On 24/05/2011 22:56, Laval Hunsucker wrote:
<snip>
David H. Rothman wrote :
> > Maybe we can say that the role of librarians is for
> > them to encourage patrons to be their own truth-
> > seekers, just so the users have the facts to be
> > intelligent about it.
Maybe we can in fact better refrain from saying that. It still sounds
pretty patronizing ( and condescending ) to me, though possibly I'm
misreading just where you're coming from. Anyway, for my money, James
Rettig ( the well-known reference specialist and former ALA president )
was much more nearly on target when he wrote almost twenty years ago, as
an admonition to all over-zealous colleagues : "every information seeker
should be free of the librarian's expectations"
</snip>
If it is patronizing, I would agree, but I don't see it as patronizing
at all. It is offering a helping hand to those who want it. If people
think they know it all--how information in organized in libraries and on
the web, that they already know all the best websites and the best
everything, then that is absolutely fine. If somebody believes they know
how a catalog works even though they have never learned how--that's OK.
I thought I knew how libraries worked (I had a master's degree by then)
and in library school, I realized I didn't understand much at all.
Librarians may offer their help, but they do not force themselves on
anybody even when they see a person floundering around helplessly.
But the fact is, many people--including real, live scholars(wow!),
approach matters from a far more humble attitude, realize that they
don't know it all, that they can get help from others and not only from
others of their own kind. In many cases, a part of helping is providing
encouragement. There is nothing strange about any of this and there is
nothing to apologize for.
--
James Weinheimer weinheimer.jim.l_at_gmail.com
First Thus: http://catalogingmatters.blogspot.com/
Cooperative Cataloging Rules: http://sites.google.com/site/opencatalogingrules/
Received on Tue May 24 2011 - 17:34:11 EDT