Change

The year was 1985. The city was Youngstown, Ohio. The college was Youngstown State University. On my very first day attending college I strolled into the library. Alongside the familiar card catalog were rows of white plastic monitors, their shiny faces green and glowing
with marvelous wonder. I approached them with a mixture of adoring reverence and giddy excitement. Sitting down I absorbed the flouresent display before me. My fingers reached out and touched the keyboard and typed letters and magically I was off into the library catalog.

Now the year is 2008. Admittedly I never loved the card catalog. When a card would send me
from my cozy spot where I was, to a drawer far, far away - just to find one book - it made me mad.
In the words of Bruce Banner, "You don't want to see me when I'm mad."

The online catalog is a thing of beauty - a joy to experience. Even when they are imperfect and
don't quite work like they should, I remember the card catalog. It's bulky and cumbersome monolithic presence lurking in my desk drawer. Opening up my drawer I see rows of old catalog cards and take a few out. I jot a reminder to myself on the back of one. Change is awsome.

Convenience or Impatience?

A great resource in these times of budgetary concerns in libraries is inter library loan. As a book selector, I do not feel as stressed when certain books fall apart or go missing because, chances are, if a patron wants a book we can get it from another library. Of course if it is wildly popular or needed it will be replaced. But why spend funds on old titles when we can share with other libraries?

As a society though, we are becoming accustomed to instant access. The idea of waiting three to five days for a book to come makes some people squirm. I have had more than one patron say they will purchase a book rather than wait several days and read it for free. Now, Bookswim has a Netflix like subscription program. People can pay for Bookswim to keep a book queue for them and, since they are paying a membership fee, have no late fines.

How will libraries adapt to these changing values? Should we? Will Bookswim become the book destination for the haves while the public library serves the have nots who do not have the money to subscribe? And will the haves be willing to support the public library as much if they are getting their materials elsewhere?

Working in a library

When I tell people I work in a library, in most cases the response I get it something like this...

"Oh, I would love to work in a library. I just love to read and being around all those books would be just great. I bet you just love having all that time to sit around and read."

Is this the most common public perception of librarians? That we sit around and read all day?

Well I do get to look at books....lots of them. I also look at lots of DVD's, CD's, and Magazines.

When I mention the library I work at to a patron of the library that I happen to meet out in the community, they often remark that they've never seen me there.

What do I do all day? Sit in a corner and read books? Not hardly.

I am a Technical Services and Aquisitions Librarian. In my department, we order and process all those DVD's and books. They are given catalog records in the computer and labels so that people can find them on the shelves. Protective coverings are applied so that the items last longer during multiple uses.

Yes, I do get to browse though an occasional book now and then, but i save my reading for when I am at home snuggled up in bed with a cup of tea and my cat dozing by my side.