Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Just a librarian...?
This past weekend I had the joy of going home to Kansas City to attend my twin sisters high school graduation. I had not been home since Christmas, plus they were graduating number 1 and 2 in their class and both making speeches--I did not want to miss this. The graduation and their speeches went outstanding, but while I was there I saw a girl that I went to high school with--her sister was graduating in my sister's class. Since I had not seen her since high school, her first question to my was if I was still doing meteorology (my "decided" career path in high school). I said, No, I'm getting my master's in library science. To which she replied, "Oh, you're going to be just a librarian" (now if I would have told her the "mantra" of my master's program is "completion, not perfection", she would have had every right to say that). But that matter aside, I was saddened. Even though she claimed she didn't mean it and that it came out wrong, I still have to wonder. How many people look down upon librarianship? I had always thought it to be a noble profession. Is this how the younger generation (of which I proudly say I am a member of), views the library profession? If it is indeed, we need to reach out and remind all ages of just how valuable a librarian and their library is to everyone.
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2 comments:
Sadly, there are some who still have a very backwards view of the profession. I have heard tales from co-workers about faculty in academic institutions who will derisively refer to library staff as "book-stampers." This is the unfortunate side-effect of a society which purports itself to be a classless one, yet covertly operates along lines of elitism in most aspects of culture. Don't let it disillusion you; most people have very skewed, negative perspectives on things, but it's really their loss, ultimately.
It is sad that a profession that draws so many very talented, intellectual and thoughtful people is not considered to be a true "profession" by many. Of course, those people probably have a very different definition of "success" than most librarians.
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