Comments on: The ALA Changes Its Tune, for the Better

By: sidney

sidney — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:19:09 +0000

“Really? I’m a Los Angelina and I’m a Librarian (my job is to purchase books and provide readers’ advisory)…so maybe you need to pull your head out and look beyond your Manhattan glass!”

I have a feeling that line was ironic, as if people would need to be reminded that libraries have books.

By: hunh

hunh — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:28:01 +0000

Was that just written in grammar 2.0?

By: lol

lol — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:44:37 +0000

“I might have paused and blogged “cheers” to everyone. However, I prefer not to interrupt good moments to inform other people of their existence.”

lol @ your elitism for blogging about how distinguished you are for not blogging something when it happened, but later on. Just leave those annoying reminders about how anti-2.0 you are out.

By: anon

anon — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:08:14 +0000

I thought AL’s comment was right on. Most people (in L.A. and elsewhere) are more familiar with the image of the library-as-homeless-shelter than they are with the supposed cliche of libraries as a “quiet haven for book worms and students.” In fact, I’d say we will soon pass the point where nobody even remembers when libraries were quiet places to study. Being seen as makeshift homeless shelters is going to be much more damaging to the image of libraries than being seen as an unhip but quiet place. For many young people, that is the only image of libraries they have ever had. They’ve never known a time when libraries WEREN’T overrun by the homeless.

There was a joke on Family Guy years ago:

“What’s a library, dad?”

“Oh, it’s just a place where homeless people come to shave and go BM.”

Libraries have been coasting for years on the pleasant memories of AARP members who, even if they haven’t been to one in decades, have fond memories of libraries and don’t mind voting to give tax money to fund them. That’s gonna change when kids today are voting and they only have unpleasant memories of libraries as holding cells for the indigent or for people with mental problems.

By: Auntie Nanuuq

Auntie Nanuuq — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:55:57 +0000

“We can also tell we’re dealing with a reporter who knows about libraries, because we’re told that “they’ve long been a quiet haven for book worms and students.” It’s important to give Los Angelenos some context for a story like this, because they probably don’t associate books with libraries. ” Really? I’m a Los Angelina and I’m a Librarian (my job is to purchase books and provide readers’ advisory)…so maybe you need to pull your head out and look beyond your Manhattan glass!

By: Auntie Nanuuq

Auntie Nanuuq — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:52:28 +0000

Ventura County closed all but 1 of its libraries…..nasty people.

By: GMan

GMan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:03:30 +0000

You hit the nail on the head ‘generic’. Many library systems are and have been deprofessionalizing for years. This is especially true in government service where as librarians retire or leave they are replaced by techs or not replaced at all. The ALA has a lot to answer for with the its looming librarian shortage propaganda. Add to this the utter nonsense of coursework required for the MLS, none of which had much application in the universe of libraries. Yes, yes, they (the courses) taught us to think. I think some of us could think before we went to grad school, but then why did we choose to go to library (or the ‘school of information studies)school? Interesting question. I could go on but having had the experience of applying for the same job along with 20 other unemployed librarians the glow of the ‘profession’ seems somewhat dulled.

By: generic

generic — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:31:04 +0000

The MLS certainly is not the union card it once was. How many cash strapped libraries are interested in new professional hires? The ALA has to recognize the de-professionalization of the industry. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either, it could set realistic expectations for those aspiring to long-term library careers.

By: TheIlliterateLibrarian

TheIlliterateLibrarian — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:28:13 +0000

*and substance too. I can spell. Sorta. Oh well. At least I use apostrophes correctly.

By: TheIlliterateLibrarian

TheIlliterateLibrarian — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:24:35 +0000

Amen, Astrobrarian. We’re the custodians of the library resources, which means we’re accountable to the people whose hard-earned money we’re spending, be it tax or tuition. They deserve to feel like their money is being spent wisely, on stuff that will (or could) benefit them. Our new catalog is more efficient, and it links to images of the covers and summaries/reviews. And how’s this useful? It’ll help you find what you’re looking for faster, and will help you find like-books that you might not have even known existed. Why’s that important? because it’s easier than trolling the shelves of a book store, and yuo can do this at 2 AM from home. MUCH more appealing than “Oh yeah and we spend untold thousands on a new catalog that took us an entire week of interruptions and hiccups to get fully functional on our network.

I know AL is suspicious of Twitter, gaming and other new-fangled things in the library, and rightly so. Sometimes they can be “style over substane.” And we need to be using our money and time resources where they’ll be the most effective in these lean times… but I’d argue that they can be just insubstantial as old, boring programs that no one but a few regulars attend. And lacking substance and actual value to patrons is just as bad as being unable to articulate and promote our value.