Comments on: “For the Apparel Oft Proclaims the Man”

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:04:18 +0000

“…a strong basic bond between items that are collected, cataloged, and otherwise managed and a community to which such data and information organization is vital for their continued success and survival. It is about emphasizing these kinds of connections and how the human elements makes the difference.”

Andy, this is one of the most beautiful, adept descriptions of librarianship I’ve read. I believe you’re on the right track here — and wonder if you’d consider a post to unpack these words a bit more. Below are questions I’ve been wrestling with and have confidence you can fill in some of the blanks.

- What’s the value (historically and today) of materials that are purposefully collected, catalogued and otherwise managed?
- Given the widespread availability of materials and the diversity of our communities, how can an individual collection (even those at large universities or large municipal systems) be adequate?
- What’s the community connection to the collection?
- What are some of the human elements, and how do librarians and libraries emphasize them?

Trying to answer some of these questions, I think, is a start at defining the “special sauce” of librarianship. I’ve been struggling to articulate it myself and am still flopping all over the place with it.

Thx, Jean

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:30:37 +0000

Most certainly. It always comes down to quality of work, even if the title is in flux.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:29:59 +0000

Bravo!

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:25:54 +0000

Not that I don’t like those titles, but they sound rather vague. You could call yourself a knowledge expert yourself, but I happen to think that you prefer the title ‘Professor’ more. Why? Because it conveys that within its definition. It might be better to simply look to redefine the title rather than shifting to another name.

By: Tiffany Jane Brand (@tiffanybrandlib)

Tiffany Jane Brand (@tiffanybrandlib) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:12:27 +0000

I think that whether or not someone is known as a librarian/information specialist/knowledge manager is less important that having their work appreciated as integral to information literacy and to the community the serve. Unfortunately, there are those who believe that librarians jobs consist solely of shelving books. They do not see the work librarians do as essential and libraries as antiquated buildings. If librarians undergo a name change libraries and the services they provide will still be at risk of losing funding and not being valued by the patrons they serve. Dispelling stereotypes of the profession, and educating the public on the work it entails is necessary.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:07:54 +0000

I completely identify with the word “librarian”; I consider it my vocation. I once had a discussion with a fellow library director (yes, that is my job) who told me that, in our director jobs, we were not librarians, but library directors. I told him he could call himself anything he wanted, but I would always be a librarian.
Of course, my undergraduate degree is in philosophy, so perhaps standup philospher would work as well.

By: William Seligman

William Seligman — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:25:29 +0000

You wouldn’t call yourself a “knowledge expert”? How about “information technologist”?