Revisit Assumptions/Assertions

When I first began the semester, I really thought that most of a librarian’s job had to do with ordering and finding books. I was so very wrong. Sure, that’s part of the job but the main aspect of being a librarian is being the gatekeeper of information; how to organize it, store it, retrieve it, archive it, safe guard it, protect it, and disseminate it. The main bit of knowledge that I have gained from this class is the foundation of what information truly is and how complicated and precious it is to our culture and society. Everything around us can be classified as information in some form or context. It is our duty as librarians to figure out how to organize information and present it in a way that our community, patrons, and society understand it and have equal access to it. The biggest paradigm shift I’ve had is in regards to what I think a librarian/library really is. I used to think that a library had to be a brick and mortar physical location and the librarians were glued to their desks. In reality, the term library can be used to describe any place, digital or physical, that houses a large amount of information. Librarians are all over the place, in physical buildings, academic settings, and in a number of unique roles and job titles.

One of the assumptions/assertions I had at the beginning of the semester was that libraries need to grow with the technology times or they will be forgotten; my mindset has not changed on this much. What has changed is how I view the challenges and obstacles that libraries are facing with emerging technology and the constraints on their budget and staff members’ skills. There will always be a need for librarians as our society relies and uses technology more often in our daily lives. If we cannot keep up our resources in our libraries to fit the needs of the community, then patrons will stop seeing us as a place that they can rely on when they need assistance. If we do not supply the help and resources (computers, scholarly articles, a place for them to study) then we are not fulfilling our primary purpose. Having an important role in society was another one of my beginning of the semester librarian assumptions. This frame of mind has not changed either. We have a challenging role in being the keepers of information and how to best find the most relevant and accurate information for various searches. Having an informed society, one that is capable at finding credible information, is the only way our world will move forward in a positive and healthy way.    

I am excited and enthusiastic about continuing my learning in the Library and Information Science profession. This class was an amazing introduction to the issues and concerns as well as the triumphs and innovations of librarianship. I am greatly looking forward to diving deeper into my studies as the semester tick by and becoming involved in more groups and activities surrounding the library. The class has also taught me about discipline and motivation. This program is not an easy jaunt through the park; it requires dedication and willpower to push through the tough questions and time consuming assignments. It has allowed me to test my limits in regards to how I spend my time and efforts. I have been amazed at how much I’ve grown as an individual in sixteen short weeks. It excites me to see what the future will bring. 

As the semester comes to a close, I can’t help but be blown away and in awe of the work librarians have done and are doing today. It’s not easy to be in charge of society’s records, especially when the digital landscape is changing faster than we can keep up with it. I find that you cannot be a librarian without having a passion deep in your core that makes you want to reach out and help others in their quest for information. I have a natural passion and urge to help others, I’m extremely organized and love being able to retrieve stored information quick and efficiently, I love research and collecting data from a variety of sources, I love reading and writing, but most of all I love being able to serve my community for the greater good of all information out there. I cannot wait to become a librarian and put my mark on the profession as I make my way through the ever-evolving information landscape as my career continues.