As someone with a masters and phd in library science fields but not actually working a library, some of the sentiment described here always came across, to me, as librarians (understandably) trying to make themselves relevant in a world where their relevance is increasingly easy to disregard. The enthusiasm they feel for their profession has always seemed extremely high as a result.
I have felt libraries and librarians becoming more and more relevant as time goes forward. This goes along with the job creep in the article, too - tending to 3D printers and administering drugs during overdoses isn't classical librarianship.
As long as democracy and free speech are relevant, libraries will be relevant.
First of all, I'm glad to have discovered this journal. What a fun name!
I have spent tons of time in libraries, particularly in Toronto's Innovation Hubs. 3D printing at the reference library was an almost daily joy for me, and I loved helping people - everyone showed up with an interesting story and mission of some kind.
The library system is underfunded for its mandate and the staff are underpaid, overworked, and overmanaged. Library 'leadership' constantly make insanely boneheaded decisions, like destroying Toronto's Maker Festival with bureaucratic bunk.
Despite these challenges, our libraries are one of the only public pure spaces. Where else can anyone access the internet for free? Access to information is foundational to our society and democracy.
Corrupt and anti-democratic forces are constantly working against the library. Like this ridiculous defunding of one of the most effective institutions in our society, cutting funding IN HALF: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ontario-library-servi...
Without the mythology being railed against in this article, we wouldn't have the dedicated librarian staff that make the system work. I have tried to work with library management and leadership before, and it was so abrasive and painful that I gave up.
How can we keep libraries sustainable into the future?
We need them, our free society needs them. What can we do?
It's not just about funding, it's also about control.
Without fixing our political apparatus and dismantling our colonial infrastructure first (a looong project), how can we bolster and strengthen our library systems? How can we protect them against bad actors? I'm seriously asking, let's please talk about it.
Do we need a private citizen's direct funding initiative a la Benjamin Franklin? I'm ready to pay! I'm ready to work! What can we do to keep our most important institution?
I am a big proponent of public spaces, and I definitely agree we should expand them, make them more accessible, and publicize and fund them better... so I agree with most of your comment. But still, I don't agree that "Without the mythology being railed against in this article, we wouldn't have the dedicated librarian staff that make the system work". This only slows the death of the system, it doesn't fix it. Maybe if it was completely gone we would see more clearly how necessary it is. But in the current state, and except in some big cities like the example you cite, the system doesn't work. I think there's too much symbolism, the "book" is a symbol with too much weight for culture, and defending that symbolism (this is the kind of culture I see from librarians most often, though that might also be mediatized), only distances the debate from the really important issues. Sometimes that's accidentally obviated by those that are too close to the problem, but I really believe we are lacking truly conscious debate in this area. The most important institution is not the library, it is the public space. I think this is a more sensible way to frame and try to communicate the problem.
Somewhat tangentially, one piece that has baffled me (though perhaps less so now thanks to this article) is the relative absence of support (or even dialogue) between "librarianship" as it is used here, and online efforts such as LibGen and SciHub.
I understand that the latter is legally questionable -- but not only is there not an open partnership -- it feels as if the possibility of dialogue or comparison never even comes up, despite having similar, if not identical, stated goals.
Libgen and SciHub are key parts of open access and free society, thank you for bringing them up!
The 'illegitimate' library work is extremely important to protect - heroes like Rogue Archivist Carl Malamud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Malamud trying to keep our laws readable are protecting the foundations of our freedom.
Librarians are often hamstrung by their employing institutions into respecting copyright. That means that while they are on the clock, they cannot recommend LibGen to patrons, show them how to use it, etc. Loads of librarians are aware of LibGen and Sci-hub, and it isn’t their fault that they must ignore it.
we see this vocational awe with other professions where the number of folks who want to do it wildly exceeds the amount of funding (public or private) available for the work.
and it's self-fufilling, to some extent. you grow up and hear about how $profession is so wonderful, and you're a bit more likely to go into it. now there's just a few more people trained for it than necessary. supply and demand drops wages a bit, mythologizing increases to make the workers feel better, another slight increase in folks wanting to go into the field, process repeats.
does anybody know if google employs many librarians?
because as far as I can tell, google's old public goal of organizing the world's information overlaps a lot with a librarian's basic goal of organizing their library? (but I might be wrong)
[+] [-] refresher|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] breather|5 years ago|reply
As long as democracy and free speech are relevant, libraries will be relevant.
How can we help them?
[+] [-] breather|5 years ago|reply
First of all, I'm glad to have discovered this journal. What a fun name!
I have spent tons of time in libraries, particularly in Toronto's Innovation Hubs. 3D printing at the reference library was an almost daily joy for me, and I loved helping people - everyone showed up with an interesting story and mission of some kind.
The library system is underfunded for its mandate and the staff are underpaid, overworked, and overmanaged. Library 'leadership' constantly make insanely boneheaded decisions, like destroying Toronto's Maker Festival with bureaucratic bunk.
Despite these challenges, our libraries are one of the only public pure spaces. Where else can anyone access the internet for free? Access to information is foundational to our society and democracy.
Corrupt and anti-democratic forces are constantly working against the library. Like this ridiculous defunding of one of the most effective institutions in our society, cutting funding IN HALF: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ontario-library-servi...
Without the mythology being railed against in this article, we wouldn't have the dedicated librarian staff that make the system work. I have tried to work with library management and leadership before, and it was so abrasive and painful that I gave up.
How can we keep libraries sustainable into the future? We need them, our free society needs them. What can we do?
It's not just about funding, it's also about control.
Without fixing our political apparatus and dismantling our colonial infrastructure first (a looong project), how can we bolster and strengthen our library systems? How can we protect them against bad actors? I'm seriously asking, let's please talk about it.
Do we need a private citizen's direct funding initiative a la Benjamin Franklin? I'm ready to pay! I'm ready to work! What can we do to keep our most important institution?
[+] [-] slx26|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jrm4|5 years ago|reply
I understand that the latter is legally questionable -- but not only is there not an open partnership -- it feels as if the possibility of dialogue or comparison never even comes up, despite having similar, if not identical, stated goals.
[+] [-] breather|5 years ago|reply
The 'illegitimate' library work is extremely important to protect - heroes like Rogue Archivist Carl Malamud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Malamud trying to keep our laws readable are protecting the foundations of our freedom.
[+] [-] Mediterraneo10|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sigstoat|5 years ago|reply
and it's self-fufilling, to some extent. you grow up and hear about how $profession is so wonderful, and you're a bit more likely to go into it. now there's just a few more people trained for it than necessary. supply and demand drops wages a bit, mythologizing increases to make the workers feel better, another slight increase in folks wanting to go into the field, process repeats.
[+] [-] gryfft|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] naringas|5 years ago|reply
because as far as I can tell, google's old public goal of organizing the world's information overlaps a lot with a librarian's basic goal of organizing their library? (but I might be wrong)
[+] [-] robertlagrant|5 years ago|reply