Advocates Needed @ Your Library!
As part of a mini assignment for an Advocacy & Library Issues course that I’m taking we were asked how we would respond to someone who said that libraries are not going to be around much longer and that it makes no sense to want to become a librarian in 2006. Even though I’ve been a proud library user for 23 of my 28 years, inspired 5 classrooms full of students to visit their local libraries frequently, and am currently in library school it wasn’t easy to come up with a response. I think the majority of library users feel that way. We all know that libraries are valuable, essential parts of our communities, but if we were ever asked to verbalize why many of us would immediately fall quiet. Here’s an excerpt of the response that I posted to the class discussion board:
If someone told me that libraries are not going to be around much longer I would tell them that they are mistaken! I’d kindly inform them that as non-patrons of any library, they are in the minority, as 66% of Canadian adults have and use a library card regularly (Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, 2006), while an overwhelming 90% of Americans believe that libraries will still be needed in the future (Long Overdue, 2006). I would proceed to inform them that the library is not limited to its physical building, and ask if they are aware that a variety of adult and children’s services have been designed solely for those accessing the library’s resources from a remote location.
I would offer the opinion that as our society continues to experience rapid technological advancement, libraries are the main institutions actively seeking to bridge the digital divide, consequently making them more important than ever! Even for those fortunate enough to have access to a computer and the Internet in their homes, technology isn’t a panacea for poor literacy skills. In his keynote lecture to the CLA in 2004, Michael Gorman stated, “An illiterate with a computer is no better off than an illiterate with a book!”
I won’t officially become a librarian until the end of the winter semester, but I already see that my chosen profession lacks a current generation of advocates. What can be done to encourage current and future librarians to become advocates for the profession?
posted by danielle @ 10:07 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
There is no doubt in my mind that people who feel libraries and librarians will not be around much longer are people who do not understand the role of libraries and have no idea what librarians do. In other words, we are dealing with ignorance. Having said that, the challenge is still a difficult one, as combating ignorance is rarely easy. My impression is that the number of people who believe that libraries are an endangered species has actually declined since the 1990s (along with other ideas such as that “paperless society” nonsense). The Internet has been part of our lives for over a decade now. If libraries were going the way of the card catalogue, we would have already seen clear signs of this by now.
Despite this, there will always be some who remain unaware of what libraries are and what librarians do. How can we counter this? Danielle has presented a number of good arguments in favour of libraries, and many others can be added to that list (i.e. the fact that there are more libraries in Canada than McDonald’s restaurants, the number of new libraries that have been built in the past decade, etc.). Essentially, however, I think we need to encourage current and future professionals to do a better job at making people aware of what libraries are and of what librarians do. Other professions are not afraid to promote themselves, but I often get the impression that librarians are. Libraries are about more than just books, they play an essential role in culture, education, research, etc. Librarians don’t put books on shelves. They are educated professionals (how many people know that librarians require a graduate degree?) with increasingly complex technical and educational skills who play an essential role in, for example, the learning experience at an academic institution. Once an individual or group understands this role, he/she/they no longer see libraries/librarians as outdated. I’ve seen this enlightenment happen, but while it’s possible for us to educate individuals or groups we come in contact with, the real challenge is getting this message out to the broader community.
Pascal,
I couldn't agree with your comments more. I just hope that someone comes up with an ingenious way to get our message out to the broader community soon!
Post a Comment
<< Home