Libraries = Strong Communities, National Library Week, April 7 - 13, 2019

I eagerly await National Library Week every year. Ironically, it's almost as old as I am. Since the American Library Association and Libraries Transform get to the heart of the matter better than I can, here's most of the landing page for National Library Week Press Kit:

National Library Week (April 7- 13, 2019) is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. From free access to books and online resources for families to library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries offer opportunity to all. The theme for 2019 National Library Week is "Libraries = Strong Communities," and Gates Foundation Co-founder Melinda Gates will serve as 2019 National Library Week Honorary Chair.


First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.

National Library Week events

April: School Library Month
Monday, April 8 The 2019 State of America's Libraries Report is released
Tuesday, April 9: National Library Workers Day
Wednesday, April 10: National Bookmobile Day
Thursday, April 11: Take Action for Libraries Day


Libraries = Strong Communities

This year's National Library Week theme mirrors an American Library Association (ALA) presidential effort entitled "Libraries = Strong Communities," a national advocacy campaign aimed at highlighting the value of academic, public, and school libraries. This public awareness campaign is supported by ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo (2018 - 2019) and recognized by communities across the country.

National Library Week, April 14 - 20

Beaufort County Library joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, April 14–20.  It's a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library workers who enrich and shape our communities.  Please share with others that you value the libraries of America as a group, particularly those in our state and county!

Libraries continue to be busier than ever helping families, students, seniors, etc., during these tough times. But as we all know by now, public libraries, school libraries, and academic libraries are still struggling to maintain budgets, staff, and resources to serve the needs of their communities.  

Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study.  Libraries are trusted places where community members can gather to reconnect and reengage to enrich and shape the community and address local issues. 

(If you've been keeping up with the BDC Facebook page, you will have learned some surprising statistics about our own Beaufort County Library's materials and services this week.  For those of you who love numbers, statistics regarding materials and services in South Carolina are posted online in the State Library Annual Reports at http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/annual-library-statistics.) 

Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students, government employees and the public to discover what their communities needs are and meet them.  Beaufort County Library will soon start mapping out our institution's Strategic Plan, during which we will ask our community to tell us what they need.  Whether through offering e-books and technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or those to support early literacy, librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond as they are able by maximizing limited resources as cost-effectively as possible.

State, county, and oftentimes local governments provide much needed funding for libraries to provide public access to the Internet to everyone, critical databases for individuals and small businesses, homework help, and much more. Beaufort County Library is funded mostly by the taxpayers of Beaufort County.  This means that the individuals elected as representatives to the Beaufort County Council hold the purse-strings for all county agencies, including Beaufort County Library.  If you value the services and programs of our library system, please share that belief with them.

On the other hand, should you feel that the library system is not a positive asset to our community, please contact Jan O'Rourke, Assistant Library Director, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee to share your thoughts about how the Library system can better serve you and your family.  Data collected will help form the 2014 -2017 Strategic Plan. 

Public Libraries in the United States IMLS Report

The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released its report on Public Library Services in the United States for FY 2010.  Similar to most statistics, the report runs a year or two behind the current fiscal year.

In the press release issued January 22, IMLS reported that the public libraries in this nation served 297.6 million people throughout the United States, a number that is equivalent to 96.4 percent of the total U.S. population. Nationally, public libraries have seen reductions in operating revenue, service hours, and staffing. Numbers for circulation, program attendance, and computer use continue to trend upward.

This is the first federal statistical report on public libraries to go beyond a national level analysis to report on trends at the local, regional, and state levels. The report identifies indicators in three areas: services and operations, resources, and workforce. To provide a more complete picture of library service in the U.S., the report provides a snapshot for each state, describing characteristics of library service.

Among the highlights in the Fast Facts sheet:

• Public libraries held more programs than ever before.
• Circulation figures are the highest ever.
• Revenue has gone down.
• Number of staff has gone down. 

The supplementary tables rank South Carolina #41 (out of 50) in library visits per capita (4.24) and #10 (out of 50) in reference transactions per capita.  (I guess this means that SC residents are an inquisitive bunch unafraid to ask questions).  

The report is online.  Read it at http://www.imls.gov/research/public_libraries_in_the_us_fy_2010_report.aspx or download a copy.  (It's not light reading.)  

You can read what the Director of IMLS, Susan Hildreth, has to say about the report in her agency's UpNext blog.

Storm Clouds for Libraries

  

Click on the poster for some facts about the state of libraries in this country.  While it is entirely coincidental that it is stormy outside today, the weather does forecast the climate in which public libraries are doing their best to survive - and in some cases, thrive!

"Choose Privacy Week" is May 1 - 7

Privacy is a particularly slippery and amorphous issue, about which people hold a wide variety of opinions and beliefs, particularly in the post-9-11 world in which we live.

Libraries and library workers think about privacy issues a lot - and want our customers to think critically about privacy issues, too.  Privacy issues touch upon a universe of topics, some of which may not be readily apparent. Here are just a few to consider:

• Access to adoptee birth records 
• RFID chips to track movement of individuals,
• Parent access to college grades (I have a hard time accepting this one as a parent of college students - particularly as the universities they attended expected me to pay my children's tuition and housing bills!), 
• Email searches
• Dissemination of personal health information
• Cities using security cameras on the street. 

In other words, issues relating to personal privacy touch everyone at virtually every stage of life, and even into death (e.g., access to the Social Security Death Index online), raising a universe of hard questions: 

Q: Who can, does, or should have access to information about you as a person, an employee, a parent, a child?
Q: Who can share the data that has been collected for or about you?
Q: How can the data be shared?
Q: When can the data be shared? 

Sponsored by the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), Choose Privacy Week is an annual initiative inviting library users of all ages and backgrounds into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age.  The theme for this year's Choose Privacy Week is "Freedom from Surveillance."

Q: Have you ever "Googled" yourself ?
A: I have.  It turns out that there is other Grace Cordials - as hard as that may be for me to accept. 

Some of the information I found online is about me and is accurate.  Some of the information I found online is about me, but the information is inaccurate today.  Some of the information I found online is not about me - but other people might mistakenly think that it is about me. Some of the information I found online is about me, is accurate, but nevertheless makes me a little uneasy about the information being there.  Not because I've done anything bad, illegal or unethical (that I can recall, anyway) but just because I consider myself a fairly private person and I've been known to say "Nun yah" (i.e., that piece of information is "None of your business!")

Now you give it a try.  Look for yourself online in a search engine of your choice. 

Q:  Where you surprised by what you found? 
Q:  Was there any information online about yourself that you consider private?

Libraries have been interested in maintaining the privacy of  individuals. Beaufort County Library Board of Trustees adopted the American Library Association Core of Ethics years and years ago.  It's part of our core values as library workers.  Why?  Because freedom of speech is meaningless without the freedom to read.  Click here for handout explaining why librarians and libraries insist upon empowering our customers to explore, research, and make choices based upon their individual needs. 

Q:  Where are the lines drawn between "right of privacy" and "right to know" today ?



Individuals should think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy. Library users, indeed all citizens and residents of this country, should understand how government agencies and corporations are monitoring and tracking their activities, as well as how that information is collected, stored and used.

The major source used in the preparation of this entry was http://www.privacyrevolution.org/. Please explore the website - and think hard about where you stand on the issue of individual privacy rights.

Biblioburro Revisited

It's gratifying to know that folks actually read Connections entries. Just yesterday, Margaret Ely of the Public Broadcasting Service sent me a personal e-mail. She wrote: I wanted to thank you for sharing the trailer for the POV film, “Biblioburro: The Donkey Library.” The entire documentary is now available for embedding, for a limited time. Please feel free to share this video with your readers, too.

Everyone can use a little inspirational non-fiction.

(There is a 30 second commercial lead in before the documentary starts. You may have to click on "Watch the Full episode." The link is being a little cranky.)

Watch the full episode. See more POV.

I watched the documentary as it was broadcast Tuesday evening. I was moved by Soriano's dedication in bringing books and basic literacy to parts of Colombia without public services. Although terrible things have happened to him and to the children over the years, each Saturday he sets off with Beto and Alpha to bring hope that their lives will get better through basic education, reading, and good citizenship.

Libraries and literacy efforts are joined at the hip.

Promoting literacy has always been a key theme in librarianship. It's also a key component in our own Library's Strategic Plan. Goal 3 is " Advance all forms of literacy for all ages." As the special collections librarian/archivist/department manager, I help teach researchers how to combine print, audio, and online sources to meet their goals. As a mother, I read countless books to my growing children (in some cases until they reached age 13). As a lifelong learner myself, I support all efforts for fostering the love of reading, technological competence, and evaluation of information sources.

I have two take-aways from the documentary: 1) Libraries do change lives;
2) Sometimes, the only way to get something done is to deal with the Equus asinae.

Biblioburro = The Donkey Library

PBS is showing a documentary about a unique librarian and his unique way of sharing the love of reading and books in the untamed wilds of Colombia. Soriano is a librarian who passion for changing the lives of these children is so inspiring that he was chosen a "CNN Hero" in 2010.

Here's what POV says about the film:

Biblioburro is the story of a librarian — and a library — like no other. A decade ago, Colombian grade-school teacher Luis Soriano was inspired to spend his weekends bringing a modest collection of precious books, via two hard-working donkeys, to the children of Magdalena Province’s poor and violence-ridden interior. As Soriano braves armed bands, drug traffickers, snakes and heat, his library on hooves carries an inspirational message about education and a better future for Colombia. His simple yet extraordinary effort has attracted worldwide attention — and imitators — but his story has never been better told than in this heartwarming yet unsentimental film.

The trailer is in Spanish with English sub-titles:

Watch the full episode. See more POV.

The documentary airs on POV, Tuesday, July 19 at 10:00 PM (60 minutes). You can also view it online July 20, 2011 to September 18, 2011 on the POV website - in case you're chilling at the "Tropical Tuesday" event at the Beaufort Water Festival during the national broadcast time.

Librarian Job Satisfaction and Outlook

Libraries, and the people who work in libraries, are undergoing significant cultural and budgetary stresses. Library Journal conducted a "Job Satisfaction Survey" that might be of interest to some readers. On the whole, librarians enjoy their jobs but there are significant drawbacks to working within the profession that are taking a mounting negative toll on physical, mental, and financial well-being of its workers.

Read LJ 2011 Job Satisfaction Survey | Rocked By Recession, Buoyed By Service if you want to get a sense of the current situation of Libraryland.

To get an historical overview of the profession in the United States, read the Oxford University Press's blog entry "Librarians in the U.S., 1880 - 2009" by Sydney Beveridge, Susan Weber and Andrew A. Beveridge, of Social Explorer.

Recently, Forbes Magazine listed "Library and Information Science," as one of the worst Master's Degrees to acquire since the cost of librarianship graduate education is high in comparison with the median annual renumeration of its Master's degree holders. (Librarianship tied with Counseling at number 27.)

In case you are a statistics geek:

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Employment Statistics released a report on Librarians in May.

The Department of Professional Employees of the AFL-CIO recently issued a "Library Workers: Facts and Figures" fact sheet with the source of their statistics cited. "Unfortunately, the sources used include the Librarian entry in the BLS’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 edition, released in December 2009 just as the recession's effects started significantly impacting the profession. The 2012-13 edition, due this December, should better reflect the current environment." (quote from the ALA JobList Direct e-newsletter of 6.23.2011)

South Carolina is a "right to work" state and overall union membership within the state is 4.6%. Our neighboring states and our fellow Southern states also have low rates of unionization. According to the AFL-CIO report, nationwide about 21% of librarians employed within the United States are affiliated with a labor union.

With an unemployment rate of 9.1% and an underemployment rate of 19% or higher, I am sure plenty of folks reading this entry would just tell any and all librarians to just be grateful that they have a job at all. And given the length of this recession and its unlikelihood to end any time soon, that may well be the best lemonade one can make with the lemons this sour economy has produced.

PS: The payscale for MLS degreed professional level librarians in South Carolina is well below the national median of $47,900 given in the "Job Satisfaction" article. The trend of being considerably below the national average of pay affects just about every job classification in South Carolina. See this table from the Bureau of Labor Statistics about librarian salaries.

For a criticism of how PayScale.com comes to its earnings statistics, read this. The "Comments" are contentious but enlightening.

Nota bene: This entry was highly informed by data and links provided by the American Library Association whose stated mission is “To provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

What's the Dif?

Kate Cerve's recent article highlighting the Treasures [Truly, folks, the copy editor meant to write "Treasures" not "Treasurers" -- that's a far different current local matter -- and one far outside the scope of the BDC!] within the BDC gives me an opportunity to pose and answer the following questions:

Q: What's the Difference among Libraries, Archives, and Museums?

It's a good question. It is true that all of these types of organizations are in the stewardship of cultural resources field. But there are unique functions and responsibilities in each type of cultural heritage resources organization that require different training, skills, and lexicons to do well. Here's a synopsis of the comparison of libraries, archives, and museums as given in the "Basics of Archives" workshop from the American Association for State and Local History that every BDC staff person has completed.

Library Collections usually consist of published materials, usually available elsewhere, as separate and individual items. Items are selected one at a time and received one at a time. Materials are arranged by a pre-determined subject classification system already established such as the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress Subject Classification system, generally on open shelves. Customers can browse at will. Materials are organized and described as individual items. Usually there is a standardized descriptive information of the item available through a card or online public access catalog. Most items may leave the library's premises for a specified period of time after which they are returned. Libraries tend to have books, magazines, maps, audio and video tapes in their holdings. Library professionals are usually trained in ALA approved graduate level university based library schools and are called librarians.

Archive Collections consist of unpublished unique groups of related items, whose significance is directly related to other items within the group. Materials are selected as a group and treated as a group. Whenever possible the arrangement of items within the group are left as they were received from their creator. Materials are organized and described as a collection of records. A researcher uses guides, finding aids, inventories, indexes, and online systems to discover what is in the record group. These materials are customarily stored in restricted areas with strictly monitored access. Records do not leave the archives' premises. Oftentimes special procedures allow researchers access while ensuring safety of records. Items housed within an archives tend to be called archival records, archives, documents, manuscripts, or ephemera. Professionals who work with Archive Collections are usually university educated and trained archivists.

Museum Collections consist of unique artifacts or objects that support broad collection themes. Materials are considered and selected as both single items and as a group of items. Arrangement of museum materials is oftentimes decided upon by the curator. Materials are organized and described as individual items and as groups of items. Museums use inventories and catalog entries through a card catalog or online catalog to maintain intellectual and physical control over their holdings. There tends to be restricted access to the materials. Items usually can be seen through exhibits. Items do not leave the museum's premises except by special arrangement (for example, loans to other institutions). Items in a museum collection tend to be called artifacts or tangible objects. Professional workers in museums are called curators.

Q: Where does the Beaufort District Collection fit into these categories?

A: It is a hybrid organization consisting of both library and archival collections, most often as held within a special library.

I'll post an explanation about "Special Libraries and Special Librarians" in a few days.

Drat! The BDC Research Room Is Closed -- Coping Strategy #2

Coping Strategy #2: Contact one of our fine BCL reference librarians for help with your local history, culture, environment or genealogical question.


Reference librarians do now precisely what we have done since 1876.

Reference librarians:

1. Teach people how to use the library and its resources
2. Answer queries for specific information
3. Recommend good sources and reading material
4. Promote the library within the community

Only some of the tools have changed. (See this former Connections entry for a deeper discussion about the differences in tools of reference services. Click here for the original blog article by David Tyckoson.)

During the BDC Research Room shutdown for relocation and upgrading to national standards, some of our usual services are suspended. (Read about the specifics of the suspended services on the BDC Services web page.) Some of our usual services are being handled by my Reference Librarian colleagues here at Beaufort County Library system.

The oft-unheralded BCL Reference Librarians are pitching in to provide some of our usual BDC customer services while we concentrate on being good stewards during the relocation:

1. Reference librarians always stand ready to teach people how to use the library and its resources -- even when a part of the library is shutdown for relocation. Contact them at any of our branch locations.

2. Reference librarians always do their best to answer queries for specific information -- even those usually answered by BDC staff. During the shutdown, the branch Reference Librarians will help you find answers in materials, subscription databases or on the web. Please note: They won't have access to the materials inside the BDC Research Room. They cannot come and look up something for you here.

3. Reference librarians know all sorts of ways and means of recommending good sources and reading material. They can also suggest good reading materials about Beaufort's local history, culture, and environment as well as providing some assistance with genealogical sources. Please give them the opportunity to show you their skills.

4. Reference librarians always promote the library within the community. Isn't this what I'm doing by writing about other sources of library information and how other staff of the Library can assist you even while the BDC Research Room is closed July 19th - September 29th?

Wondering who your local branch library Reference Librarians might be?
At Beaufort Branch: Reference Manager Fran Hays (who's also doubling as acting Beaufort Branch Manager), Amanda Brewer, and Laura Hayden.
At Bluffton Branch: Reference Manager Francesca Denton, Traci Cox, and Staci Inman.
At Hilton Head Island Branch: Reference Manager Halle Eisenman (who's also doubling as the system webmaster), Bratton DeLoach, and Priscilla Pomazal.
At Lobeco Branch: Branch Manager, Gina Molter and Children's Manager, Melinda Vest perform the bulk of the reference duties.
At St. Helena Branch: Maria Benac, new Branch Manager (who's phasing out being the Beaufort Branch Children's Manager) does most of the adult reference duties.

Also seen serving at the Adult Reference desks throughout the BCL system are: Dennis Adams, Information Services Coordinator and Wendy Allen, Youth Services Coordinator; branch managers, Ann Rosen and Mary Jo Berkes; and the children's service managers, Jean Morgan and Scott Strawn.

Please give our always hard-working Reference Librarians the chance to show you just how good they are at their jobs while the BDC staff is working extra hard to make the relocation of the materials in the Research Room a resounding success. I think that you'll be surprised by the competency, friendliness, and uniqueness of each Reference librarian employed by Beaufort County Library.

National Library Workers Day

This week we celebrate American Libraries. Today we specifically celebrate the people who staff our libraries on this National Library Workers Day. Both celebrations are sponsored by the American Library Association.

In 1876, 103 brave souls [90 men (87%) and 13 women (13%)] met in Philadelphia and formed the American Library Association (ALA). Discussions centered on patron and publisher relations, copyright issues, and librarian qualifications. Melvil Dewey, who published his classification system that year, was elected secretary and treasurer.

Not a whole lot has changed: freedom to read whatever one pleases without government intrusion; how to deal with new formats and forms of publication; copyright concerns; and what one needs to know and demonstrate in order to be called "a librarian" are still topics of professional concern. And, Melvil Dewey's system of classification? It's the most used in the world in 200,000 libraries and counting!

One key change has been transformation of librarianship from a majority male based profession into a female based one: about 82% of Master's level MLS librarians are female. (Persistent pay inequity issues based on gender will be a topic for another day.)

On National Library Workers Day communities across the U.S. recognize the contributions made by all library workers – including librarians, support staff and others who make library services possible.

“With more businesses – including a majority of America’s leading retailers – requiring online job applications, job-seeking resources are among the most critical and popular resources available in U.S. public libraries,” said American Library Association president Camila Alire. “Libraries don’t just offer the hardware, but also offer the expertise of librarians in helping teach people how to use the Internet and find the information they need quickly. While Google can give you 50,000 responses to your inquiry, your librarian can help you find the one answer you need.”

To see some of the Jobs related services that Beaufort County Library provides, click through the information staff has put together on Jobs and Small Business Information in the "WorkStarts" page.

To read the latest fact and figures on the 2010 The State of America's Libraries report, click here. Here are just a few facts to whet your appetite:

65% of the respondents in a Harris Interactive nationwide poll conducted in January 2010 said they had used their public library either in person or by telephone or computer in the past year. That represents an astonishing 151.4 million Americans.

96% of respondents (representing almost 224 million people) agreed that because it provides free access to materials and resources, the public library plays an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed.

94% agreed that the library improves the quality of life in their community.

1/3 of Americans Get Access to the Internet through Libraries

Today's entry is taken from the "First-ever National Study: Millions of People Rely on Library Computers for Employment, Health and Education," by Samantha Becker, U.S. Impact Studies, Information School, University of Washington:

PORTLAND, Ore.—Nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older – roughly 77 million people – used a public library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the past year, according to a national report released today. In 2009, as the nation struggled through a recession, people relied on library technology to find work, apply for college, secure government benefits, learn about critical medical treatments, and connect with their communities.

The report, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, is based on the first, large-scale study of who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the ways library patrons use this free technology service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives. It was conducted by the University of Washington Information School and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

And, I bet that you thought that libraries are only in the book business....

Creating Order out of Digital Chaos

If anyone has taken a look at my desk lately, he/she would know that I need to be tidier, including with my digital files. I ran across an article by Chris O'Brien, a journalist with the Silicon Valley CA Mercury, about his need to tidy up all his things digital and found myself nodding in agreement. Towards the end of "Time to Clean Up Your Digital Closet," he writes:

There are some strategies for storing your digital archives. But you'll have to do a lot of work. You will need to start thinking like a librarian and become an active curator of your files. That means relentlessly organizing, labeling and tagging, backing up and deleting.

"Thinking like a librarian...": Yes, indeed there is a librarian thought process about arranging, making access points, determining whether or not the content of the material justifies spending money, time, and space preserving it for the future that we do all day, every day, and sometimes even in our dreams!

It's late on Friday afternoon. If no one comes in during the next 45 minutes who needs reference help using the materials in the BDC, perhaps I can re-arrange the paperwork in such a way that I can actually see my desk! I'll have to handle the digital re-organization and deletion after I work some on the physical matter overload. What I can't see, can't hurt me, right?

The Eternal Conundrum for Special Collections Stewards

One of my many conundrums, and a conundrum inherent within the cultural heritage field, is how to provide appropriate access to materials while simultaneously providing appropriate stewardship for ensuring that those materials will still exist and be useable 100 years from now.

There are no hard and fast rules for how the competing issues should balance over time. Indeed, there are no hard and fast rules for how the competing issues should balance over the course of an hour.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm making things up as I go. Sometimes, I have no doubt, BDC customers think that I'm favoring one person or request over another person's request more or less on how I feel that day. [Please note: They are wrong because the goal of my professional life is to treat everyone equally badly regardless of race, color, national origin, socio-economic status, gender, height, breadth, religious affilition, political party, etc.!]

Take for example the question of digital photography of rare materials. Approximately 50% of the special collections in SC allow it; about 50% don't. Digital manipulation is just so easy these days that I don't want to imply encouragement of others to commit copyright infringement. Therefore, I tend to lean more to the "don't" side of the issue, particularly when images of photographs or artwork created after 1923 are involved. I tend to be a cautious person about other folks's property (which probably has a good bit to do with why I am a special collections field worker in the first place).

Being a reader in rare book libraries is a thought-provoking blog entry from Sarah Werner about the relative responsibilities of special collections librarians, special collections customers, and the eternal conundrum of access vs. preservation. I caution you that the blog entry is fairly long and comments are pretty intense.

Rick Ring's comment that "Access policies are often the result of two things in an archive/special collections: the institution's traditions and the personalities of the staff" rings (bad pun intended) true. Perhaps more than in any other part of library land, the personality of the Special Collections head holds more sway in daily operations and tenor of access than any other factor. And while I don't think access strictly depends upon the personality of the steward in charge of special collections, his/her personality does most definitely influence the terms under which materials can be manipulated. Please note: No one has ever accused me of having a blase personality!

Let me hear what you think.

Librarian: A Best ? Career Choice

US News reckons that "Librarian" is one of the best career choices for 2009.

"Librarian" recurs fairly often on the best careers list. On the whole, we don't get paid very well nor do we get much public recognition for what we do for our communities. Plus as a predominately female profession (approximately 80%), we have been stereotyped as either being buttoned down and severe, or closet Jezebels just waiting for the library to close in the evening before ripping off our clothes to engage in a wild, crazy, secret life. [The men (~ 20%) in our profession suffer from misconception as well. (For a rebuttal to Carmichael, read Mr. Lady - The Male Librarian). Librarians like to keep sources of information balanced among a variety of perspectives.]

US News describes the profession rather well:

Forget about that image of librarians as a mousy bookworms. More and more of today's librarians must be clever interrogators, helping the patron to reframe their question more usefully. Librarians then become high-tech information sleuths, helping patrons plumb the oceans of information available in books and digital records, often starting with a clever Google search but frequently going well beyond.

Most librarians love helping patrons solve their problems and, in the process, learning new things. Librarians may also go on shopping sprees, deciding which books and online resources to buy. They may even get to put on performances, like children's puppet shows, and run other programs, like book discussion groups for elders. On top of it all, librarians' work environment is usually pleasant and the work hours reasonable, although you may have to work nights and/or weekends.

All very true, with some slight variations depending upon what type of librarian one is.

Q: So, why did I become a librarian?
A: I already was a lifelong library lurker, so I reckoned someone should pay me to hang out and help other people become library lurkers, too. Seriously.

I have been a bona fide library lurker from age 6. My very first totally independent human act was to walk the two blocks between our place off Screven Street to the Georgetown County Library on the corner of Screven and Highmarket Streets. Going to the library by myself to select books, attend summer reading programs, or get shooed out by the purple haired library lady of the "Georgetown Room" (which held the treasure trove of the Morgan Collection images now online, by the way) and the Georgetown Times newspaper backfiles was a thrill. (I dared not venture into the "Georgetown Room" until I was 14. Mrs. M. was one very scary woman!)

Thus, for me, libraries have always been wonderful places full of amazing materials and services -- and rather bizarre people -- which are interesting, entertaining, and often thought-provoking. How anyone in the United States of America can choose NOT to support their public library by borrowing our materials, using our databases, taking advantage of the skills of the reference librarians, attending our programs is way beyond my understanding! IMNSHO: Libraries are the coolest cultural heritage institutions on the planet.

Why don't you drop by the BDC sometime and become a bona fide Beaufort County Library lurker along with me? You'll get paid in boocoodles of spiffy library resources and services.

Q: Librarian: A Best? Career Choice for 2009?
A: Yes, most definitely for me -- in 1980 -- as well as in 2009!