Originally written in the late 1970s, this book was untouched for more than 35 years. McLuhan passed away before it went to press, but Logan always intended to finish it. Looking at the future of the library from the perspective of McLuhan’s original vision, Logan has carefully updated the text to address the impact of the Internet and other digital technologies on the library.

Robert K. Logan (PhD., MIT, 1965) is Professor Emeritus of Physics and St. Michael’s College Fellow at the University of Toronto. He is the Chief Scientist of sLab at OCAD University. He is the author of many books and articles including (Peter Lang, 2010). The book follows on from their joint authorship of Alphabet, mother of invention (1977). Marshall McLuhan (PhD Cambridge, 1943) was a Professor of English at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto from 1946 to his passing in 1980. He was the founder of the field of media ecology and author of many revolutionary books and articles including , and . He is the originator of such iconic phrases as «the global village» and «the medium is the message.»

«People everywhere will benefit from reading this updated classic by McLuhan and Logan.» (Gail Spangenberg, International Revue of Education 63/4 2017)

Contents: A Note to Readers – The Library: The Physical Extension of Man’s Memory – (Mother of the Muses) – A Study of Media – Alphabet, Mother of Invention – The Library: A Figure in Many Different – Understanding the New Ground of the Library – Laws of the Media (Lom) and the Library – The Impact of Electricity and Modern Technology on the Library – Laws of the Media for Post-McLuhan Digital Media – The Impact of Digital Technology on the Library – Book Glut, Information Overload, and Pattern Recognition – The Compact Library and Human Scale – The Public Library: Past, Present, and Future Trends – The Library and Education – Future of the Book – Library Futures: Summing Up.