Final Reflections on Winter 2014

Wow. What a semester. Working in a library and having my core group of friends all be librarians, I was pretty well prepared for what to expect in grad school. That being said, I learned a lot about what it means, on a philosophical level, to be a librarian. And, although I have had an idea since I was little of what kind of librarian I want to be, it was neat to have a chance to explore different kinds of librarians and libraries. But, it has also reassured me in my choice to be an adult/young adult reference librarian in a large, but not urban, public library. I have essentially grown up in my current place of employment and so,  I look forward to growing and maturing into this profession.

I found myself really drawn to ethics portion of our studies. It really resonates with me on a personal level, because I have always tried to live my life with those principles. It is nice to see that there is a career where they are put at the forefront. Not that the profession is drama or problem free. It is just nice to see that we all strive towards those ethics. I have no doubt that as I learn more and work as a reference librarian, I will continue to understand and change (for the better, hopefully) the ethics on a new levels.

Hearing other perspectives of the librarian blogs that I followed and of my fellow classmates, has really made me stop and think about many of the aspects of the library including, it's role, it's responsibility at large and it's future. I like hearing everyone's thoughts and musings and will definitely continue to mull them over during my time at Wayne State and beyond.

I am also very hopeful about the future of libraries. I believe they will be around for years to come, even if they go through some major transformations. I am excited to be able to participate in the those transformations, whatever they may be.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my first semester here at Wayne State and look forward to all my subsequent semesters!

Assumptions II

After completing my first semester of Library School. I have reevaluated my assumptions about libraries in general.  My original assumptions were this:
 -Libraries are not going anywhere.
-Libraries are more than just a brick and mortar building
-Libraries are a vibrant community center.
After doing some reading on libraries in America today (Libraries are Dying? Think Again), I feel like I can be reassured that they will still be around in my life time. They, however, may not be the way they are today. But, they will still be needed by the local communities, as the articles states, they are still “staples” of communities. From a large, well-funded urban library to a small, struggling rural library that can barely afford to keep its doors open, each is important to its community. They may be forced to rethink their roles and work with less money, but they will be around.
Libraries are also more than just brick and mortar buildings, which also ties in with it becoming a vibrant community center. In the Guardian article, How US libraries are becoming community problem solvers, the library is described as “a grocery store that has become a kitchen.” In other words, we need to not just provide the resources, but show people how to use them. This pertains to Maker Spaces, human resources and employment help. Librarians not only do this within the library, but also bring their services out to career fairs, colleges and other places where they can reach potential patrons.
So, ultimately, I still have a really good vibe when it comes to the future of libraries. Communities need them, not only as repositories for our pasts, but as guides for our future selves and communities.

The Annoyed Librarian and The Magpie Librarian

I followed the two blogs The Annoyed Librarian and The Magpie Librarian.

I chose The Annoyed Librarian because she focuses a lot on the profession as a whole. She comments on the professional organizations and looks at the big picture and how it affects everyone. It started out as a personal blog, but she was eventually hired by the Library Journal. At LJ, she writes a blog post just about weekly that has to do with issues surrounding the library profession.

Of the posts that I read, my favorite one was "Why People Hate Weeding Books (3/14/14). I was intrigued by this post because I am always a little upset when we weed books. I understand why we do it and how it is done, but I always hate to see a book go.

"People who don’t work with books professionally don’t think of them as commodities. Every book is sacred, and every magazine, too, judging by the old sets of National Geographic people are always trying to donate to libraries." I really loved this specific quote from the posting. I find books to very sacred and not just Holy texts, but all of them. They all tell someone's story, whether real or fictional, but they are someone's experiences, hopes and dreams and when we get rid of those books, it is almost like we are getting rid of those as well.

I first heard of the Magpie Librarian when I was at PLA in Indianapolis. She was supposed to be at one of the break out sessions I attended, "Out of the Closet and Onto the Bookshelf: LGBTQ Literature for Today's Teens." Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, she was not able to make it. So, I Googled her. She is a children's librarian in New York City. She is in her early 30s and would be considered very edgy. She was recently showcased in Kyle Cassidy's "This is What a Librarian Looks Like: and she also serves on the ALA Book Committee for the Rainbow List. On her blog, she talks a lot about programming and  the every day work of being a librarian. But, she talks about these things with a sense of the larger profession. She is an advocate for libraries.

One of her most recent posts has to deal with combating racism in the her  urban library. It is titled Racism is a giant, nebulous issue that I have no business talking about, but here’s a display
She did a really awesome display on stereotypes and how people are NOT stereotypes.  I thought this was a really neat display idea that will really affect the patrons and their worldviews. She admits that  "As a 30-something white lady working in a library where my teens are mostly People of Color, I don’t know if I’m the best person to be starting this conversation." I really liked this perspective because sometimes, it does not matter who gets the conversation going, but just that it is started. I think librarians, even those seemingly unqualified, are the best people to start the education. First off, we are bound to the ALA Code of Ethics that requires us to treat everyone equally. Secondly, we see such a diversity in our days at the library that it is easy for us to know that it is just a stereotype and finally, because librarians have outlets for getting their messages out there to the masses.

I really enjoyed following both of these blogs and will continue to do so for as long as the authors choose to write them.