Amy Byrne

LIS 450

Final Paper

The Evolution of Public Libraries and Librarians

The public library and its librarians hold a different role in society now than in the

past. Rapidly changing technology and higher expectations from the public have

revolutionized the institution into one that librarians and patrons of yore would no longer

recognize. Today’s public libraries and the librarians who work there have evolved and

are cutting edge embracers of new technology, less of a simple information repository

and more of a facilitator of the social aspect of society, and the information experience

as a whole. This paper will discuss why this author feels these three topics are

important to the forward evolution of the public library and librarian.

Ask most anyone to describe a librarian, and they will have pretty much the same

general description. The librarian will be a female who will wear her hair in a bun, she’ll

probably wear a tweed skirt with squeaky shoes, and her glasses will be on a chain

around her neck. She will also shush you for the least noise infraction. She will also be

concerned that you are reading the “right” kind of book. But that image of the librarian,

while some may recognize themselves in it, is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

There has been an evolution of the image of the librarian as she has become more

mainstream. This is evidenced in how librarians are being perceived in the media. In a

recent New York Times article where the author states, “How did such a nerdy

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profession become cool? Many young librarians and library professors said that the

work is no longer just about books but also about organizing and connecting people with

information, including music and movies.” As more librarians from Generations X and

Y, who grew up with technology being a part of their lives either from the very start or

while still I their formative years, have come into the profession they’ve put their

questioning natures to use and challenged the status quo set by librarians before them.

In order to stay in touch with library users, librarians today must embrace new

technology and make it work for their libraries and their users. In order for this to work,

librarians need to take the initiative and step outside of their comfort zones to learn

technologies such as blogs, wikis, instant messaging, RSS feeds, and text messaging

through sites such as Blogger.com, MySpace.com, Facebook.com, AIM, etc. We cannot

expect our customers to always walk through our doors in order to engage them in our

services. We need to find them where they are, especially the younger generations

who are very comfortable using technology.

Seattle Public Library is doing just that. According to their website,

http://www.spl.org, the preferred method for receiving notification about your customer

account is online via email and RSS feeds. The librarians at Seattle Public Library are

doing other forward-thinking things to engage customers such as a teen focused blog,

podcasts, and providing separate web pages for neighborhood branches. The librarians

at SPL are just one example of librarians embracing what is commonly called Library

2.0. According to http://www.wikipedia.org Library 2.0 is:

“Library 2.0 is a loosely defined model for a modernized form of library service that reflects a transition within the library world in the way that services are delivered to users. This includes online services such as the use of OPAC systems and an increased flow of information from the user back to the library.

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With Library 2.0 library services are constantly updated and reevaluated to best serve library users. Library 2.0 also attempts to harness the library user in the design and implementation of library services by encouraging feedback and participation. Proponents of this concept expect that ultimately the Library 2.0 model for service will replace traditional, one-directional service offerings that have characterized libraries for centuries”

By embracing these technologies and adopting a Library 2.0 model, librarians are

making sure that they are keeping themselves and the library relevant in the lives of

their customers.

In his book Library: An Unquiet History, Matthew Battles writes that, “The chief

role of an ancient librarian was the provision of exemplars from which readers would

transcribe copies for their own use…” (p.31). He goes on to further write that there

started a shift in the idea of what the public librarian was to be in the nineteenth century

when, “The principle image of the librarian switched from custodian to caregiver.”

(p.120). It was at this time that the role of the library and librarians went from being a

simple information repository and moved to a more social role in society. In olden times

books were kept chained to the shelves, their chains long enough only to reach a

nearby table. Libraries were meant for a few privileged men, not for the masses. The

focus was on literature and scholarly pursuits. Even up until the middle of the 20th

century in America there was still a division of equalness of access to library services.

In her book, The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown, Louise Robbins writes that, “…some

main libraries in the South allowed African American access to their collections under

“special circumstances.” (p. 41) In contrast, today’s public libraries are social meccas for

all segments of society.

Oftentimes using the technological tools of Library 2.0, librarians are getting the

word out that the library is a fun place to be. There’s a push to make libraries a “third

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place”, a place after home and work/school where people will want to spend their leisure

time. They’re building amenities such as coffee shops and business centers to attract

more people through their doors. They’re engaging their customers through quality

programs such as One Book, One Community reading programs. A Google search

using that phrase brought up scores of pages of communities doing just that type of

programming. This year’s One Book, One Rockford (Illinois) reading program brought

the highest program attendance that program has ever seen when the organizers

selected one of chef Anthony Bourdain’s books as the selected read and then brought

the chef himself as the special guest. By bringing an author and celebrity as the main

feature of the event, the librarians at RPL took a step forward to give the community

they serve the type of programming that they want.

Librarians are also staying with their tried and true programs like Summer

Reading Club, story times, and computer classes geared at people of all ages. The

difference is that they are making these events more exciting and engaging for their

customers. Summer Reading Club programs are starting off with a big party and ending

with a big party with prizes of books and toys in between. Story times aren’t just a

librarian droning on about a book; they’re events with books, singing, dancing, visits

from characters, and crafts. Computer classes are being tailored to the needs of the

community. Many public libraries offer computer classes on anything from learning the

basics of what the computer is and what it does to teaching you how to put together

your resume or a Power Point presentation. Librarians are keeping ahead of the curve

by listening to their customers and finding out what it is that they want from their library.

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Libraries are doing other things to elevate their standing in the community and

making themselves more of a social place. They’re refurbishing their buildings to be

more inviting. They’re hiring consultants to select paint and fabric colors. They’re

putting in comfortable chairs that let their customers know they want them to be in their

buildings.

Librarians want to create a positive information experience for their customers.

They do this by providing reference services. The difference between being a librarian

10 years ago and being a librarian today, however, is that today you’re going to provide

reference services in a variety of formats. You’ll still get the face-to-face contact with

the customer who comes into your building or the customer who calls you up, but now

you’ll also experience reference by instant messenger, email, web inquiries, and maybe

even by text messaging. Who knows what the next method of communication will be!

Libraries are one of the last bastions of freedom of information and access for all.

Librarians are the gatekeepers of these ideals. By providing information and access to

all people, regardless of race, color, creed, income, etc, they are upholding the values

on which the public library has been moving toward. On a daily basis, a librarian

somewhere is fighting against censorship, sometimes even against the very people the

public library is meant for, so that all viewpoints are represented and all voices are

heard.

Public libraries and librarians have a duty to the public they serve. They need to

stay up to date on what’s termed Library 2.0 by keeping up with changing technologies

and making a commitment to the expense that comes along with this. They need to do

all that they can to continue to make the library a place that remains relevant to the lives

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of the customers who not only walk through their doors, but to everyone in the

community. And they need to continue to provide the most relevant service of all: the

giving of information without limiting access. These three topics that were discussed

are key to the success of the public library and topics that every passionate librarian has

at the forefront of her mind. This writer certainly does.

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Bibliography

Battles, Matthew. Library: An Unquiet History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,

2003.

Jesella, Kara. “A Hipper Crowd of Shushers.” The New York Times (online). July 8,

2007. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08librarian.html>

Robbins, Louis. The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown: Civil Rights, Censorship and the

American Library. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.

http://www.google.com

http://www.spl.org

http://www.wikipedia.org

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