Blockchain. Ed. by Sandra Hirsch and Susan Alman. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2020. 87 p. $24.99 softcover (ISBN 978-0-839-1743-5).

This small book is a concise guide to understanding something that may not be a profound part of libraries in the future. This book explains the basics of blockchain that library personnel will need to know in the event something like it replaces the current data structures of information management. As stated in the introduction, it is “not a guide or manual, but a conversation starter,” and the grant-subsidized research by the co-editors spearheads the complimentary chapters in an orderly manner (xi). Blockchain, with its time-stamped transactions residing in “safe” locations, is a concept that seems the be here to stay.

With all authors being of librarian ilk, the light and dark sides of Blockchain are balanced fairly, and all chapters provide timely subtitles and memorable taglines. The chapter about legal considerations is perhaps the most sobering, as administrators and reference librarians alike will need to be extremely well-versed in this area. Other chapters may also force one to rethink the middle-man and middle-ware that are currently a mainstay of most library management systems, with the idea of “smart contracts” that can devour the feast of library standards and protocols that already exist. Another major issue raised is user privacy, which will require more detail than this conversation starter covers, due to the dizzying concept of decentralized servers.

It would have been helpful to address the financial components of Blockchain in the library (i.e., acquisitions and library fines). There is also very little mention of inter-connectivity data shared through different protocols (i.e., legacy software, consortia, interlibrary loan, etc.), and although BIBFRAME is mentioned, it is not able to delve into the intricacies of possible future mappings that would trickle into other fields. Often reading like a panel discussion without the questions and answers, there is much overlap—albeit consistent—but without any contradictions being challenged in depth. On the surface, this can appear like a high-end administrative primer full of buzzwords, but disappointingly does not provide an index or glossary.

This is a good book to which to refer when the occasion calls for it. If Blockchain becomes the norm for governments and medicine, the global disruption will undoubtedly force itself into the realm of education, libraries, and systems of all types. But in an era where “cans” refer to a possible future, this book is essential in providing insights into Blockchain’s potential problems and benefits, so that librarians can continue to be on their toes.—Daniel Lincoln Nolting (dnolting@chatham.edu), Chatham University