Planned Obsolescence Publishing, Technology, and the Future of the Academy

"Fitzpatrick is well qualified to discuss alternate forms of publishing and unexpected futures for the academy...Chapters titled 'Peer Review,' 'Authorship,' 'Texts,' 'Preservation,' and 'The University' methodically dismantle arguments for the status quo, with sections debating accepted beliefs and practices such as the anonymous basis of peer review; recognizable, individual authorship; for-profit university presses; and the rejection of open access as a tenable scholarly publishing model." (Library Journal) "[A] desire for pre-eminence, authority and disciplinary power is what blogs and the digital humanities stand against. The point is made concisely by Kathleen Fitzpatrick in her new book, Planned Obsolescence: Publishing, Technology, and the Future of the Academy." (New York Times - Opinionator Blog) "[Fitzpatrick] is one of the more persuasive advocates for understanding digital scholarship, and she acknowledges that while tenure and academic career building are still tethered to being published, institutions are starting to rethink and redefine what form that scholarly work can take." - Bret McCabe (John Hopkins Magazine) "At a time of great uncertainty about the future of the humanities, this informed and stimulating book buzzes with excitement for the opportunities that digital technology can offer to humanities researchers...Planned Obsolescence is a wonderfully clear and honest assessment of the present state of academic publishing and possible future directions. The digital age offers us a chance to exit the ivory tower and engage in more meaningful collaborations with peers and a more inclusive dialogue with readers. Fitzpatrick's study is a must-read, not just for all of those directly involved - academics, publishers, university administrators, librarians - but also for anybody interested in the future of the humanities." - Alessandra Tosi (Times Higher Education) "The narrative arc of Planned Obsolescence is tight, coherent, eloquent--propulsively staking its territory from micro to macro, personal to global." - Neil Baldwin, Creative Research Center at Montclair State University: Director's Blog "This primer on innovations in academic publishing is a must-read for all participants: university administrators, faculty authors, librarians, publishers, technologists, and informed general readers." - P.E. Sandstrom (CHOICE) "Thoughtful...Fitzpatrick is well-qualified." - Henrietta Thornton-Verma (Library Journal's "Xpress Reviews") "Anyone who is serious about understanding the future of scholarly publishing--and anyone who cares about knowledge and society should share this concern--will find Fitzpatrick's book an essential, thought-provoking, and highly approachable introduction to the conversation." (A Thaumaturgical Compendium) "Fitzpatrick's Planned Obsolescenceits title a sardonic speculation on the future of the printed bookconsiders how academic publishing might best resolve this challenging dilemma. As co-founder of the digital scholarly network MediaCommmons, Fitzpatrickwho lectures in Media Studies at Pomona College in Californiais well placed to observe the development of digital culture in academia." (The Los Angeles Review of Books)