Librarian as Superhero
Publisher Harper Collins has just released a new book – about librarians. Talk about optimistic.
This Book is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson, and it describes the exciting new world of librarians. Tattoos, precision drills using tricked-out book carts, and the virtual reality of Second Life figure prominently. Naturally, I liked the book, but is it possible for a book about librarians to be a money-maker for Harper Collins?
It's a very positive book, filled with enthusiastic librarians who love to acquire, store, and especially share, information. They are privacy rights activists, ardent bloggers, and street librarians. It was fun reading about these exuberant professionals. Librarians aren't what they used to be.
Neither are libraries. Libraries and other “non-essential” public services are getting hit hard in these tough economic times. And yet they keep finding new ways to serve their communities. Here are a few examples:
Drive-up windows. They started popping up about two years ago and now there's no stopping them. Reserve a book or DVD online and pick it up at the drive-up window.
Arlington Heights, IL library drive-up window
Borrow a Kindle. Or a Sony Reader. A few public libraries (and some university libraries) are lending e-readers. People are borrowing them to read bestsellers or textbooks or just to try them out before deciding whether to buy one. This seems like such a good idea, I can't believe Amazon isn't jumping all over it and donating Kindles to public and academic libraries already.
Digital readers aren't the only cool things libraries are lending, aside from the usual books, CDs, DVDs, video games, and laptops. Forward-thinking libraries are lending GPS units, fishing poles, gardening tools, museum passes, and cake pans.
Donate a book. Attacking their financial problems head on, some libraries are coming up with clever and creative fundraising ideas. Several are maintaining wish lists of items that anyone can purchase and donate directly from Amazon. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries go a step further and have created wish lists with local independent bookstores. The Monterey County Free Libraries have received over fifty book donations from their Amazon wish list in one year, plus assorted DVDs, CDs, and language courses.
Libraries and librarians are morphing like superheroes, keeping the Evil Budget Shrinker at bay. Don't underestimate them. Remember, Batgirl was a librarian.
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Deven McKay
Ersatz Reader
Donna Ski
Christine Bollerud
Felisa Rogers
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Salon.com
Comments
I nearly went to library school years ago... but didn't. Seemed like every librarian I talked to was either laid off or about to be (public, private, academic, museum, elementary school, you-name-it). Every organization seems to think they can cut the library first before the "real" staff.
I hope that's not still true (this was 15 years ago).
Total Knockout! THIS POST!
Love it!
If my local library would rent me their attic I would live there.
As for librarian jobs ... they're getting harder and harder to come by especially now with all the libraries facing budget shortfalls. It's very aggravating! I have been thinking of getting my masters in library science but hate to invest all that money only to find out there's no jobs. :o( Libraries and state parks are always the first to go ...
Thank you for the good post! I needed it!
Grat piece. R
Rated for sharing how awesome we are.
Greg -- I vaguely recall a book about kids getting locked in a museum overnight. I used to think getting locked in a library overnight would be better.
Thanks, Bonnie!
Ranjit -- And for only $250 you can have a copy of your own!
Will -- please keep your voice down.
rebelmom -- expensive education, low pay, little job security -- and they still love it!
john -- grrr
sueinaz -- thanks!
WalkAway -- dewey or LOC? Let the debate begin...
Still, I'm excited to see this book and am very curious to read it. I've never been one to go ga-ga over the physicality of books -- I'm more interested in the information contained inside. So the fact that the author explores all sorts of non-book related librarian activities sounds fascinating. Being a librarian is a far more versatile career than most people realize, and many businesses, and individuals, could benefit from the application of the basic skills learned in library school, such as online search techniques, categorization / classification and principles of organization, and informational interview techniques, to name a few.
Thanks for pointing this one out. I'll have to see if I can check it out from my local library!
(PS: my dorm library used to lend out prints of art works for students to use in decorating their bare white walls. I always thought that was one of the most creative uses of a library.)
I went to the Yonkers library and got a card, then proceeded to check out 5 books. At checkout, the librarian commented that I was checking out "books". I said this is a library isn't it? She said most of the lending was for electronic media, DVDs and Computer games...how the world has changed.
I married a librarian's daughter. Rated.
A few years ago, in a froth of self-righteousness, our library system, once considered one of the country’s best, decided to institute draconian policies for dealing with overdue and lost books. It’s simple – anything that is reported as lost is billed to the patron as worth $100.00. It doesn’t matter if it’s a book, comic book or magazine – you are billed $100.00. If the money is not paid within a month, they turn you over to a credit bureau. It doesn’t even matter if you eventually find the item. They don’t want it back – they want the $100.00
As any idiot could have told them, patronage has been going down, down, down. Gee, I wonder why?
I come from a family of librarians and worked my way through college at the university library. I know the problems they face. But this solution is so batsh*t crazy I can’t even imagine how it has stayed as policy for so long.
And thank you too on Batgirl life history.
As for librarians themselves, there are no other class of workers who surpass them for helpfulness in their respective fields of work.
I never thought I'd see the day when I couldn't afford to go to a library. I can't remember the last time I lost a book, but anything can happen and we simply can't afford the hundred dollar hit, or the damage to our credit and neither can my son, who no longer goes there.
I still think it would have been a divine job...back in the day.... BEFORE so many non-bookish things.... I still think it's an amazingly important job--these are our cherished documents, they need to be preserved....and I still dream of the suit. I just wanted to wear the Batgirl suit. Yes, I'm sure it came with the diploma.....
"Tell me, Clarence, where's Mary" sez the desperate George
The angel sez, "You won't like it, George."
Go to next scene with a bespeckled Donna Reed as Mary, "They are closing up the library" as if the narrator said, "Hannibal Lector just ate you for lunch."
Good to see librarians get some positive press.
R.
I'm excited for this book. I have to wait until my semester ends but it's on the topen of my way too big stack. As a young (almost) librarian, it's really great to read all the posts about what libraries meant to different people at different times in their lives.
I try not to worry about the budget/all the closings. It scares me. Not just for me, but I'm scared for our literate society.
Anyway, @biblio files--the book is From the Mixed Up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg and it's one of my all time favorites.
For those people considering library school: please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about my (slooooow) journey through SJSU's MLIS program. .
As for LOC vs. Dewey? This might give you an indication of how I feel about it: http://www.cafepress.com/Deweyette.441046060