My best example is the catalog. Amazon is now the base ideal of what a GOOD book catalog looks like in the 21st centruy – and yet many catalogs still resemble the ancient 1960′s database digital printouts that have only kind of been replaced. Amazon has the traditioanl book information and then goes further; it has book previews, reader reviews, and allows the user to buy the book on demand if the so choose to do so.

Librarians like to say that there is simply not enough room in the world to store all the data that would be needed to have a catalog with as much information as there in the Amazon catalog, and YET the Amazons of the world have done it – we now live in a Terabyte universe.

Librarians also like to say that the word sof the general layperosn cannot be trusted, not ever, and thus the book reveiws are not worth a second look. But this field is abot serving the patrons – and the best way the patrons get what they need is by their own interaction!

To change would require work, and funding and lots of people to focus on this project. Not going to happen. To plug into the Amazon engine [basically, approach Amazon and collaborate an interface that combines Amazon's pages with standard traditional item location information] would require working with and evil capitalistic monolith corporation [oooooh sooo scary!] and yet librarians see nothing wrong with sending away a huge chunk of change to the jounral publishers for e-access…that increases in cost at about 8% per year last I looked…

But that’s just one thing…I’ve found a good job now, and I use the library like everybody else now too – it’s my personal public internet connection and nothing more!

Yes, I lack experience. I’m not informed and lazy. I did not consider the multitudes of excellent librarians out there, but then again my general comments were not meant for either of you or anyone who would have the gall to proclaim their ‘hard, smart and lean’ righteous moniker.

I was simply trying to elaborate on AL’s post about how libraries are not public entertainment centers and additional factors working against this ideal. I admitted this to be a daft ideal, and admitted my ambitions to be wrong. If my statements are not based in reality or experience, it is because neither of these factors should be shaping the future of our libraries.

You should be proud of your many years of people pleasing and not being lazy. Good for you. Sorry to bother or “whine my foghorn” but in my opinion librarians need to be more aggressive and less reliant on the safe consensus of their colleagues. You should feel proud about your assertive public service and not worry about attracting new patrons because the only patrons you’ll ever have are those with no other option.

You’re right, you are the authority, and you are in control. If libraries are not about new media and new culture, I will surely go to connect with people there and check out what the librarians have decided to impart on me with their holy collection development abilities.

Right. Blaming the messenger again. It’s okay – I also have a hard time realizing my expertise has no place with the public at large. You should also realize this.

Entertainment (35%) is second only to education (41%) in terms of what patrons most used in their public libraries, so public libraries are somewhat (really) about media and culture and not about seeking out librarian wisdom. Too bad this is such a generational thing…

(percentages from ALA’s “2010 State of America’s Libraries” report)

thejon lacks experience and is not informed. I have worked twenty-seven years in libraries and have not lost my enthusiasm, my ability to be assertive and smart in regards to funding and promotion. I am certainly not lazy nor are the majority of my colleagues.

thejon entered library school because: “I entered library school because I consider libraries to be a ‘final frontier’ of media and culture” Libraries aren’t about media and culture. They are about people. I hire staff who entered the field because they want to serve people and connect them with the information, entertainment, classes or any of a variety of other needs.

thejon writes: Let’s face it – most librarians are conservative and play by the rules of their public and business communities so they can get their allowance. 85% of current librarians should retire because they simply aren’t going to get up tomorrow and be aggressive about strategically cleaning house and spending less, mostly because it just involves more work – and most librarians wouldn’t really appreciate that either.

The above statement is not based in reality or experience. Public librarians have the cleanest houses in the public sector and have always spent less than other city departments. Aggressive is not always the most effective route. Being assertive and having the facts gets you a lot more in a politically and economically turbulent world. Librarians work hard, smart and lean.

Rachel

Rachel

We all need to blindly agree with everything the AL says.

After all, who are we to argue with a genius.

[AL: Ingenious counterargument! Very well done. ]

P.S. AL, I thought you were monitoring these…how did whiny foghorn “Jon the whoever” meddle his way through?