By Aaron Tomak
A basic premise underlying the philosophy of the library and school system in a community is the importance of an educated society. Thomas Jefferson in a letter to his mentor, George Wythe, wrote, “…the most important bill in our whole code, is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness." Public schooling is seen as a cornerstone of this belief.
A basic premise underlying the philosophy of the library and school system in a community is the importance of an educated society. Thomas Jefferson in a letter to his mentor, George Wythe, wrote, “…the most important bill in our whole code, is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness." Public schooling is seen as a cornerstone of this belief.
But learning doesn’t have to end after adolescence. The notion of the public library upholds this core value, and it is shared by most people. Recently a public library in Troy, Michigan demonstrated this by taking on local tax protestors that wanted to vote against the library millage. By creating a fake campaign for a local ‘book burning’ they were able to gain attention and garner support from an outraged public:
It’s apparent to any community that an attack on the library is akin to an attack on its core values. But why would anyone feel that libraries are becoming obsolete? More and more people are turning to online resources to find the information they need. And why shouldn’t they be? It’s quicker, easier, and doesn’t require leaving the house. Something important that may be missing though is information literacy. Briefly, and according to the ALA, information literacy is the ability to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”
And we’re in luck! Librarians are members of our community trained to be information literate. To a librarian the digital age offers not only challenges to their field but also many opportunities to prove how valuable they are. Here’s a few ways librarians are expanding their roles:
Distance Learning librarians: Distance learning librarians help patrons remotely via email and online chat
Cybrarians: The cybrarian specializes in using the web as a resource tool.
Digital Curation Librarians: Digital Curation Librarians create and maintain archives of digital material
Teacher Librarian: although teaching and librarianship go hand-in-hand, modern teacher librarians are interested in teaching transliteracy: literacy beyond traditional platforms to incorporate knowledge in all formats.
So it’s apparent to us in the field that we are an invaluable part of society. And while our efforts may not be well rewarded we know that without our part, the world would simply be a much more confusing place.
In many recent studies, the changing role of librarians is one that many people are discussing. It is not uncommon for library users to no longer physically come into the library looking to retrieve information from a print source. Rather, people are turning to virtual reference or the web in order to access information. However, librarians still play an important role in accessing information, especially when people do not know how or where to access the information they are looking for. This is especially true for librarians helping to reach out to distance learners. In the article, "Librarians' Changing Role in Distance Education," Gupta (2008) explained:
ReplyDeleteIn order to make the role of the library services effective, the library and information professionals must support students’ learning pursuits through particular attention to both the contents and process of acquiring information and its use, whose traditional role is largely confined to selecting and indicating the location and availability of resources to the user. (p. 227)
From this statement, one can see that it is important for librarians to find an appropriate balance so that they can assist people's need from wherever they are. Gupta (2008) also pointed out:
With greater end user searching becoming the norm, the librarian’s role changes from intermediary to facilitatory, in which he requires the ability to communicate, ability to determine and implement appropriate instructional strategies, and ability to design and develop self-learning tools for the clientele. (p. 227)
With librarians' roles continuously changing, there is also a need for training to keep the staff up-to-date with the latest technology. As long as librarians continue to develop skills and embrace these changes in technology, then libraries will continue to be utilized to access information. In the article, "Reinventing our work: new and emerging roles for academic librarians," Goetsch (2008) argued "the Internet and Web cannot replace the academic library because, although technology can be a better information provider, it cannot substitute for the essential role of humans in the creation, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge" (p. 171). There will always be information that needs to be found. Hence, it is our job as librarians to retrieve this information for people.
-Lindsay Fricke
References:
Goetsch, L. (2008). Reinventing our work: new and emerging roles for academic librarians. Journal of Library Administration, 48(2), 157-172. doi:10.1080/01930820802231351
Gupta, Dinesh. (2008). Librarians' changing role in distance education. Journal of Library Administration, 32(1-2), 225-231. doi:10.1300/J111v32n01_01
Hi Aaron,
ReplyDeleteWOW, thanks for posting that video about the Troy Library. I'm sad I didn't hear about that while it was happening - that certainly would have been an interesting story to follow. It seems like a risky campaign to me, but I'm so glad it paid off!
I thought it was a brilliant strategy to raise awareness. I think when it comes to millages, the loudest voice can have the most impact. If a group comes out to protest library funding then fight fire with fire I say.
ReplyDeleteCybrarian is a term I never heard before, although I did recently stumble across "cyber navigator" in reference to libraries. Basically, a cyber navigator is a person who teaches users how to use computers. This is a pretty big deal since budget cuts to public/social services have moved a lot more information, forms, applications online as staff is reduced. Actually, the author of this article refers to them as almost "digital social workers."
ReplyDelete