As library students, we read. A lot. Every so often, a book stands out. It changes the way we look at our work, at the LIS field, or even at the world in general. Here are a few books LSJ staff found memorable or eye-opening this past semester:
Michelle Dunaway, Editorial Board Member and Copyeditor, University of Pittsburgh:
One book that I read that I think is a great read for library students is David Weinberger’s Everything Is Miscellaneous (2007, Times Books). This is a really readable examination of important paradigm shifts in information science; specifically, how the digital landscape is “organized” in ways that weren’t possible when library resources were all printed on paper and took up physical space. I highly recommend this as it is relevant to all areas of LIS, and it is a really engaging read!
Julia Skinner, Editorial Board Member, Florida State University:
The book that springs to mind is Wayne Wiegand’s An Active Instrument for Propaganda (Phi Beta Mu, 1989), which I’ve been using as a constant source of info and inspiration for my WWI Iowa libraries research. It’s divided into thematic chapters (censorship, propaganda, etc.) and covers activities in American public libraries during World War I. Wiegand is awesome for many reasons, but this book has become a favorite because his writing style draws you in and because he uses a variety of primary and secondary sources ranging from library documents and newspaper clippings to more recent studies.
Claire Gross, Editor in Chief, University of Illinois:
One of the best books I’ve read this year was Laura J. Miller’s Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption (University of Chicago Press, 2006), which explores the ongoing conflict within the field of bookselling between independent and chain stores. It may seem only tangentially related to librarianship, but bookselling is a useful microcosm for issues that affect all professions related to publishing and information. What I particularly like about this book is the way that it complicates what might seem like a simple good (independents) vs. evil (chains) dichotomy, showing that the ideological conflict between books as containers of important ideas and books as commercial items is one that has always been a source of conflict within the field. Plus, Miller’s research is just plain impressive — piles upon piles of interviews, organized in a way that makes sense, with a strong grounding in historical context — and her writing makes what could be a dry subject come alive with drama and tension and relevance. Anyone interested in the politics of information, particularly pertaining to trade publishing, will get a lot out of this book.
Add your own book recommendations in the comments section!
Related: LSJ publishes book reviews! If you are a current library student, you can submit a review of any LIS-related book published in the last four years or used in a class in the past two. A good review both evaluates the book itself and situates it in the larger context of LIS practice and scholarship. For an example of what we’re looking for, check out Seth Kershner’s review of Critical Library Instruction. Reviews are submitted through the same process by which we consider articles; more details can be found here.
