Q&A: Why Library School? Why a Librarian? And What Do You Actually DO anyway?

Anyone who pursues Library Science as a career deals with the question of  “Why Library Science?”  It’s actually several questions (“Why do you need a Master’s Degree?”  “Doesn’t the Internet make your job obsolete?” “Anyway, don’t you just sit around and read books all day?”) but for convenience sake, I will distill them into one simple query: WHY? It’s easy to say that we could just reply, “Well, why not?” and go back to reading our book (or Kindle as the case may be) leaving the questioner to end the conversation with the usual jokes about the Dewey Decimal System and shushing. Sigh. Stereotypes haunt every profession but there are some particularly strong-willed ,old-fashioned spirits that refuse to be exorcised, no matter how many articles about hipster librarians are written (like this one:  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08librarian.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) or how books and reading are marketed as cool (sites like this: http://bookriot.com/) or how much technology continues to change how libraries provide service and how those services evolve: (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/04/future.library.technology/)

Suffice to say, that even though the public at large may be aware that libraries are much more than books, they are not necessarily in tune with what it is librarians do and why it is so important. Then there’s the question of why would anyone want to do it for a living? Can you actually make enough money to live on? Not to mention going into debt obtaining a Masters that is so specialized and yet so ephemeral. And isn’t everyone that works in a library a librarian?

As a life-long, enthusiastic user of public and school libraries, an avid reader and a dedicated collector of trivia and odd facts, it would seem that Library Science would be the way to go. My sister and had mastered the ins and outs of our local public library branch by the 2^nd grade (she also works in the library field)  In high school, I started organizing and categorizing my vast and ever-growing collection of books and records. I read voraciously and vigorously researched any subject that captured my interest. In the days before the Internet, I was the person in my circle of family, friends and acquaintances that would receive phonecalls at home asking, “Who was that actor in that movie?” or  “What band sings that song?”  If I didn’t know an answer, I would find it.

It may come as no surprise that I ended up working in libraries or that I am pursuing a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. The only remaining question might be: what took you so long? After 20 years working as a support staff in 2 different academic libraries (and a few years of other job experiences in between), why commit to librarianship as a career? Isn’t it on the downswing? Wouldn’t it be better to just find something else?

The answer is not so simple. Librarianship is indeed a career. In fact, it is much more than that. Not just a profession, librarianship is more akin to a vocation or calling.  At first, I saw it merely as an interesting job with some potential. In the early days of working in a college library, I mostly did Cataloging and Technical Services work. The majority of it being the retrospective conversion of catalog records in anticipation of bringing an OPAC to life. The painstaking detail and meticulous nature of cataloging work appealed to me at the time, and there was some additional service in Circulation. I eventually was asked to assist the Audio-Visual librarian as well, which brought a much needed element of directly assisting actual human beings (Sadly, I found out that MARC was not a person though I felt like I spent more time with “him” than with some of my friends)  Though I never thought I had an interest or ability in being a teacher, I started to realize that much of the work that happens in libraries is just that – educating people. There is a process of discovery that takes place when researching a subject or answering a question that provides very valuable, very palpable teaching moments. I remember one of these and it was one of many moments that led to my eventually embracing library science as a choice not simply a comfortable default. It was one of the ways of finding out how to answer those questions of Why? and What?

I was working at the Circulation Desk one evening and chatting with some student workers whom I supervised. One of the students was looking through her Art History text in preparation for an exam. She stopped on a page that showed a painting of Napoleon. Her co-worker began imitating the infamous gesture associated with Napoleon, that of his hand being tucked into the front of his coat. We all laughed, but a discussion ensued. Questions were asked: Why did he do that?  Co-workers joined in, everyone was speculating. Being that this was taking place in a library, someone was dispatched to fetch an encyclopedia for the answer (this was pre-easy answer internet days) Three different sources came up short (pun intended) so there was only a fading interest in getting an actual answer. Except from me. I checked biographies, history and art books. While not getting a definitive authoritative answer, I did discover that it was believed Napoleon’s pose was a common gesture in the portraiture of that time period, especially many paintings that were done in a neo-classical style. This idealized pose originated in art of Greek and Roman antiquity; it seems that having a hand outside one’s toga while speaking was considered rude. There is also speculation that this gesture symbolized wealth, power and privilege (i.e. the elite would not need to have both hands free since they were not common laborers who relied on both hands for their livelihood) I also discovered a plethora of theories that were not believed to be true (but were just as fascinating): a stomach ulcer, an deformed hand, a symbolic Masonic sign even the idea that painters disliked painting hands. Regardless of the answer, I realized I had greatly enjoyed the process.

I was surprised at my co-workers lack of interest in answering the question. This was the sort of thing I always did on my own, for its own sake. Whether it was hunting down a rare import album not sold in local record stores or digging for information on an obscure art film I had seen that was not listed in any film books I could find, I was always searching, always looking. It was always an enjoyable journey. I can’t say though that I always understood exactly what an MLS entailed or how valuable it was not just professionally but personally.

Technology has altered the information landscape drastically. As times change, information grows by leaps and bounds. The territory is no longer as easily manageable as before. While I have had an affinity for this type of work and some experience, I know there were many skills I had to learn (there still are) and these skills require the appropriate framework. The Master’s is that framework.  It provides context. And answers.

Answers like:  A Master’s degree prepares me to utilize existing as well as emerging forms of technology. It provides a background in education.  It teaches theory and puts it into practice.

Information in all of its forms becomes accessible and manageable. A library becomes more than just a building, more than just books. The MLS is the key to open the door to that new concept of library. A librarian is the caretaker, communicator and creator of that new and exciting environment. I will be one of those jack of all trades. I look forward to living up to all that the title of librarian implies. And I hope to see you soon, whether it be in person or in virtual form. I hope you will have questions.