Status
Available
Publication
Chicago Review Press (2022), Edition: 1st, 224 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Language Arts. Sociology. Nonfiction. 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.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
One yardstick I use for evaluating a book boils down to one question: Did it make me think about an issue I hadn’t previously given much thought to – or think differently about the issue? Using this benchmark, Oliver’s work merits four stars. The book sheds a revealing light on how library
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systems are being forced to grapple with a disproportionate share of society’s looming challenges. The book also red flags the inequalities that exist among library systems. I do agree with some reviewers who suggest that the book meandered a bit too much and contained an unwarranted amount of autobiographical material. But the fact that some of these life stories were based in my hometown of Buffalo, NY actually added to my overall enjoyment of “Overdue.” Show Less
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
Interesting material about public libraries is presented in a manner that left me disappointed and frustrated.
My first impression of the book is that a bright-eyed white woman who grew up and went to college around Buffalo, New York, was shocked to find that the library where she worked in
The history of public libraries is interesting if scant. Same for her anecdotes about her experiences as a librarian. Previous to her short stint in the public library, she had a few years working in a school library in D.C. And while she claims her library career spans a decade, she's generously rounding up and even including the time spent pursuing her MLS.
Her points about the issues facing public libraries are valid, but she never really finds the necessary balance between high view analysis and on-the-ground experience. And solutions are something she rarely pursues, satisfied with pointing out the problems of houselessness, mental health care, and systemic racism.
Even though I agree with much that she has to say, I just found myself bored by her prose and presentation. At least it was short.
My first impression of the book is that a bright-eyed white woman who grew up and went to college around Buffalo, New York, was shocked to find that the library where she worked in
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Washington, D.C., was frequented by people who had mental health issues and spent their nights in shelters or on the street. It wore her down so much, so fast, that she jumped at the chance to cross the country and pursue an MFA after just a few months. Now she lives in the Mojave desert and writes about that experience. That she feels obliged to explain at one point why she is not a "white savior" probably tells you most everything you need to know about the book.The history of public libraries is interesting if scant. Same for her anecdotes about her experiences as a librarian. Previous to her short stint in the public library, she had a few years working in a school library in D.C. And while she claims her library career spans a decade, she's generously rounding up and even including the time spent pursuing her MLS.
Her points about the issues facing public libraries are valid, but she never really finds the necessary balance between high view analysis and on-the-ground experience. And solutions are something she rarely pursues, satisfied with pointing out the problems of houselessness, mental health care, and systemic racism.
Even though I agree with much that she has to say, I just found myself bored by her prose and presentation. At least it was short.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
A somewhat depressing look at underserved populations and the institutions, like schools and libraries, who try to help but aren't trained or funded to do so.
LibraryThing member deldevries
This is an important book for understanding the role of libraries in communities. Of course, our society is not perfect and librarians are in the front line. Mental illness, house-lessness, and social issues play out in our very public libraries. Excellent writing from the perspective of a memoir
The author's words in the last paragraph summarize nicely: "Every question I have asked and every idea I have posited in these pages has been included with a hope that it might send others down their own paths of research and reckoning, of change. Part of our collective truth - one that has been recorded, housed and protected for centuries in libraries and by librarians - is that we are all connected to each other."
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and reflecting on personal experiences, backed up with research and references.The author's words in the last paragraph summarize nicely: "Every question I have asked and every idea I have posited in these pages has been included with a hope that it might send others down their own paths of research and reckoning, of change. Part of our collective truth - one that has been recorded, housed and protected for centuries in libraries and by librarians - is that we are all connected to each other."
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LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
DNF--this was reviewed by BookPage and sounded interesting, but in the end, it wasn't really what I thought it was going to be. I expected it to be more about interactions between librarians and patrons--perhaps with some stories about overdue media (such as those we see in the news occasionally
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where a book checked out 75 years ago gets returned etc.). Instead it's more of a history of the library (which is interesting) and how certain populations use the library (which in some cases is less interesting to me). Show Less
LibraryThing member dono421846
A somewhat uneven description of her experiences working in a DC public library, and the stresses that came from having to deal with a difficult patron clientele. She does an excellent job of describing how it came to be that libraries have become a refuge for the homeless, and the stresses that
At the end, she finally sums up the account by asking the key question: whether libraries and librarians *should* continue to carry so much of the weight of emergencies and crises (p. 148). The answer, of course, is no. But she never really says that, nor does she provide insights into what should be done to help those persons that present themselves to the library.
At the end, this isn't a book about libraries at all. Rather, she uses her experiences at one library as a prism through which she examines broader social ills. This would have been more effective had the method been more deliberate. As it stands, other than heartfelt description, she has no answers to suggest. This is about *her* changes, not about libraries or even about social problems. File under biography.
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accrue from having to attempt to provide adequate services without proper training or support. At the end, she finally sums up the account by asking the key question: whether libraries and librarians *should* continue to carry so much of the weight of emergencies and crises (p. 148). The answer, of course, is no. But she never really says that, nor does she provide insights into what should be done to help those persons that present themselves to the library.
At the end, this isn't a book about libraries at all. Rather, she uses her experiences at one library as a prism through which she examines broader social ills. This would have been more effective had the method been more deliberate. As it stands, other than heartfelt description, she has no answers to suggest. This is about *her* changes, not about libraries or even about social problems. File under biography.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022
Physical description
224 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
1641605316 / 9781641605311