>If I may interject a few points here in defense of my colleagues, I must state that librarians have already been >overrun by an incredible number of novelties over a series of decades. Almost all of these novelties have meant >more work for less pay, fewer positions, less funding and finally, less prestige. Now come the biggest changes >of all, and this is after all of the pains with keeping up with overwhelming workloads, learning complex new >library systems that change constantly, and you hear everywhere that the changes haven't even begun yet. I am >not saying that this is the correct way to think, but a relatively hopeless attitude is very understandable if you have >lived through some of these changes.
Please forgive me, but I reject such a beleaguered view of librarianship. We *must* embrace the role that is being thrust upon us. The small exchange here is not an attack upon the library profession. On the contrary, I read it as a sort of call to librarianship to continue to be what it has been to human civilization.
Librarians' experience of technology has not been as a flurry of "novelties" thrust at them as they cower in their cubicles working to save our common heritage. Librarians, not technicians, created MARC. Libraries were among the first business entities to be automated. Long before computers, librarians devised ways for essentially all of human knowledge to be categorized and made accessible at a moment's notice. We want people be informed. We want people to get the knowledge and information they need. We know how to find stuff - good stuff. Not only do we know how to preserve stuff for a very long time - we actually care about doing so.
I would argue that practical, hands-on knowledge of databases and computer systems is far from unimportant. Networked information systems and related technologies and standards can seems chaotic and overwhelming, but they are not novelties. Characterizing them as such suggests a superficial understanding of the technologies themselves and the implications of employing them.
It is past time to acknowledge that true skill with technology is going to be - if it isn't already - fundamental to the
future of librarianship. If we fail to, we relinquish to our respective IT departments and/or local "geek squad", the job of explaining technology and its application to research to our instructors/professors. Worse, we constrain our ability to think creatively about how to use this chaos of technology to the advantage of our patrons and ourselves. Let's not reject an understanding of the tools a library patron might use in favor of a theoretical understanding of the "information-seeking behavior" of library users. We need to understand both, and In many ways the two things are inseparable.
Our profession must continue to teach the ideals and the ethic of service that are the center of librarianship. Nowadays, this means teaching the traditional curriculum as well as inluding practical and theoretical training in technology as requirements for advanced library degrees.
It is absolutely true that everything will change - that everything continues to change. Absolutely. It is also true that these changes will carry with them unprecedented opportunities for libraries to serve their users. Indeed, the opportunities we have and the challenges we face are astounding. To me, it is an exciting and opportune time for us.
| On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:29:55 +0200
| Weinheimer Jim <j.weinheimer_at_AUR.EDU> wrote:
| If I may interject a few points here in defense of my colleagues, I must state that librarians have already been overrun by an incredible number of novelties over a series of decades. Almost all of these novelties have meant more work for less pay, fewer positions, less funding and finally, less prestige. Now come the biggest changes of all, and this is after all of the pains with keeping up with overwhelming workloads, learning complex new library systems that change constantly, and you hear everywhere that the changes haven't even begun yet. I am not saying that this is the correct way to think, but a relatively hopeless attitude is very understandable if you have lived through some of these changes.
|
| One of the major problems we are facing is that the way forward is very unclear right now. In my own opinion, FRBR is already practically obsolete even though it was published only about 10 years ago and hasn't even been implemented yet. I am very concerned that everyone will go through all of the work of retooling for FRBR, rewriting rules and retraining, and it won't make a bit of difference. Web2.0 technologies may change everything even more, or they may be a flash in the pan. The new computer formats are terribly complex and who knows? It may turn out that in 10 years people will say, °XML is so obsolete and now it's YML.° Librarians have seen similar stories several times.
|
| I believe that it is less important for librarians to be able to build databases from scratch, but they need an underlying knowledge of how people find information--*NOT* how they use library catalogs, which I think is the underlying assumption of FRBR--but how people find information and how that process can be improved. An understanding of the capabilities of the most advanced computerized systems is necessary, but hands-on coding is unimportant. That is, it is unimportant *if* you have a good computer technician who will genuinely listen to what you say and will build the tools you want. Of course, this involves negotiation and listening on both sides.
|
| This is one reason why I am so much in favor of open source products. Open source allows someone to build tools that they want. Also necessary today and in the future will be a sense of imagination so that you can envision new tools that may use the powers of whatever new tools we have, while utilizing the historic strengths of our profession.
|
| Will this happen? I doubt it very seriously.
|
| Jim Weinheimer
|
|
| > > ... our profession *should* have a sense of direction that informs its
| > > members. It is exactly this kind of leadership that ALA has failed to
| > > provide. Continuing education ... could have a role of providing
| > > inspiration and inspiring enthusiasm. Most importantly, it needs to
| > overcome
| > > the (probably many) instances where an institution's management does not
| > > encourage exploration and learning, thus stifling the possibilities for its
| > > employees....
| >
| > OK, I follow now. Shame on me for forgetting about this aspect since
| > it is endemic and it is a major barrier to progress. At my previous
| > job, going anywhere out of state was very difficult (even on my own
| > dime) so I really felt out of the flow for awhile. The role you
| > suggest makes more sense in this light.
| >
| > > ... I really see a lot of mis-guided individualism here, as I see
| > > generally in the techie world. There's nothing wrong with providing
| > learning
| > > opportunities, and not everyone learns best alone. This is a kind of
| > > "sink-or-swim"-ism that I think is overall detrimental to the
| > goal of having
| > > a more up-to-date profession.
| >
| > I think that the environment most librarians and systems people work
| > in is a major contributing factor to the strong individualism you see.
| > Getting resources is dang near impossible, serious proposals are
| > killed by analysis paralysis, and once the legal or procurement people
| > get involved (which is in just about everything), we are condemned to
| > the bureaucratic equivalent of the La Brea Tar Pits.
| >
| > Sometimes, the only realistic option is to strike off on your own. I
| > think this holds us back, because it keeps things uncoordinated and at
| > a small scale, but it gets us through the day.
| >
| > kyle
| >
| > --
| > ----------------------------------------------------------
| > Kyle Banerjee
| > Digital Services Program Manager
| > Orbis Cascade Alliance
| > banerjek_at_uoregon.edu / 541.359.9599
----------------------
Kevin M. Kidd
Library Applications & Systems Manager
Boston College Libraries
Phone: 617-552-1359
E-Mail: kevin.kidd_at_bc.edu
Blog: http://datadrivenlibrary.blogspot.com/
Received on Sun Sep 21 2008 - 09:56:35 EDT