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Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
Ideas People by Ward Lehmann is a campus novel set in the busy, often quirky ecosystem of an academic research library. The story follows Sidney Feldspar, an electronic resources librarian at Hill City University, as he navigates the daily pressures of budgets, journal subscriptions, and shifting power dynamics among librarians, faculty, and corporate publishers. When the formidable sales representative Robert Zemba arrives from Koningschap Press, negotiations quickly become about more than numbers. They reveal the strain of the so-called journals crisis, in which rising costs threaten access to scholarship and force difficult choices about which knowledge remains available. Around Sid are colleagues who bring humor and humanity to the workplace. Ingrid Kanarek, Gustav Rolegur, Sonia, and others debate the meaning of professional values in a world where books are digitized, and libraries are asked to reinvent themselves.
Ward Lehmann writes with a sharp eye for institutional detail and a steady wit. The pacing moves smoothly among office conversations, negotiation scenes, and quieter passages by the river. Dialogue carries much of the energy, capturing the humor and frustration of committee culture and professional pride. Readers who enjoy academic satire, workplace fiction, or stories about the hidden machinery of publishing will find plenty to appreciate. The novel also invites anyone curious about how scholarship is funded and protected to see librarians as central characters in the life of the university. Its blend of tension, camaraderie, and thoughtful observation makes it an engaging read for those who like smart campus stories with heart. Readers who enjoy books about the everyday academic environment, such as Jenny Offill's The Department of Speculation and Richard Russo's Straight Man, won’t want to miss Ideas People.
