No More Shushing: Today's Librarians are Active Educational Partners
When I was six, my much older brother told me that I had to learn to sign my name in cursive so that I could get my own library card at our local public library. I was beyond thrilled. Every night I would sit and practice my signature in anticipation of the day when I would get a library card of my own. I still remember the Saturday when we walked together to the library, and he waited patiently while I carefully and much too slowly wrote my name on the card to be kept on file. It was a highlight of my young life.
From that day forward I was fixture at the library. At first I would beg my brother or other family member to take me, but as I grew older and had the ability to go places on my own, I spent long afternoons in that quiet, serious place filled with all the books I could ever imagine. It became my favorite place to spend time.
That particular public library has been moved at least two times to increasingly larger spaces, and the latest rendition is light-filled, loud, filled with activity, and filled with computers. The library as I knew and loved it now exists only in my memory, and as much as I reminisce about that sacred space of my youth, I know that today’s libraries offer more services in more ways to many more people. And that’s a good thing.
But I wonder how many of us know what librarians do in the 21st century in colleges and Universities? In my experience faculty knowledge and use of librarians is varied. Some faculty find out all that librarians can do for the academic programs, and use the resources and services every step of the way. Other faculty might not know or might still think of librarians as existing in that library in my memory—bookwormish, introverted types who order books, place articles on reserve, and stand ready to charge us for overdue books.
For those who don’t know what today’s library can do for you, I’d like to tell you.
Today’s librarians are information specialists and are trained to think in terms of locating, assessing, accessing, and using information either in hardcopy or digitally. Librarians are also teachers who teach users how to locate, assess, access, and use information effectively, efficiently, legally, and ethically.
You will find that today’s librarians must also be IT specialists as much as they are specialists in the Library of Congress cataloging system. Most libraries have at least one and often more “systems librarians” who ensure that the databases and search engines used in the library are running optimally, that interfaces are well-designed and user-friendly and that libraries explore and utilize cutting-edge technologies where appropriate.
Today’s librarians are also well-equipped to be partners to faculty in the educational enterprise. In the past the library was often an afterthought when designing programs or developing courses. We faculty would design a new degree program and develop all the courses, and then contact the library staff to ask them to order more books and journals to augment the collection.
Instead, we need to invite the librarians to partner with us at the beginning of program and course development. They can research materials for faculty teams to use in development. They are experts in what resources are available both through the library and on the Internet and in creating subject guides to steer students to the correct resources. They understand assessment and can help you determine if a learning activity you have in mind can be supported with library holdings. In fact, since your students will go to them for help, you should feel free to work with the librarians as you develop research-based learning activities; they can then support the students better as a result.
And, because librarians are teachers they will be helpful consultants in designing learning activities to help students gain expertise in the facets of information literacy.
As we work in teams to develop the best courses and programs we can for our students, let’s remember that our librarians are a crucial resource not to be overlooked. Ask them what they can do for you before you start a project, a course, or a learning activity, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
What have you asked a librarian to help you with? What have been the results?
--Marie
