These three assertions can be seen in the very first entry of this journal. Looking back I can tell just from these three statements that I have learned so much more about libraries and librarians that I really hadn't had previous knowledge on. While I still will hold fast to the first two, my thoughts on the third assertion has changed quite a bit. Do I think books will become obsolete? No, I don't think they will entirely, especially not in my lifetime. I do realize though that when I said that libraries wouldn't become obsolete, I was thinking of them as a physical place filled with physical books. This post was before I learned about the new electronic library in Texas or even before I could wrap my head around the huge amount of e-books, journals, etc. that can be found in online databases. I think the reason for this is that I was too stubborn to accept that fact that physical books aren't always going to be the main resource in all libraries anymore. It has been about four months that I have been working at my local public library in conjunction with going to school and learning about LIS as a discipline and a profession and I have already learned so much.
"My first assertion might surprise people--Books and libraries really are cool.
My second assertion is that not all librarians are old, cranky women.
The third assertion, and maybe the most important is that books and libraries will not become obsolete."
I almost wish that while taking LIS classes that you could spend a certain amount of time working in each of the different libraries so that you can truly know what each of them are like. I know I went into this program set on working in a public library in young adult services. Part of me still does want to do this but now I am truly aware of how much a people person you need to be when working in a public library. I have had plenty of experience in customer service as I have previously worked as a cashier for five years but that doesn't mean that I always like dealing with impatient customers that get angry when life happens and blame whoever is in front of them trying to help. On top of that, teens and young adults can tend to get pretty rowdy in big groups so I would have to learn what the best way would be to manage them at programs and listen to all they had to say about school, class, boyfriends and girlfriends, etc. I honestly love young adult literature though, and reading was always so important to me as a young person so even though it would probably be a challenge, I still really want to inspire young people to read and show them that libraries are cool places to hang out.
Overall I have learned so much more about libraries that I hadn't previously known. I have learned about how important ethics are in this profession, that we are the ultimate service profession, that you really need to love people to work in a public library, and that the term library can mean so much more than a building with books in it.
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