Thursday 13 October 2011

I am Librarian, hear me ROAR!!!

It seems a theme is emerging. After yesterdays post about the value of libraries, everywhere I went I thought about it more. Thought of more interesting and varied arguments. Got more and more exasperated everytime the subject of libraries and their closure entered my addled mind. It may seem like the highest form of self congratulatory guff to tell you how brilliant libraries and librarians are, but I hereby REFUSE to apologise for it. We have spent so long being the ultimate in support professional that we perhaps have literally done ourselves a disservice. I have discussions everyday with my colleagues regarding how Libraries are seen as a place rather than a service. I overheard a conversation the other day whilst trying to drink a lovely cup of tea between two people who believed they didn’t “really” use the library as they only went there to go on the internet and never borrowed books. I’ve even get lecturers telling me that they never use the library as everything they need is right there at their desktop. WRONG!!!! Who precisely do they think has done the organising to get “everything they need right there at their desktop” ? errmmm.... LIBRARIANS! Who do they think helps their students out when they put a resource on a reading list? Errrmmm.... LIBRARIANS. Who organises the Institutional repository so that their research is gathered together for when REF finally kicks in... hellooo?.... guess who?..... all together now, 1...2...3... LIBRARIANS!!!!!!!!! So no longer will we sit quietly in the shadows with our knowledge and willingness to make your life easier! We’ll still do it. We like doing it. It makes our job worthwhile and we are bloody good at it. BUT we will shout about it. We will advocate. We are Librarians. We staff Libraries in your Schools, Hospitals, Law Firms, Public Libraries, Organisations, Academic Institutions, Charities and more. We will not sit quietly with our fingers to our lips, we will shout! We are Librarians hear us SHHHHHHHH!

4 comments:

StoriesGuy said...

I think this speech by R. David Lankes called 'The Librarian Militant, The Librarian Triumphant' will suit you well. Recommended for any librarian.
http://vimeo.com/16081588

Hollace said...

Love that last line!

Mary said...

Well well Did you have 3 shredded wheat this am! What I say is make the schools take the kids to the library for some reading and let them see for themselves what services are there Perhaps in the future they will come to love them as i did when I was a child and the libraary was really my main access to books. No charge and as many as I could read What more could you want you can even order those that arent on the shelves for nought!! BRING BACK READING MAKE IT SO OH NWISE ONE!!

Anonymous said...

I know your feeling very well since I'm a librarian too. They always make noise in the library, simply put or hide the books at somewhere else, drawing and writing on it, etc. (sigh) But, we can't do anything to stop them except shout or roar at them.