Comments on: Get Distracted and Disengaged @ Your Library!

By: TheIlliterateLibrarian

TheIlliterateLibrarian — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:43:00 +0000

@Alberto–I agree, I tend to lean more toward the “library as community center” model myself, but there should be a place for everyone. I went into a neighboring library looking for some quite space to write, and couldn’t concentrate, not even in their ‘quiet’ rooms, because the place had been designed with beautiful high cielings (about three years ago), eco-friendly insulation, and A HUGE ECHO PROBLEM. I left with a headache, and none of my writing done.

I did my best to have teen activities in the activity room, in the basement, and to keep noise levels down to a mild roar (there’s a point in the noise level where they’re getting more and more frenzied, and you’re about to approach YApocolyps if it gets any louder, so I try to keep noise down to avoid mob insanity). And I hope I don’t ever have to deal with a library that’s not designed to handle multiple types of programming/crowds.

Sometimes you need to study or do research (or are just looking for a quiet place), sometimes you need to socialize, sometimes, you need to cut loose. All should be learning experiences and all should be accessable at the library.

By: Dr. Brooks

Dr. Brooks — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:44:36 +0000

I had a medical doctor come in recently and tell me he LOVES the Library because it’s the only quiet and relaxing place in town. I was shocked as the place seems to get louder every year. I’ve had patrons ask me questions and answer their cell phones at the same time—now that’s multi-tasking! My point is simple, the best way for us to stay relevant is to do what we do best, provide a nice quiet place for the people of the world who need it. Keep your library clean and well stocked.

By: Alberto

Alberto — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:59:09 +0000

I see the “library-as-community-center” as being a very sharp, double-edged sword. Sure, ideally the library should be a place for the community to bond, etc. Sure, maybe the days of universal “shushing” are over. But it only works if a building is designed to accommodate these different functions. There should be space for “traditional” library users who want peace and quiet with their books, as well as the new “hip” clientele. In many cases, what I see is a 1970′s era “warehouse” library, which has no such accommodations, turned into a veritable zoo. You see yelling, scuffling teens, screaming kids, people loudly babbling on their cell phones, slurping coffee and strewing wrappers leaving a mess, etc. driving out anyone who doesn’t want to be in this kind of atmosphere. (I know I don’t) Librarians justify allowing disruptive, obnoxious behavior by invoking “times have changed” mantra. It’s just an excuse to avoid telling people “no”. In one of the libraries I worked in for years, we had a running joke that is our branch head saw someone taking a dump in the stacks, she would run over and offer to bring them toilet paper, then apologize for the smell. Too many times I’ve heard supervisors excuse unacceptable behavior with “as long as no one complains, it’s not a problem”. But most people don ‘t complain: they simply don’t come back. Even when people do complain, I’ve seen Librarians reply with “Libraries aren’t quiet anymore.” The fad is to say that we must “accommodate” everyone, but what about people who do want to use a library as a library? They have the same rights, too. I don’t think Libraries will win the battle to be “relevant” by trying to compete with game rooms, video stores, malls, and cafes. We need to market ourselves as providing the resources that those entities don’t provide. Otherwise, AL is right: we are just dumbing down libraries. Getting people “excited about knowledge and learning for themselves and …provid[ing] the structure and confidence to find those answers on the internet or in a library” won’t be accomplished by letting the library descend into the kind of chaos I see in too many libraries. This may give us a temporary spike in the door count, but will spell the doom of the library as an institution.

By: TheIlliterateLibrarian

TheIlliterateLibrarian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:03:09 +0000

The thing is… anyone can play games in a library. Or offer graphic novels in a library. And in a way, that is well and good; learning does not just come from reading any more. I believe this is, in part, for good. Not everyone learns through the 19th century model of education which is “read-lecture” oriented. I’m a very visual learner myself–I can remember images much more clearly than I can things I’ve read in books (unless I successfully associate them with images). Some are auditory learners or need more hands-on learning. Games, comics and other mediums provide this. Also we don’t live in a world that affords us the luxury of being elitist bastards when it comes to the form that learning takes.

But what do we *do* with those alternate forms of learning? Once we have them playing Guitar Hero, what lesson can we get them to take away from that? My programs *always* branch off into digressions and other means of encoutering knowledge. Do you *really* know how that CD you’re coloring on works? Where is the information stored on that CD? Why does it crinkle and shoot funny colors if you microwave it (and please do not attempt this at home)? What is the difference between a good guitar player, and a great guitar player, someone we want play as in guitar hero? What’s the difference in sound between an electric guitar and an accoustic guitar? How is the sound produced? What’s the history of stringed instruments?

I never EVER let them walk out of that room without having learned something else, be it accidently or otherwise. On the flip side, I can’t “learn” them something accidently if I never get their warm bodies in the chairs come programming day.

We ARE in competition with the 6 million other things there are for patrons to do, even in a small town. I need to make my case. I need to let them know that I am providing a safe, relaxing environment. Part of being safe and relaxing is being approachable. Standing on my soapbox of high culture is NOT going to do it–the people high-minded enough to be interested in high culture probably have the funds and means to encounter it WITHOUT the aid of a public library. There’re ideals, and then there’s reality. Not everyone cares, and I would argue, not everyone NEEDS to care. Knowing what an antecedent is can be NICE, but it’s not really going to help my mechanic fix my engine. I just want to make people excited about knowledge and learning for themselves and I want to provide the structure and confidence to find those answers on the internet or in a library. I don’t think putting on airs will help anyone achieve that end.

By: Bog

Bog — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:26:09 +0000

In my opinion the problem is not necessarily with libraries, but with our culture. As an academic librarian I have the luxury of being able to interact with my patrons/students primarily from an educational basis. I can not fault public librarians from doing whatever they can to justify their existence to government bureaucrats faced with budget concerns, and a public which is increasingly uninterested in education and self improvement. If our news/entertainment media is any indication then the majority of Americans are interested only in fame, fortune, and trivialities. My opinion is that this trend is a symptom of the overall decline of western civilization. Like all civilizations of the past ours too is declining and will eventually fall under it’s own wait. All librarians can do is hope to survive as long as they can, and perhaps preserve some remnants of our culture and history so that future cultures may know something of us. So take heart librarians. For just as we in library school learned of the efforts of the librarians of Sumeria, Alexandria, and the great monastic libraries of Europe; your efforts too may someday be noted in a textbook.

By: notalibrarian

notalibrarian — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:09:51 +0000

Wow. I know being “annoyed” is your hook, but do you also have to stupid? Try making your case sometime. Introduce a fact maybe? I dunno. Keep trying.

By: Al

Al — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:42:16 +0000

Years ago, the distinguished Librarian Herbert S. White said that something to the effect that if libraries try to be all things to all people, they will end up being not of anything to anyone at all. This is exactly what I see happening. The main problem is not “recalcitrance of the old guard to recognize that the world has changed”. We all know the world has changed. But is diverting already scant resources to poorly thought out and irrelevant fads really the answer? Too many Library managers see “success” as simply drawing people in the door instead of providing meaningful and useful services to them. Librarians who try to be “cool” by mindlessly jumping from fad to fad and who apparently see libraries as nothing but a dog-and-pony show to increase the door count are doing the profession a disservice which is just as bad as those recalcitrant old guards. To me, they are worse, because those fuddy-fuddy old guards are getting fewer each year, while the Library Fashionistas are multiplying exponentially.

By: Cynlib

Cynlib — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:28:04 +0000

Take a tip from East Anglia, and just make those stats up.

By: The Dave

The Dave — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:12:17 +0000

to the Annoyed Librarian:

Amen, Woman. Your next round is on me.

By: Post postmodern Librarian

Post postmodern Librarian — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:27:54 +0000

This is the simple result of people not using the library being ignorant of its function. What is causing more problems with our governing board is that at an ever increasing rate these people are not using libraries. The amount of times I have heard business like people say “I made it through school without setting foot in the library” makes me sick Finally what I have said in the past and will say now is that soon LIS professors will come from the digital age. Being Jazzed about technology they will also see little value in the physical library. The only way to save libraries for the future is to convince people of their value not for today but for tomorrow. Unfortunately administrates of all types and typical jazzed people live only for the today’s problems.