IST 511 Week 3 in Review

Week 3 (which was almost a week ago now) was less about lecturing, and more about finding our groups for various projects we have scheduled this semester. Still, there were some good takeaways. Sigh, I've seen "takeaways" work itself into my lexicon, and it annoys me.

So, a big part of the lecture I liked was an overview of the classical model of the library. But rather than looking at a system and taking it at face value, Prof. Lankes urged us change the system. I don't think I've ever been told that in a university setting. Only entrepreneurs, politicians, and popular culture at large have ever really put forth the attitude that if the current structure isn't working as well as it could be, it's time to knock it down and build something that works. That said, the structure is giving me a big picture, and my other classes are really starting to make it all come together in a big picture way. Now it's time for the fine detail, and doing lots of practice with MARC and a legion of other acronyms.

We also got some nice examples of the way a librarian can really diversify, and at a certain point they really do fit the title of "information professional" more than "librarian." The embedded librarian seems like a dream job, but certainly requires a specific skill set that may or not be easily obtained. Being a researcher for public or private interests is also very appealing, if you've got the time and patience. The many options make the field stronger than it otherwise would be if librarians were just a bunch of people with access to book catalogs.

Then there's the difficult task of assessment. When we talk about how libraries try to sing their praises yet still get lots of funding from sources, I was reminded of an old Economics professor I had. He said that, in business, you go to the investors and press events in your best suit: you go to the IRS in rags and squalor. It's a tough balancing act. I'm also skeptical of any metric that claims to have a "bottom line" of whether a library should stay or go. I always cringe when people try to cram such a world of nuance into a neat little package.