On 15/08/2011 21:42, Todd Puccio wrote:
<snip>
I would say that the : Fundamental purpose of librarianship is to help
_their patrons_ (or users if you wish) find the information that they
need _in accordance with the patron's relationship to the institution_.
By which I mean that each librarian works for various institutions with
specifically defined collections and patrons (perhaps with varying
rights within the institution).
I librarian archivist for a private "rare humanities book library" is
not responsible for helping any and all people find fried-chicken
recipes. They are not even responsible for helping their own patrons
find fried-chicken recipes.
Librarians are responsible for fulfilling the mission and policies of
the library they work for.
</snip>
Thanks for bringing up this point Todd: it is really important. You lay
out the traditional task of librarianship, linking it inextricably with
the local collection, and this is something that I think needs to
change: a redefinition of the meaning of "the local collection". I wrote
about this in one of my "open letters" at
http://eprints.rclis.org/bitstream/10760/13897/1/OpenMannDistinctive.pdf
where I discussed the idea of the non-existent "internet librarian"
(page 1 and it continues). To me, it is like someone who is stocking
shelves in a grocery store, and you ask them: "Where are the canned
peanuts?" (or fingernail polish, or coca-cola, or whatever it is) and
the person replies, "I'm sorry, that's not my department", then
continues with their work. They ignore you and your needs, and you are
left completely on your own. I worked in grocery stores for many years,
and that was definitely *not* considered a satisfactory answer to give a
customer! (Although it may be today, I don't know)
Is the traditional attitude sustainable in the new environment? If
something is available at a click on the web for free (e.g. a scan, a
database, a "something") does it mean that librarians have no
responsibility to bring their patrons' attention to it? Although in the
past, if we referred someone to another collection, our own
responsibility ended (as I discussed in my open letter), I believe it
does not end once we consider the materials on the web. Yet, to include
these materials is a huge undertaking, stretching all the way from
selection to cataloging to catalog maintenance to reference and perhaps
even conservation and outreach.
But this is part of the new responsibilities of the librarian, if we
want to make a difference in this "new world". Otherwise, we just keep
doing the same old things, the same old ways....
--
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 Mon Aug 15 2011 - 16:06:48 EDT