My Personal Librarian Manifesto

Awful library books, ALA and a million things going on at work have probably put me over the edge. It was kind of a perfect storm. Holly and I presented at ALA about tech support as reference. I was sure that the "old guard" librarians felt tech support issues were not appropriate to reference work or library service. Technology issues are overwhelming but librarians need to embrace this as a function of our job-especially at the reference desk.

At the same time Awful Library Books seems to have a new found popularity with mainstream entertainment blogs. It is exciting and exhausting. I feel like I am living with these awful library books all the time! I was also mildly shocked at the attitude toward weeding. Who knew that a fundemental aspect of collection management would upset so many people. I couldn't believe how upset and angry people got about weeding materials. I did not like that I was second guessing myself.

Rereading my own Practical Librarian posts I have decided that I need to take my own advice and reiterate my own objectives as a librarian. So here it is:

• I will keep an open mind to new ideas and ways to serve my public. The criteria will not be if it makes MY work life easier, but if it improve the service to the library patron.


• Technology is an integral part of libraries and library service. It will not wait for me to be "comfortable".


• Public librarianship is about serving ALL the public, not just the ones that are "nice". It is also about service to those who are irritating, difficult and unpleasant.


• Collections are dynamic and need to be evaluated, coddled, managed and pruned to be useful to the public that paid for it.

Hopefully, these simple statements will keep me focused when the rest of the world seems out of wack in the world of library service. I know I will still have to attend seminars and meetings where the "breakthrough" advice is being polite to the public or showing the public how to use the OPAC. I will try not to roll my eyes with yet another obvious statement and remember my manifesto.

Mary