Lankes argues that the librarian —not the library building—is the primary tool of the profession. Traditional services like cataloging and physical spaces are seen as temporary tools that may change or disappear over time. Unique Structural Design

The book is organized into "Threads" (conceptual arrangements equivalent to chapters) and 147 "Agreements" (detailed statements on specific theories or practices).

Unlike a standard professional monograph, the Atlas is designed for exploration and "casual browsing".