"AMERICA'S BACK! The Remarkable Tale of Our Economic Turnaround," screams the cover of Newsweek's April 19, 2010 issue.
(Before you wonder where I'm going with this, yes, it will connect to libraries and no, it won't be political.)
I'll confess up front that I don't normally read Newsweek. But a friend gave me this issue to show me something else, and I haven't been able to get past the cover story.
The article contends that America's economy is "coming back stronger, better, and faster than nearly anyone expected" (p. 29, print ed). I'm obviously no economist, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I don't think education (and libraries) have hit bottom yet.
And to survive these lean and getting leaner times, we are going to make ourselves absolutely indispensable. How?
The absolutely indispensable librarian will...
Be a people person--relationships are critical
Be a kid person--sounds redundant, but unfortunately it isn't
Be a reader--read more children's or YA lit than anyone at your campus
Be a nerd--in a good way, of course. Have a blog? Twitter much? Participate in educational networking?
Be a curriculum person--know the curriculum for every grade and content area at your campus
Be a financial steward--spend district money well and wisely
Be a PR person--advocate for the library at every turn
Be a professional--join and actively participate in your state library organization and ALA
Be a resource--either have it or know how to access it
Be a 21st century librarian--help students and staff become competent in 21st century skills
What did I leave out? Please join the discussion!
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I am going to touch on the KIND LIBRARIAN,,, what else should students expect when they come into the library? We review the rules and expectations each year and talk with our kids about how to care for the library, and now that the end of the year arrives, they do tend to get laxadazy. Does this mean we need to turn into Ghastapo and go after these students for basic wear and tear...I THINK NOT. Gentle reminders are okay. During my mentor practice, I saw a librarian speak roughly to a child for a book that came back with bent pages (obviously smushed in her backpack). The child began to cry profusely and I am thinking, "just press it down. You (as a librarian) didn't buy this book with your money. The parents of this child did through their taxes." Library books are going to have bumps and bruises along the way. We do our best to care for them, but I believe we should expect these wear and tear and do our best to address those situations with utter care.
ReplyDeleteI like that you have "relationships are crucial" first because without that all the knowledge doesn't do anyone else any good!
ReplyDeleteTwo things that came to my mind are 1) be creative--keep things innovative and think outside the box and 2) know your audience
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, and fun list - it's great to see nerd as a job requirement, guess I picked the right profession.
ReplyDeleteBesides the others, I think reach out to the non-library community is a good one too.
I always try to spread the word among folks I meet (at the denist's office/wherever) about what it's like to be a librarian when they ask what I do for a living - they are always impressed with all our job includes.
Be a risk-taker - try new things and share them with your teachers
ReplyDeleteBe a leader - encourage change for the better on your campus
I like that you have "relationships are crucial" first because without that all the knowledge doesn't do anyone else any good!
ReplyDelete