuine insight into the challenges facing the sectors. It is a positive, forward-thinking contribution to the professional literature in a period that could dwell on the negative all too easily, and for that alone it is highly recommended.
