In an era when many people are predicting the demise of libraries, it is comforting to read that librarians are instead on the cusp of a golden age.

Sound unlikely?

Not according to T. Scott Plutchak, Director, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His article, 'Breaking the barriers of time and space: the dawning of the great age of librarians', J Med Libr Assoc. 2012 January; 100(1): 10-19. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050.100.1.004, is upbeat about the future for librarians, but only for those librarians who are unafraid of the future and who can adopt new roles without flinching or yearning for the good old days. The Scholarly Kitchen has looked at the piece and given it the thumbs-up.