“Throw the Tech Savvy Librarians Out of Our Libraries”
April 14th, 2005This should make for interesting conversation. Chuck Munson has posted a rant to his blog against tech-savvy librarians. I’ll quote him a bit:
“New technologies have certainly added something to libraries, but what the [f word] does RSS newsfeeds or XML metadata schemes have to do with serving patrons and getting people to read books? This is all just the same old librarian elitism: we have to make the newest technology to enlighten the masses. It’s like these technophiles are worried that they will be seen an uncool if they aren’t pushing the latest technology.”
“Making mother[f word]ing RSS feeds and XML metedata available in your public library aren’t going to educate the majority of your neighbors who think that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. New techonology innovations are a [f word]ing waste of time if your patrons can’t find Pakistan or Venezuela on a map.”
“These tech savvy librarians are also the ones responsible for the disappearance of books and other printed materials from our libraries. They want to turn libraries into everything but LIBRARIES.”
Wow. When my colleagues and I present about technology and how they effect libraries, I don’t think that we are doing any of the above. Here’s my responses.
1) I’m uncool anyway.
2) Talking about RSS and finding Pakistan on a map are two totally different things. Yes, I want our country to be more educated and yes, libraries have a place in doing this, but Chuck is comparing apples and oranges. There is more than one type of librarian. There’s the one that pushes technology (the RIGHT way, slowly, with patience and skill) and there are those that educate (teachers educate more than us - shall we throw out the tech-savvy teachers too?). Teaching RSS to our patrons (and fellow librarians) is very important and so is education. Apples and Oranges.
3) I’m not even sure how to respond that last paragraph, but I’ll try. Chuck pulled a classic Michael Gorman here. Putting all tech librarians into one category. Also, how does teaching about the latest technologies make books disappear? How will teaching about RSS make the library disappear? In a sense, it will do the exact opposite.
Case in point: What about those libraries that are so underfunded that they can’t afford to pay for a server and a webmaster to create a basic library web page? Along comes the blog. A free blog, hosted by blogger. A librarian creates a blog and has the ability to instantly provide library news to his patrons. For free. No money out of pocket and the library has a web site. Thus, more patrons know about what is happening at the library, they are happy with the library services, and instead of voting down a budget, they may increase the funding.
My point is that technology can save libraries, if implemented the right way. Also, the traditional library is changing. If we don’t understand that and proactively do something about it, we’ll lose our patrons. Nobody wants that.