After the Book

Libraries and librarians have been defined by the book throughout modern history. What happens when society increasingly lets print go in favour of storing, retrieving and manipulating electronic information? What happens after the book? After the Book explores how the academic library of the 21st Century is first and foremost a provider of electronic information services. Contemporary users expect today's library to provide information as quickly and efficiently as other online information resources. The book argues that librarians need to change what they know, how they work, and how they are perceived in order to succeed according to the terms of this new paradigm. This title is structured into eight chapters. An introduction defines the challenge of electronic resources and makes the case for finding solutions, and following chapters cover diversions and half measures and the problem for libraries in the 21st century. Later chapters discuss solving problems through professional identity and preparation, before final chapters cover reorganizing libraries to serve users, adapting to scarcity, and the 'digital divide'. - Describes how electronic resources constitute both a challenge and an opportunity for libraries - Argues that librarians can re-define themselves - Puts the case that libraries can be reorganized to optimize electronic resource management and information services based on contemporary technology and user needs

George Stachokas is the Electronic Resources Librarian at Auburn University. Prior to this he served as Head of Resource Services and Special Assistant to the Dean for Project Management at Purdue University - West Lafayette, Electronic Resources Librarian at Indiana State University and Chair of the Resource Advisory Committee of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) consortium. His research interests include electronic resources management, organizational change in libraries, and collection development. George holds an MLIS degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MA in History from Indiana State University, and a BS in Economics from Purdue University - West Lafayette.