Embracing the Spectacled, Hair-twisted Librarian in You

Sometimes I wonder why librarians are so insecure about their public image.  Yes, the public views us as little old ladies with tightly pulled back hair, spectacles, and a quiet personality (Shhhhh!).  This image of librarians personifies everything we fear libraries will become: irrelevant, old-fashioned, out dated, and unnecessary.  At times it even seems like we are trying to shun and eliminate everything from our past  in an attempt to prove our relevance.  This is a huge mistake.  The library profession is just as relevant now as it was 50 years ago and our past provides illuminating examples of how libraries have set the standard for customer service, research, and access through taking advantage of the technology available.  If you think “librarians as cutting edge technology enthusiasts” is a new thing, then prepare for a surprise.

By embracing our past, we can take advantage of the traits that years of development have instilled in the library profession.  These include:

Greenbelt, Maryland. Federal housing project. The school library is used as a community library in the evening.

 

1. A drive to provide the best customer service to everyone.

 

Librarians make sure that all people have access to information and invent creative ways to get people the information they need whether using an i-phone or using a horse and wagon.  In the past,  librarians needed to be creative to ensure that their community had access to books and other resources (sound familiar?).  In the picture to the left, school and public librarians collaborated together to open the school library for the public during the evenings.

 

 

Library tent at the FSA (Farm Security Administration) mobile camp for migratory farm workers. Odell, Oregon. The girls working in the library receive credit in the Junior Campers League for work in the library

 

2. A passion for leveling the playing field.

Librarians are on the forefront when it comes to social advocacy and making sure that information needs are being met.  In today’s society, librarians are staunch defenders of the homeless among other social groups and help to fight against the affects of the digital divide.  In the picture to the right, a mobile library tent was set up to meet the needs of migratory farm workers in 1941.

Curb service 10,000 current books - convenient, free, time saving : Chicago Public Library, Randolph St. corridor.

 

3. A knack for creatively implementing services that meet patrons at the point of need.

In the past, librarians valiantly pioneered curb service (aka bookmobiles) and took the time to actively shuttle library collections around towns to patrons who could not easily travel to the library.  This passion for taking the library to the people has continued to inspire librarians as new technologies make at-point-of-need service even more possible.  Libraries are establishing text messaging, instant messaging, and mobile friendly services to meet the needs of the booming handheld generation all thanks to the librarians who came before who enstilled this quality in the library profession.

So, with these qualities to be proud of, whip out your glasses, pull back your hair, and go be Relevant.