Plagiarism, on any level, is a serious matter. I must say that I was slightly surprised and to some extent offended by the use of the term "borrowing" to describe these mistakes. I honestly do not care that Jane Goodall is a world renowned author and scientist. She still plagiarized. At this point, intention is secondary to action and it will take work for her to regain her credibility if the world of publishers and readers responds appropriately. I believe that this is a very serious violation of information rights, and these are mistakes that she should never have overlooked.
To resolve the situation and repair the damage done, Goodall will have to be exceptionally careful in her reworking of the citations and footnotes. She no longer has any margin of error. While her information may be valid, her name itself is sure to have lost credibility, and that is a reputation that may not ever come back. This severity of Goodall's current situation she be a warning bell to any who are tempted to plagiarize, or who do not believe that it has long-lasting consequences. It does. Be that a suspension listed on your permanent record as a high schooler, or as a career-joltig road block in the broader scheme of things, plagiarism is a huge issue. A word of warning: do not take it lightly.
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