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Over the last 15 years, the book review landscape has changed seismically. Reviewing is no longer centralized, with a few big voices leading the way, but fractured among numerous multifarious voices found mostly on the web. In turn, readers aren't playing the captive audience any more. Undone by economics, many traditional print sources have been shuttered or, like the formerly stand-alone "Los Angeles Times" and "Washington Post Book World" review sections, either collapsed into the rest of the paper or moved entirely online. The "New York Times Book Review" is still standing but is half the size it was a few decades back. Meanwhile, book talk thrives on the web, with eager readers thronging LibraryThing and Goodreads, trading recommendations on Facebook and Twitter, and pushing their own reviews on Amazon and barnesandnoble.com. From the most casual forums to rich and rigorous sites like the Millions, reviews are energetically spun out, then tweeted, rated, challenged, and otherwise subject to endless feedback. Pointedly, a chunk of this conversation comes not from critics picked expressly for their expertise but enthusiasts who may or may not be the best adviser one could find on a particular book. In print or online, traditional reviews still offer something unimpeachable while consumer commentaries have the verve and single-mindedness to do something that traditional reviews cannot. The author asserts that today's raging stream of voices has radically altered the idea of reviewing, with huge consequences for book culture itself.

This article presents an excerpt of Library Journal's (LJ's) Movers & Shakers ideas on how to ensure a vital library for the future. Several identify a disconnect between what librarians and libraries do and what users think they do. Mending this gap, they say, would transform library recruitment and library support. While specific insights on technology abound, the Movers agree that a vital library isn't about a single technology but how it all gets deployed (very well), when (quickly), and with how much freedom to innovate and take risks (lots). Similarly, when hiring, no single skill will stand out; instead, more flexible and creative people with both a great attitude and a hunger to serve are needed. The Movers' responses point to the need to create, above all, a relevant, thriving library that will serve users well into the future.

Interviews with three CEOs--UMI (University Microfilms International), OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), and Gale Research--focus on outlooks for information and libraries. Discusses expanded educational Web services/courseware, library role in delivery, electronic dissertation publishing, digital data conversion, thesauri/indexing, union catalog, extending membership benefits, costs/fees, global networks; home access, library market, K-through-life strategy, and profitability. (AEF)

Discusses changes in and future prospects of information delivery systems, including libraries, and describes four areas that the Council on Library Resources (CLR) is addressing to promote the evolution of information services: human resource issues; economic issues; infrastructure questions; and information processing and access. Other highlights include signals of change, globalization, and libraries as social systems. (five references) (LRW)

This article observes that it's not hard to understand why Google creates such unease among librarians. The profession, however, can't afford to be myopic when it comes to Google. As inescapable as it is, Google is not the Internet. And as the web evolves, new opportunities and challenges loom larger for libraries than who's capturing the bulk of the search or email markets, or who's giving us driving directions. In just a decade, the evolution of the Internet has upset the balance in an information ecology that had served libraries for centuries. What will the next decade look like? Blogs and RSS feeds have changed the way we gather and look at news. Wikipedia, the living, free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, is changing how we think about reference. Services offered by Amazon.com and NetFlix are winning the hearts, minds--and habits--of our users. If you think Google represents a big challenge, consider this: MySpace.com, Rupert Murdoch's popular social networking site, has surpassed Google in terms of traffic. In June 2006, it logged nearly 46 million unique users, most of them young, spending an average of two hours at a time on the site, according to Nielsen Net ratings. They maintain profiles including things like their favorite books and movies; they blog, host photos, videos, email, chat, and post "bulletins" on message boards--all free. All wrapped in slick advertising powered by, you guessed it, Google. So popular is MySpace, in fact, its search function ranks sixth among all commercial search engines. In addition to MySpace, libraries can learn and take advantage of other networking advances. However, at present, this is very hard. Aside from the technological challenges, most libraries, fearful of hackers and subpoenas, won't keep circulation records for more than a few days much less use that information to enable social networking services like NetFlix or Amazon's book recommendations, services users have increasingly come to enjoy--and expect. It is concluded that how librarians adapt over the next generation could be the difference between a vibrant future for libraries and a steady descent into insignificance.

Results of a survey of 15 directors of large libraries revealed a consensus that despite their adversarial roles and the time and effort it takes to make the relationship work, unions are worth the trouble. Highlights include who runs the library, rewarding mediocrity, salaries, team versus individual, race, negotiating roles, and changes needed. (AEF)

Describes the work of people, both librarians and non-librarians, who are change agents in shaping the future of libraries in the areas of community builders; visionaries; mentors; activists; innovators; collection developers; scholars; industry notables; team players; and service providers. (LRW)

In a scant three years at ProQuest, Marty Kahn, CEO, has moved a company coming out of a financial morass back onto solid ground. He came on board after the purchase of ProQuest Information and Learning by the (mostly) privately owned Cambridge Information Group in late 2006 and the merger of ProQuest and CSA to form ProQuest CSA. (It's now just ProQuest to capitalize on the brand recognition). In 2008, the company made three significant acquisitions, including federated search company WebFeat, which joined ProQuest's own Serials Solutions; RefWorks, of which it had been a part owner; and Dialog, by far the largest addition in terms of scale and revenue. Under Kahn's leadership, the company has grown, especially in countries like China, India, Brazil, and in the former Eastern bloc. Its market remains strongly academic, though ProQuest has reintegrated and begun to invest in its schools division. It put significant money and research into the development of a one-stop search tool, Summon--a unified search and discovery service that will pre-index all the print and electronic materials a library owns. It formed a partnership with Google that will enable the company to digitize its considerable microfilm vault of hundreds of millions of pages of historical newspapers. This article presents an interview with Kahn wherein he talked about the vision for Summon and ProQuest's other plans.

This article presents an interview with Patrick Sommers, president of reference/information publisher "Gale" (part of Cengage Learning). Sommers took the helm in October 2007, after running system vendor Sirsi beginning in 2001 and engineering both the 2005 merger with Dynix and the 2007 sale of the newly created SirsiDynix to Vista Equity Partners. Those moves are still reverberating in the library community. Joining Sommers is John Barnes, who heads strategic marketing and business development. Gale itself is owned currently by private equity firms Apax Partners and OMERS Capital Partners, which appear to be investing in new platforms and products. Sommers's move to Gale from Sirsi is a better fit than might be expected. In an interview, Sommers and Barnes talk about the future of the legacy reference publisher.

The author of this article shares her opinions and feelings on attending the American Library Association (ALA) Conference. She admits that she hates going to the exhibits. In this article, the author shares a list of hints to make exhibit time more productive.

Employees are valuable. The cost of hiring, training, and retaining staff--not just librarians, but all staff--generally makes up the largest part of a library's budget. Since library support staff usually comprise 60-80 percent of the work force, it makes perfect fiscal sense to motivate this segment of employees to stay. There is an even more important reason to motivate library staff: the front-line staff are the face of the library. They are the first people patrons see when they come in the door, and the last ones to assist them as they leave. They are the library's ambassadors. Their influence is enormous in cementing the impression of the library as a welcoming, enjoyable, and professional place to visit, instead of an unsatisfying, confusing, or negative one. Patrons come to join book groups, surf the web, do serious research, or just browse and meet friends, and children come for homework help or to attend special programs. Front-line workers are not only key to the success of the library, they are crucial to its operation. In reality, self-service has a place and is popular among some users, but many people want and need front-line attention--everything from an explanation of their fines to a good recommendation for a book.

Explores the concept of the "professional" in librarianship, the right mix of professional and support staff in libraries, librarians doing clerical work, professional credentials, and staffing changes resulting from technological advancement. (PEN)

Argues that bookstores are not superior and do not pose a threat to libraries. Discusses what libraries can learn from bookstores; where bookstores fall short; low wages of bookstore clerks; misshelving problems in bookstores due to the classification system; how the library classification system can be improved; and libraries' strengths. (AEF)

Since its founding in 1990, the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) has focused on publishing and accessing intellectual property. This article presents an interview with CNI's new executive director, Cliff Lynch discussing future changes, scholarly communication and the Internet, the University of California Berkeley's MELVYL, computer scientists and libraries, copyright and intellectual property, and the Communications Decency Act. (PEN)

In an interview, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates answers questions about the Gates Library Foundation; Libraries Online; tax-support for libraries; comparisons to Andrew Carnegie; charges of "buying" the library market; Internet filters, policies, and government censorship; the future of the World Wide Web and the role of librarians in its future.(PEN)

Presents four articles, originally published in 1934 and 1944, that are considered to be some of the best library writing published in "Library Journal." Topics discussed include functions of libraries and needs for the future; libraries in the new society (A. A. Berle); economic effects on libraries during the Depression (editorial); and training new librarians (Lura Hutchinson). (LRW)

Ten years ago, stories like "B&N: The New College Library" (LJ 2/1/98) and "What If You Ran Your Library Like a Bookstore?" (American Libraries, 3/98) kicked up a controversy about the viability of libraries. Ironically, these days it's the book business that has an aura of crisis and gloom, while visits to libraries are surging. Over two billion items are checked out annually, and nearly all libraries offer free Internet access along with many of the amenities of a bookstore. Truth be told, the book business has always had an aura of crisis and gloom. It's the Eeyore of industries. Lately, it's become clear that the book industry really does need to be saved: from itself. It might start by looking more closely at what libraries do. After all, libraries know that developing a strong book culture involves making it easy for people to discover and sample new books, to acquire books quickly even if they are not on the local library's shelves, and to share their reading experiences with others. One of the most powerful reasons for choosing a book is having another reader recommend it. In short, sharing is not the problem. It's the solution.

In a time when information self-service and enhanced competition have sent libraries of all types into an oftentimes desperate search for a renewed sense of purpose, a fundamentally important question takes center stage: How can libraries connect with the deepest aspirations of their service communities? This article describes a new library philosophy called "lifecycle librarianship," a vision of libraries in which the learning needs of every stage of life get addressed and support of reading is lifelong, and reinforces the foundations of the library. In order to sustain librarians and libraries, we must discard the "information illusion" and develop the library services necessary to help solve critical social problems by addressing reading and learning, including electronic learning. Public, academic, and school librarians should adopt the service philosophy of lifecycle librarianship and jointly plan at town, city, or county levels to identify and meet human learning needs from "lapsit to nursing home."

In this article, the author talks about how to face the not knowing and offers a strategy to fill the gap of not knowing. In coping with constant change, he describes a strategy for library staff that might help in the absence of certainty. This includes: (a) guarding the data with one's life; (b) build not for longevity, but obsolescence; (c) learn a technology only well enough to do what is necessary; (d) choose a vendor carefully; and (e) if it does not have an application program interface (API), it is not worth having. The author also suggests becoming comfortable with the not knowing and fostering personal and professional strategies when things do not go as planned.

The author of this article, a card-carrying member of the American Library Association (ALA), discusses her views on how difficult it is for some leaders to accept that this is the 21st century. She feels that people do not need to choose between blogs and printed text, because people can read both. She also feels that library shelves have room for both DVD's and books.

This article is a brief description of a young librarians' first six months in the profession. The article lists five things the librarian knows he has done wrong, and five things he knows he has done right.

What's the best way to find out what younger professionals think? Just ask! In this article, several librarians, ranging in age from 25 to 35, reveal their thoughts about their profession. These NextGens share common concerns about the few entry-level opportunities available, noting also that short-term budget solutions like cutting staff or reducing positions to part-time affect the future stability.

Librarians must get the most for their money and look to technology for new solutions. Several respondents think poor budgets mean more reliance on online databases and electronic full texts with less purchase of print. Companies that produce both media are likely to continue as long as there is a market for both, but they are gearing up for the time when electronic journals and e-reference materials predominate. Companies that market electronic products to libraries worry that budget woes will make new products a hard sell and place old products under renewed scrutiny. For the second year in a row, respondents to the annual LJ Database Marketplace Survey see poor library budgets as "the major issue or trend to impact database and information product availability and distribution to libraries next year." This article summarizes responses from the respondents.