This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

Marilyn Johnson's 'This Book Is Overdue!' is a spirited and urgent manifesto disguised as a profile. It argues that in an age of information overload and commercialized data, librarians have become our most critical and undervalued public intellectuals. Johnson positions them not as passive custodians of dusty stacks, but as active, frontline defenders of democratic principles, navigating the complex intersection of technology, privacy, and public access.

The book delves into the emergence of the 'cybrarian,' a tech-savvy professional who curates digital archives, builds online communities, and fights misinformation across platforms like Second Life and the blogosphere. Johnson provides a ground-level view of the profession's internal tensions and external battles, from the corporate-style management of major systems like the New York Public Library to the grassroots meetups of young, activist librarians seeking to redefine their role.

A significant portion of the narrative is devoted to the profession's political struggles, most notably the case of the 'Connecticut Four.' These librarians challenged the FBI's use of National Security Letters under the Patriot Act, which demanded patron records with an accompanying gag order. Johnson frames this not as an isolated incident but as a central conflict in the ongoing war for privacy and intellectual freedom, where librarians often stand as the last bulwark against state surveillance.

Ultimately, the book is a call to recognize libraries and their staff as essential civic infrastructure. Johnson makes a compelling case that their mission—to provide free, unfettered, and expert-guided access to information for every citizen—is not a nostalgic relic but a necessary corrective to the algorithmic silos and paywalls of the modern digital landscape. Its target audience extends beyond bibliophiles to anyone concerned with the health of public discourse and the preservation of equitable knowledge in the 21st century.

Readers deeply appreciate the book's passionate advocacy and timely subject, celebrating its elevation of a traditionally overlooked profession. The consensus finds Johnson an engaging and persuasive cheerleader, though some critique the work for a lack of analytical depth and a tendency toward anecdotal, journalistic storytelling over rigorous argument. The political sections, particularly regarding the Patriot Act, are highlighted as the most compelling and unsettling parts of the narrative.