In With the New

When reading the Librarians thread of Lankes' The Atlas of New Librarianship, I found a blurb that really stood out to me. When Lankes mentions that one day "we will discard modifiers like 'participatory' and 'new' and simply be librarians, part of a better society, respected by our communities, and devoted to our members" (187). It's interesting, because when I was reading the Atlas, I didn't really focus on the "new" aspect of librarianship. When I started applying to Library Science programs, I (naively) believed that there was nothing wrong with libraries. What I mean is that I was satisfied with what I had experienced throughout my many years of visiting libraries. I didn't realize that as I entered this field that there was a major change, or to be dramatic, a revolution in the world of libraries. I have no objection to the ideas presented in this textbook. In fact, I'm glad that my lack of experience in the library field means that I don't have to be "retaught"; I have a fresh start.

I'm glad Lankes connects Library Science to other fields. As an English major I figured that I would do well in Library Science. But it's more than a love of books (or artifacts). A really good point was made that not only does my specialized degree in humanities provide me with a strength in analyzing texts, but humanities has provided me with a way of seeing society as a large conversation and it helps me to understand the importance of social compacts (176). That's why it's so great to have a diversity of knowledge in the library field. So many people can offer multiple conversations and they can become valuable resources in the library.

The Atlas is a great text for new librarians to read. However, because of its inspirational nature, it definitely has me itching to get into the nitty-gritty of library skills so that I can use my unique individual skills to impact whatever library and community I work with in the future.

Darwinism in Libraries

Darwin is famous for his theories on evolution. 

My favorite theory to apply to all aspects of life is the "survival of the fittest." While this theory was originally applied to species that did not last (because they did not adapt), it can be applied to the institution and field of libraries and librarianship. Professor Lankes, in The Atlas of New Librarianship, mentions Ranganathan's fifth law of librarianship: "The library is a growing organism" (128). After reading (and agreeing with) it, the analogy of a library, as a living thing that's always growing and changing, helped me connect libraries with evolution. Now I do not claim to be the first person to think of this, but it's a cool thing to discuss again and again. As man had to develop from ape to an upright homo sapiens who could develop his own tools, so libraries must adapt and develop according to the needs of the community. The introduction of the electronic and digital age has forced libraries and librarians, sometimes uncomfortably, to make the necessary changes. For example, now that e-readers and e-books are becoming more widespread, the policy for developing and maintaining a     physical collection isn't going to be as important. Now, I'm not trying to say that, just like some species that died off and can't adapt or survive, books and physical artifacts are going to disappear. I just believe that the act of physically checking out books or searching through reference books are not what the community needs anymore. Libraries and librarians must survive the constant and innovative changes that the community desires, in order to be successful and not stuck in the mentality that libraries are going to die off. 

We, as librarians, must evolve and keep up with new developments and help contribute to the new innovations, so that we can maintain a functioning and developing role as facilitators in our communities and in this world.

Good news! We can and have evolved from this: 

Libraries are NOT Doomed...

Libraries are not doomed; however, they do need some serious work. As I was reading The Atlas of New Librarianship, I noticed that there was a recurring issue. Libraries and librarians strive to make library and community members self-sufficient in terms of technology; Lankes points out that by doing this, members are dependent upon the technology and lose touch with the librarians in the process. It's true that "members use systems that help them" but at some point, do librarians feel unnecessary (Lankes, pg. 89)? Every job should promote self-worth, and librarians especially can feel a sense of self-worth when they assist the community. Librarians might not always be the "go-to" person for questions of reference, but as facilitators and coaches of the community members, their role changes, but the act of community service does not disappear. I like the idea of libraries developing writing centers, music centers, and topical centers. That way, the librarians' role in the community is still present, even if they are not just helping catalog books. As David Lankes mentions throughout his entire Atlas, libraries are not just about the artifacts.

A Librarian's Business Card

After reading the thread "Facilitating" from the book The Atlas of New Librarianship I realized that as a librarian there's a lot that can be put on a business card. Sure, it would seem more professional to have the standard and important information on the card, like one's name, official title, and contact information. However, I've found, it's so hard to define exactly what a librarian does with just a title like "Executive Director" or "Reference Librarian".

As Lankes mentions, librarians need to facilitate conversation so that knowledge can be created in communities (65). To provide facilitation, librarians should be publishers, teachers, and moderators. Think how cool it would be for business cards to be like Twitter profiles, where you can create your own blurb about one's profession. For example, my future business card might say:

Erin Berry

Instructor, Publisher, Student, Moderator

Loves: British Literature, crockpot recipes, and Google searching

And why be restricted to a small paper rectangle? I love the idea that Lankes offers about library websites: they should not advertise the library, but rather the librarians (78). I am a not a techie, but I think it would be really neat to have the top of the home page display pictures of the librarians, where you can hover over each librarian and their name and business blurb would appear.  That way library members could learn a little about their librarians for they ask for assistance or services.

What would your business card say?

To Serve Man

Here's another Lio comic strip! I love this one!

There's nothing like sharing a library book with a friend. Good to know that the library has a diverse selection of cookbooks. I wonder what the index of this cookbook looks like (shout-out to IST 616)!

Getting Tired of Lio?

Here's Friday's comic:

So instead of books being chained to the library shelves, it's webs! Love this. Are books getting dusty or accumulating webs because of e-books and the Internet? Just a thought...

Lio: Part 4

Once again, another comic strip, too good to pass up!

I love that Lio's enjoying the classics. Also, every new librarian must promise not to fulfill these grumpy old librarian stereotypes!

Lio: Part 3

Once again, another library-themed comic strip! Hopefully the theme stays the same for the whole week.  Here's today's comic:

There's the grumpy librarian again! I love the transition from the imaginative to the literal. I have never read War of the Worlds but when I do, I'm pretty sure that this will come to mind when I read the text. I have nothing discussion-oriented to say about this, just thought I'd share!

Lio: Part 2

So once again, the Lio comic has a library related strip today! Here it is:

In this strip, Lio relates in a perfect way about two aspects of the library. The first one is that reading transports you to a new world, and in Lio's vivid imagination (and with his love for monsters) he imagines being chased by the Jabber Wocky (shout-out to Lewis Carroll!). While reading does allow one to develop a strong sense of imagination, at the end of this strip, Lio is hushed by the public librarian, even though the image does portray him as screaming, which would not be allowed inside any kind of public building.

Will librarians ever earn a reputation besides that of a grumpy old lady who will not tolerate noise from the members of the library? Will libraries ever be a place of communication, speech, and discussions above the sound of a whisper? I think libraries are progressively tolerating noise and conversation. I know these changes are just baby steps. In the library at the University of Mary Washington, the first level was specifically for group projects and talking was allowed and not frowned upon. The second level did have study/group rooms, but they were enclosed rooms and some people were not afraid to knock on the door and tell you that you were being too loud (a personal experience of mine, haha). The third floor was the quiet floor where whispering was barely tolerated and many would look at you if you dared to make any noise while opening a bag of chips (again, has happened to me)! However, it's hard to make any judgment against wanting a quiet space to read or study. Because that's how many people remember a library, it is hard to change. I know I have stared many times at people who talk on their cell phones while in the libraries, both public and academic.

So what do you prefer? A quiet library? Or a place where discussion and imagination is not stifled? Can you have both?

Lio Loves Libraries!

Don't you love alliterations? Anyways, on my Google Reeder/RSS feed, I follow one of my favorite comic strips, Lio, created by Mark Tatulli. I love this comic because the boy is quirky, unique, and mostly because there is no dialogue. And today's comic is perfect:

While I received my library card at a young age and perhaps didn't realize the significance of it all, I've definitely had this moment. When I moved away from home to start my studies at the University of Mary Washington, I realized that I would have to get a new library card; while the library at UMW does have a selection of current and popular books, I needed a place with a larger selection that could keep up with my continuous reading. So I got online, found the nearest library in the Fredericksburg area, signed up as a member and eventually, a week later, I received my library card in the mail. That moment felt glorious, and while there were no fireworks, I was so excited to check out books and explore the library. I hope everyone, especially young children, get to have an experience similar to Lio. Have a great day and read a book!