Table of Contents
Abstract
This paper investigates three distributed articles that account for the outcomes from research directed on Public Librarianship. The materials, be that as it may, differ in the data and use. Cram (2011) talks about a personal view of public librarianship and how librarianship in public libraries have changed. Cram focused on the profession and how the perceived status was observed. Juniper, Bellamy & White (2012) give progressively specialized insights on evaluating the well-being of a public library worker.
Introduction
“People die, but books never die.” This quote can expand the mind of any library professional. The quote has floated in an out of libraries over the years and can stick in the vocabulary of one that comes across it. People tell us every day that their lives have improved because of the services that are offered by the Public Library. Comments such as “You’ve changed my life for the better.” Rubin (2016) provided statistics on the number of people that worked in the various types of libraries along with occupational data (Rubin, 2016, pg.275-276). Looking at this data one can see that more diversity and minority librarians are needed to make public libraries in the United States successful in the future.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) collects statistics on more than 900 public libraries. The IMLS stated that circulation is growing, computer usage has gone up, and attendance to events are thriving. People still value libraries (IMLS, https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/data-collection/public-libraries-survey/explore-pls-data). Cram (2011) gave a very poignant and dogmatic view of her experience in an academic environment. Cram contends that librarianship is the same and librarians are the first to develop and embrace technology and push that to the forefront. (Cram, 2015, pg. 3). Those that choose librarianship, specifically public librarianship want to make a difference in people’s lives.
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Definition
Dictionary by Merriam-Webster says that Librarianship is “a profession concerned with acquiring and organizing collections of books and related materials in libraries and servicing readers and others with these resources.”. Librarianship trace back to the beginning of time. Rubin (2016) mentioned that libraries were around in 2400 BC and had caretakers who’s mission was to maintain records and material.
An Analysis of Public Librarianship
Public libraries are places of information. Based on personal experience, when most people think ‘library’ they think books and while that is true, books take different shapes, such as e-books and audiobooks, digital resources and more. These resources are more than just books, public libraries are places of information, offering people free access to an enormous amount of information that they often cannot find elsewhere, whether online, in print or person. A patron could be looking for DVDs, the latest best-seller, health or business information or school books; the public library is a center of life and backbone for the community.
Rubin (2016) mentions that libraries fall into four basic types: Public, School, Academic, and Special. From our class instruction, Welsh (2019) mentioned there are also Armed Forces libraries, Government libraries, and multi-use or Joint-Use libraries, which combine library types in one service area or structure. A large part of personal desire to become a librarian and enter public librarianship was due to exposure to the environment and seeing first hand how libraries change lives. Michelle, the mother of two young boys who had an incredible imagination, an innate curiosity, and a desire to learn embraced all that her public library had to offer. Looking back thirty years in time libraries were very different than today. The public needs librarians who can help, inspire and point them to what they desire to know. Public librarians need to help parents to grow and allow for self-expression and exploration. Public Librarianship is a very tall order to fill.
Professional Organizations
LITA – The Library and Information Technology Association (http://www.ala.org/lita/)
LITA is a professional organization on the national level that advocates for and participates in the adoption of legislation, policies, technologies and standards that promote equitable access to information and technology. Members can enroll in courses, webinar, and workshops that are based on technology-related topics of interest to the LITA membership and those involved with library technology.
LLA – Lousiana Library Association (https://llaonline.org)
LLA is a professional organization on the state level in Louisiana. The mission is to provide an environment where networking, continuing education, peer support, advocacy, and professional development can thrive. LLA currently has seven sections: Academic; Government Documents Round Table (GODORT); Louisiana Association of School Librarians (LASL); Public; Subject Specialists; Louisiana Support Staff Association of Libraries (LaSSAL); and Trustees (LLA, https://llaonline.org/).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Public Librarianship is important to the community it serves. Stereotypes and gender association of librarians need to change, so information is not stifled. Public librarians need to have a strategic focus and plan to strengthen relationships with the communities they serve. Analyzing statistical information can provide great insight into the direction of a public library and making sure that every dollar counts. Public librarians need to continue to enhance their technology skills and align with the ALA’s core competences of librarianship. More importantly, being familiar with the core competencies of a public library (https://www.webjunction.org/documents/webjunction/Library_Staff_Competency_Collections.html). The core knowledge will allow all librarians to use innovative technology to enhance library services, increase the circulation of all materials and to make the library experience one that will not be forgotten.
References
- American Library Association. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2019, from http://www.ala.org/
- Cram, J. (2011). A Personal View of Public Librarianship. The Australian Library Journal, 60(4), 319-322. doi:10.1080/00049670.2011.10722650
- Cram, J. (2011). Public librarian? Is there an app for that? (Reflections on ‘A personal view of public librarianship’. The Australian Library Journal 37 no. 2, May 1988: 125–130.), The Australian Library Journal, 60:4, 323-325, DOI: 10.1080/00049670.2011.10722651
- Juniper, B., Bellamy, P., & White, N. (2012). Evaluating the well-being of public library workers. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000611426442
- Rubin, Richard. Foundations of Library and Information Science. Neal-Schuman, an Imprint of the American Library Association, 2016.
- WebJunction. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2019, from http://www.webjunction.org/
