Comments on: Librarians: Evolving or Extinct?

By: Elizabeth R

Elizabeth R — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:47:56 +0000

Wow, I feel so much better about my MLS degree now that I know librarians are in the same category as “professional typist” and “travel agent”. Not.

By: Library Spinster

Library Spinster — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:38:20 +0000

I’ve been hearing about the death of the book almost as long as I’ve been hearing about the death of the novel.

Yes, there are new technologies. Some of our patrons even use them. But there are also those on the other side of the digital divide. The ones who are upset that it’s not possible to put a floppy disc into the leased public computer. The ones who need extra time to answer the umpteen questions in the online application to work at CVS. The ones who need hand holding following Yahoo’s directions for setting up an email account.

The future gets here very very slowly. And still too fast for some of our patrons.

By: Development Arrested

Development Arrested — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 05:13:34 +0000

KidLib, that assumes that there will be shelves in the future…

By: Sandy Wren

Sandy Wren — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:14:22 +0000

I’m recruiting here . . .After a round of severe cuts and lay-offs, school librarians are going to be in demand again, partly because of the amount of reading, writing, and “information literacy” demanded by the new Common Core Standards.
As a school librarian, I collaborate with my colleague, the Youth Services Librarian in the local public library, on teen programming, author visits, volunteer opportunities and more.
In California, the job requires a teaching credential as well as a library degree, and includes teaching 20+ hours per week (research projects, internet search skills, database skills, whatever else comes up), and managing a staff, facility (including computer labs), budget, and collection. I am the teacher, reference librarian, cataloger, and more, but I have great paraprofessional support staff, too.
Some of the pluses are regular hours, great volunteer support (PTA), lots of interaction with kids and teens, and good union support. Some of the downsides are having to manage textbooks as well as a library, declining budgets for building a collection (Common Core will change that, I think), and lots of “input” on selection from faculty members and administrators.
If you’re a real “people person” and could conceivably add a teaching credential to your other list of degrees, many districts will hire a librarian w/out the credential and give them up to 3 years to get it. The pay is usually the same as teachers, or in some districts the same as counselors, and those pay scales are posted on every school district’s web sites, so no surprises there, and includes full health benefits and retirement.

By: KidLib

KidLib — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:45:54 +0000

I’ve never understood how the internet was even supposed to kill off cataloging. I mean, yes, you may find out about the books through some kind of oddball keyword search, but you still have to FIND THE SILLY THINGS ON THE SHELF. Which means they have to belong somewhere.

By: mildred

mildred — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 06:14:58 +0000

I vote for extinct…Merry Xmas, or whatever is socially, politically correct, and if you don’t celebrate Happy non celebration…

By: mildred

mildred — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 06:02:38 +0000

According to the Occupational Handbook job growth is 7%…doesn’t leave much for new grads, eh?