The front page of the New York Times SundayStyles section yesterday featured a long-ish article about librarians. "Today's librarians? Think high-tech party people." Yeah! One Washington librarian said the library was a haven for left-wing social engagement, which is particularly appealing to librarians who graduated around the same time as the Patriot Act. "We see what happens when information is restricted," she states. She became a librarian because it combined a geekie intellectualism with information technology skills and social activism. Another librarian states that new librarians are attracted to what they call the 'Library 2.0' phenomenon - it's become a techie profession. Well any of this is better than the endless whinging those of us who were in graduate school in the early 90's listened to about our role as librarians and the future of our profession*. So let's organize our RSS feeds and welcome the hipper crowd of shushers. Want to read the entire article?
(*a brief moment of levity, not intended as a criticism)
(*a brief moment of levity, not intended as a criticism)
1 comment:
Thanks for posting the NY Times article.
Here's my take on it: While it is noteworthy when any major news publication prints an article about librarians and the current state of the library profession, the tone of the piece retains that trite and condescending "old-school" perception of librarians. Since when are intellectual intelligence and "coolness" (according to the article: being attractive, having drinks with friends, attending rock concerts, being socially conscious, etc.) mutually exclusive?
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