As Mary Fran from looking (it) up posted:
I'm not sure if it's just me, but since I started library school, people just keep coming out of the woodwork. A woman at my salon tells me librarians won't even be needed in a few years, "because of computers." A guy at a party says all books are going to be online soon, and asks me why I would train for a job that will be obsolete in a few years.I also get asked, "So you need a Master's degree to become a librarian? Why?" And then I go on and on about all the things librarians do, and eventually I see the person look away in disinterest. Then I realize that these people haven't been in a library in God-knows-how-long. Now, I don't work adult reference, but when I am up there, I am always being asked for help with the computers and not just from digital immigrants, but from natives as well. The other day it was as simple as figuring out how to log on using the library card number and pin. Or putting a hold on a bestseller. If people need guidance on the little things, then you better believe they need detailed instruction on setting up wikis, blogs, etc.
Sungji wrote:
I don’t think the very need for libraries will ever be “disaggregated” or “despacialized”, but the expectations users have on libraries and the forms of service will probably change. We already see some changes, for example, some people want to contact librarians remotely through the Internet to ask questions, and young people would like to get their answers text messaged to their cell phones.Libraries need to be up-to-date on technology. If the library is using cutting-edge technology, then peoples' perceptions will change. The library then doesn't just have resources, it becomes a resource. You can't become obsolete, if you are always one step ahead.
4 comments:
Kim, I like this thread you have going here...I have recently had some very different responses... oddly enough, I have met people whose wife, aunt, friend (fill in the blank) has gone back to school to become a librarian. We are not on the way out, we are on the way in! Did anyone see the article on librarians on the front page of the Sunday Style Section of the NYT on July 8th? I think as we rethink our purpose as librarians and the role that the library plays in many various communities, the public will better come to understand our purpose. The days of the shushing librarian are fading; librarians are now tech-savvy, info-specialists who can teach, research, and yes, who can still run a wicked fun storytime.
Sorry, I just edited my profile...jasper didn't say that, I did (nancy).
I agree with Sungji. And in addition to HAVING the technology, librarians need to USE it as well. What good is having "Ask a Librarian" screen names for fielding IM questions if the librarians don't log in?
Steve mentioned in the last class how each database has its own rules on how to perform a search. How useful are the databases if a patron can't figure out the rules and the librarian doesn't know either?
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