Tales of the Roaming Librarian - Early Summer edition

"A million, million lifeforms . . . and silence in the library."         
- The Doctor (David Tennant), "Silence in the Library" Series 4, Episode 8.

That's what I've been thinking about as I walked around the library the last week or so.  It's been very quiet. Now, some of you might think that an odd complaint coming from a librarian; aren't we supposed to want everyone to be quiet in here? 

Well, I don't. 

It is a lot of fun to Roam around the library, seeing students working, or not, talking, reading, watching TV or movies, and just generally enjoying our space. It makes me feel important and useful, quite frankly. 

Since the end of the semester, I've had not one actual reference-type interaction with a patron. I've stopped and chatted with folk, and talked about the library generally. I've given a few people directions, and walked folks to where they wanted to be, but no specific assistance has been required.  

Here's the view from the balcony overlooking the main reading room. 

 I'm kidding, again, obviously. This is the Library of Congress. But it is just as empty as it feels in our library. I want the students back!

We have groups of Education majors from our online degree program in here during their week-long intensives. But they are pretty self-contained; they get Testing kits from the Curriculum librarian (seen here) 

 This is actually Mayfield Cole, first librarian for Concord Library, Concord, NC

and sit in the group study rooms Testing each other (I have no idea what this accomplishes). The closest I've come to assisting any of them was by sitting where I could see into two group rooms (they all have glass walls) and reporting to the professor my observations on how the two groups interacted with each other. One was all professional and serious, sitting around the table like it was a board meeting; the other sat back, reclined in their chairs, laughed and talked and applauded each other. 

I hope to see the Roaming program continue into the new school year; the more we keep at it and promote it, the better we will communicate to the students what we librarians have been saying all along:

"We're here to help".

Have a good summer, all you bibliophiles and lovers of libraries.



Image sources:
Library of Congress: www.pixabay.com
Ms. Cole: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayfield_Cole_Librarian.jpg

Falling - my third published story

My third Traveller inspired short story has been published by the good folks at Lantern Hollow Press.

My protagonist, Alex Kingsway, awakens to unexpected trouble in Falling. Will he find a way to escape a fatal landing?

Gallery of Worlds June 2014 

Read Just Across Town from the August 2013 issue

What do you think Librarians actually do? The answer might surprise you.

A colleague shared this article around the library recently. 

 Jack of All Trades, Master of Library Science

Cheryl LaGuardia is a librarian at Harvard University, and writes for Library Journal.  She presents in this article a catalog of tasks and abilities that librarians should or do have, to get done the myriad of things that happen in a library. A brief sampling:

• HTML
• Integrated Library Systems (ILS)
• Mobile devices and apps
• Open source CMS
• Semantic Web
• Social media
• Systems analysis
• User centered design
• Web design
• AACR2 and LC classification and subject headings
• Assessment: qualitative and quantitative
• Benchmarking
• Budgets
• Collections analysis
• Conservation and preservation
• Copyright law expertise
• Digital preservation
• Distance education expertise
• Documentation management and analysis
• Editing skills
• Establish name and subject authority records
• Fundraising
• High ethical standards
• Hiring skills
• Integrity
• Leadership skills
• Management skills
• Marketing skills
• Mentoring skills
• Multitasker
• Networker
• Presentation skills
• Problem-solving approach and skills
• Public relations skills
• Supervisory skills
• Time allocation

 What does your job description look like? 

 I usually don't even get to share as much as Ms LaGuardia did, in terms of describing what I do as a librarian, before my victim (audience) glazes over. Sigh.

16 Quotes about Librarians from authors & literature

So the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House or the Supreme Court or the Senate or the House of Representatives or the media. The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

“Most people don't realize how important librarians are. I ran across a book recently which suggested that the peace and prosperity of a culture was solely related to how many librarians it contained. Possibly a slight overstatement. But a culture that doesn't value its librarians doesn't value ideas and without ideas, well, where are we?”
― Neil Gaiman

“I'm just the librarian. I can only give you the books. I can't give you the answers.”
― Kami Garcia, Beautiful Creatures

“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”
― Neil Gaiman

“Adult librarians are like lazy bakers: their patrons want a jelly doughnut, so they give them a jelly doughnut. Children’s librarians are ambitious bakers: 'You like the jelly doughnut? I’ll get you a jelly doughnut. But you should try my cruller, too. My cruller is gonna blow your mind, kid.”
― John Green

“Rule number one: Don't #### with librarians.”
― Neil Gaiman

“The librarian isn't a clerk who happens to work in a library. A librarian is a data hound, a guide, a sherpa and a teacher. The librarian is the interface between reams of data and the untrained but motivated user.”
― Seth Godin, The Library Book

“Back before the internet we had a name for people who bought a single copy of our books and lent them to all their friends without charging: we called them "librarians".”
― Charles Stross

“Librarians! Librarians always know how to find out things. That was their job even before the Internet.”
― Susan Beth Pfeffer, This World We Live In

“Librarians understand about power - they know how to find anything.”
― Joan Bauer, Best Foot Forward

“I was under the librarians' protection. Civil servants and servants of civility, they had my back. The would be whatever they needed to be that day: information professionals, teachers, police, community organizers, computer technicians, historians, confidantes, clerks, social workers, storytellers, or, in this case, guardians of my peace.”
― Marilyn Johnson, This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All

“As a librarian I learned one of life’s great truths: you don’t have to know all the answers, you just have to know where to find them.”
― Lucia St. Clair Robson

“Look, I... I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am.
And what is that?
I... am a librarian.”
― The Mummy

“Librarians are tour-guides for all of knowledge.”
― Patrick Ness

“If librarianship is the connecting of people to ideas – and I believe that is the truest definition of what we do – it is crucial to remember that we must keep and make available, not just good ideas and noble ideas, but bad ideas, silly ideas, and yes, even dangerous or wicked ideas.”
― Graceanne A. Decandido

“Libraries are like houses of worship: Whether or not you use them yourself, it's important to know that they are there. In many ways they define a society and the values of that society. Librarians to me are the keepers of the flame of knowledge. When I was growing up, the librarian in my local library looked like a meek little old lady, but after you spent some time with her, you realized she was Athena with a sword, a wise and wonderful repository of wisdom.”
― Jane Stanton Hitchcock

All of these quotes were found at GoodReads.

Tales of the Roaming Librarian - April 17th.

     I was starting to think we'd reached the point in the semester when there were few reference questions because everyone's gearing up for finals and actually writing the papers. And last week, that theory seemed to be holding true. To my relief, this week turned out differently.

     On Tuesday, I Roamed around the library as I have been; I think I've pretty well fallen into a pattern of what areas I visit in what order. I start on the bottom floor which is actually below the 'main floor' and the front entrance. It was down here that I saw the sub-tabular snoozing student earlier in the semester, so I always keep an eye out for similar schenanigans on the bottom floor. Sadly, I've had no repeats yet.  

      There was a fellow sitting in the reading room who had a book with him that I recognized, so I stopped to talk. Every week I get to put books from the New Book shelves out on a simple display; just to get the book covers turned out where the students will see them. I also include some of the art books from our Oversize book collection, which normally sees little circulation. Anyway, the book I recognized was one I had put out for display the previous week. I decided that this was a good "in" for a conversation, and we got to talking for a while about the book, about his project and the libraries facilities.

      I approached one group of students who were talking and writing animatedly, which seemed like a good bet they were all working on a project. It turned out they were all studying for the same test, in one of the big general survey courses. They had a big timeline which apparently had to be reproduced or properly labeled on the exam. We chatted a while about the class and the professor, whom the students regarded as tough but good. Even though I answered no reference questions, this stop and the one in the reading room were to me profitable interviews; making the case without saying so that librarians are approachable, available, and interested in the students' studies. 

     As I continued on my way, I noted with great amusement two or three other knots of students, holed up in the group study rooms, diagramming the same timeline on the writable walls. As I studied the diagram, one of the students looked up and saw me. I pointed to the diagram, gave a knowing smile, waved and wished her the best with the test.  Her reaction said she appreciated the good wishes. 

     Earlier the week, I was on my way back to the main desk where we store the Roaming tablets, to put it away, when I saw a student was wrangling with one of the catalog computers. It had frozen up (again), so I offered to utilize the tablet to help her find the book she wanted. This turned into an hour long search of the catalog and several databases for information on technological advances in World War One. We camped out in Class U (Military Science) and collected a pile of books before I had to depart for a meeting. The meeting, predictably, was less fun than sitting on the floor in the stacks poring over books. 

     I mention this because today as I was getting the tablet ready to go Roaming, one of our student workers told me very excitedly that this student I had helped lived on her floor; and I had made such an impression with my assistance that I was now her 'favorite librarian'. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, it just doesn't get better than that.