"One part love letter, one part eulogy, Overdue tells the story of
America’s public library system . . . Amanda Oliver proves
herself a vibrant new literary voice . . . This is a book for all
book lovers.” —Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and
Times of Jesus of Nazareth Who are libraries for, how have they
evolved, and why do they fill so many roles in our society today?
Based on firsthand experiences from six years of professional work
as a librarian in high-poverty neighborhoods of Washington, DC, as
well as interviews and research, Overdue begins with
Oliver's first day at an "unusual" branch: Northwest One. Using her
experience at this branch allows Oliver to highlight the national
problems that have existed in libraries since they were founded:
racism, segregation, and class inequalities. These age-old problems
have evolved into police violence, the opioid epidemic, rampant
houselessness, and lack of mental health care nationwide—all of
which come to a head in public library spaces.
Can public librarians continue to play the many roles they are
tasked with? Can American society sustain one of its most noble
institutions? Pushing against hundreds of years of stereotypes,
romanticization, and discomfort with a call to
reckoning, Overdue will change the way you think about
libraries forever.
General
Imprint: |
Chicago Review Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2022 |
Authors: |
Amanda Oliver
|
Dimensions: |
228 x 152 x 22mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
224 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-64160-531-1 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-64160-531-6 |
Barcode: |
9781641605311 |
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