Today my mom pointed me to this article: http://www.parade.com/news/2011/09/25-little-library-that-could.html. I found parts of it really encouraging, and other parts a little disheartening. It's also an interesting look at the future of libraries.
First, the disheartening: when this library's budget was cut, the full-time staff was cut in half. From what I've read this isn't an uncommon occurrence.
The encouraging: "Contrary to what many predicted, the digital age has not rendered the nation’s 16,671 public libraries obsolete. Instead, it’s brought a pulsing new energy as patrons use the free computers and Internet access to research term papers, look for jobs, update Facebook pages, and more." I will probably cite this quote (and the accompanying statistics) the next time someone asks me if libraries are even going to exist in another ten years. I was also encouraged by the stories about how much the community rallied in support of the library after the budget was cut. The library's problems aren't solved completely, but having community support is an important part of keeping things together.
Which brings me to my next point: the importance of libraries to communities and communities to libraries. Dr. Lankes said that an empty room with a librarian is a library. I think I'd say that an empty room with a librarian and another person (hopefully there's people, but since this is hypothetical I'm going to say one is enough) is a library. We've talked in class about how libraries are more than just the artifacts inside, and I think this article really highlights that. This article also demonstrates the importance, particularly in public libraries, of community involvement. Libraries are participatory in nature, and I think community involvement is vital for the development and survival of public libraries.
-Molly
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Types of Libraries or: So many choices!
This week we discussed types of libraries which brought up one of the big questions: What do I want to do once I graduate? More specifically, what kind of library do I want to work in?
One option is public libraries. I used to work in a public library and loved it. I like the idea of working with people from different age groups and backgrounds. Youth Services in public libraries interest me a lot. And I love the mission (or at least what I perceive to be the mission) of public libraries: provide information for free to whoever wants it. There's also academic libraries. I really like college and university settings. I love helping people with academic research (I know I could do that at most libraries, but anecdotes indicate that it's more present in academic libraries).
I'm also interested in preservation and archives. I'm interested in rare books and special collections, and I like the idea of doing work that's hands on. I did my librarian interview with someone who works in conservation which made me even more interested in archives (and I got to shrink wrap a book). However, this is where things get slightly more complicated in terms of the degree program. SU offers a Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation. The certificate program is one of the things that drew me to Syracuse. The certificate offers an amazing learning opportunity, and it would probably open up a lot of job opportunities when I graduate. It would also limit or perhaps eliminate my ability to take other electives. I'm worried that if I do the certificate I'll miss out on classes where I could learn about public or academic libraries. The fact that this is a two year program makes things even more pressing. In undergrad there was plenty of time to pick a major. I feel like this a decision I need to make soon.
The truth is that I can see myself being happy working in any of the above options, which is probably a good problem to have.
One option is public libraries. I used to work in a public library and loved it. I like the idea of working with people from different age groups and backgrounds. Youth Services in public libraries interest me a lot. And I love the mission (or at least what I perceive to be the mission) of public libraries: provide information for free to whoever wants it. There's also academic libraries. I really like college and university settings. I love helping people with academic research (I know I could do that at most libraries, but anecdotes indicate that it's more present in academic libraries).
I'm also interested in preservation and archives. I'm interested in rare books and special collections, and I like the idea of doing work that's hands on. I did my librarian interview with someone who works in conservation which made me even more interested in archives (and I got to shrink wrap a book). However, this is where things get slightly more complicated in terms of the degree program. SU offers a Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation. The certificate program is one of the things that drew me to Syracuse. The certificate offers an amazing learning opportunity, and it would probably open up a lot of job opportunities when I graduate. It would also limit or perhaps eliminate my ability to take other electives. I'm worried that if I do the certificate I'll miss out on classes where I could learn about public or academic libraries. The fact that this is a two year program makes things even more pressing. In undergrad there was plenty of time to pick a major. I feel like this a decision I need to make soon.
The truth is that I can see myself being happy working in any of the above options, which is probably a good problem to have.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Biblioteksinspirerade
This week in class we were introduced to the term "biblioteksinspirerade." This is a Swedish word which I will likely never be able to pronounce and which means either to be inspired by libraries or to inspire libraries. Our discussion of the term made me think about how libraries have inspired me.
I've always loved libraries. When I was younger this was my favorite scene in any movie, ever. My parents took me to the library frequently. I looked forward the the public library's summer programs, which I would later work at. Libraries helped form an early love of reading.
The library at my undergrad college was inspiring in the ways that the librarians there managed to meet students' needs despite having a relatively small collection and despite the limitations inherent in a small institution. If a necessary source of information was not in the library, the librarians could always locate and get it quickly through Interlibrary loans.
In my sophomore year of college, I was lucky enough to go to London. While there I visited the British Library's main building, which is inspiring in the amount of information available there. This library had an interesting combination of things traditionally associated with libraries (books, special collections) and with the new ways librarians facilitate access to information. While there, I was able to see what is believed to be one of the original copies of the Magna Carta (with a handy computerized translation underneath) and listen to speeches given by Winston Churchill and Joe Strummer in the library's multimedia section.
Now that I've started at SU it's time for me, along with my fellow students, to inspire libraries. We've all gotten the "you need a degree for that?" question, but the question that I find far more obnoxious is: "You want to be a librarian? Are libraries even going to exist in fifteen years?" I'm confident that libraries will never become obsolete; in fact I will fight (with my words) anyone who tries to say otherwise. However, the world is changing, and libraries will have to change with it. That's going to require inspiration.
I've always loved libraries. When I was younger this was my favorite scene in any movie, ever. My parents took me to the library frequently. I looked forward the the public library's summer programs, which I would later work at. Libraries helped form an early love of reading.
The library at my undergrad college was inspiring in the ways that the librarians there managed to meet students' needs despite having a relatively small collection and despite the limitations inherent in a small institution. If a necessary source of information was not in the library, the librarians could always locate and get it quickly through Interlibrary loans.
In my sophomore year of college, I was lucky enough to go to London. While there I visited the British Library's main building, which is inspiring in the amount of information available there. This library had an interesting combination of things traditionally associated with libraries (books, special collections) and with the new ways librarians facilitate access to information. While there, I was able to see what is believed to be one of the original copies of the Magna Carta (with a handy computerized translation underneath) and listen to speeches given by Winston Churchill and Joe Strummer in the library's multimedia section.
Now that I've started at SU it's time for me, along with my fellow students, to inspire libraries. We've all gotten the "you need a degree for that?" question, but the question that I find far more obnoxious is: "You want to be a librarian? Are libraries even going to exist in fifteen years?" I'm confident that libraries will never become obsolete; in fact I will fight (with my words) anyone who tries to say otherwise. However, the world is changing, and libraries will have to change with it. That's going to require inspiration.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Introductions
I just started the MS program in Library and Information Science at SU. I'm starting this blog for IST 511- to reflect and comment on discussions we have in class. But I hope it's also going to document my time at SU and hopefully help me sort out my ideas and goals when it comes to librarianship, which is still new to me. I come from an English Lit background, but I chose to become a librarian because of my love of information and knowledge. In some ways, I chose librarianship because it felt like the closest I could get to studying everything. The public service aspect appeals to me too. I think providing communities with access to information is a vital part of improving society, but I should probably save those thoughts for another entry.
This is the first blog I've written since the short-lived livejournal account I had when I was fourteen (and which seems to have been obligatory for the Misunderstood Teenagers of my generation). So bear with me, all two of you who are reading this, as I get the hang of things.
This is the first blog I've written since the short-lived livejournal account I had when I was fourteen (and which seems to have been obligatory for the Misunderstood Teenagers of my generation). So bear with me, all two of you who are reading this, as I get the hang of things.
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