Karen M. Drabenstott
Associate Professor
School of Information
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1092 USA
Voice: (734) 763-3581
Fax: (734) 764-2475
karen.drabenstott@umich.edu
Thanks to Jeanne Armstrong and Judith Segal who served as our guest editors for the discussion, "What is a Librarian?: A Discussion of Changing Roles in the Library." We managed to weather a few technical glitches in the antiquated Majordomo software that runs the CRISTAL-ED discussion and despite the problems, we had a good discussion. Thanks again to Jeanne and Judith who suggested this topic, and did a fine job on giving an introduction and mid-term summary.
We have come to the end of our scheduled discussion topics for 1998. Between now and the first weekend of the new year, we will have an Open Topics discussion. Feel free to discuss anything that comes to mind. We have four new topics scheduled for early 1999 and need to add more topics to the schedule for March and beyond. Let's keep new topics suggestions coming so we can have a banner year in 1999. Enjoy the holiday break! Consider making a New Year's resolution to post a new topics suggestion to CRISTAL-ED!
Irene Schubert
Chief, Preservation Reformatting Division
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540
Voice: (202) 707-5918
Fax: (202) 707-6449
isch@loc.gov
What is a librarian?
We could answer that we recognize it when we see it, but the question can be answered more thoughtfully, I think.
I am disturbed by the idea that the question can be answered by providing a list of tasks: this is what librarians do and this is what The Others do. As some of the participants in this discussion have aptly pointed out, the list of tasks is too dynamic to hold as immutable evidence of professional work. I prefer to focus on behavior and knowledge and what librarians bring to the discharge of their responsibilities.
Librarians know what is important. Librarians judge what is important in the context of institutional (and in this day, global) collections and access to collections, resources available, and impact of a decision on collections, access and clients, and resources now and in the future. While they may disagree among themselves, and with other professionals (e.g., faculty) about what is important, they can defend their position in the broad context of institutional and professional goals and available resources. Knowing what is important, what is worth commitment of valuable and limited resources is a lifetime endeavor.
Librarians bring a humility to their work with collections and clients. They have a good sense of what they don't know. (This is not to say librarians should be doormats; they do know what is important -- and sometimes it is important to say "I don't know.") The ancillary to this is that the librarian continuously learns more about collections, access, clients and resources to better serve clients of today and the future. The librarian may check out but never leaves.
Paul B. Wiener
Special Services Librarian
SUNY at Stony Brook
pwiener@ccmail.sunysb.edu
I wonder if anyone's interested in discussing this topic:
Should libraries "hire" unpaid volunteers? For a variety of reasons, I believe strongly that they shouldn't.
John Sumsion
Senior Fellow in Department of Information and Library Studies
Loughborough University
Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU
United Kingdom
223053J.W.Sumsion@lboro.ac.uk
Paul Wiener writes: "Should libraries 'hire' unpaid volunteers? For a variety of reasons, I believe strongly that they shouldn't."
This has not featured strongly in the UK until the last few years when we have learnt that public libraries in the USA are "ahead" of us in this matter. Traditionally UK public libraries have only used volunteer labour in connection with the distribution of books to housebound readers -- and even this is mostly handled by a outside volunteer agency, nor directly by the library.
Associated with this topic is the activity of FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY organizations -- where American public libraries seen again to be in the lead.
Both are interesting -- since there is firstly the question of principle and secondly practical limitations that may make the practice pragmatically acceptable if properly observed.
Am I right in thinking that, in practice, there is some linkage between the two topics? Should they be discussed together or separately?
Samuel R.M. Souza
Librarian
Sao Paulo, Brazil
sams@mandic.com.br
The subject of volunteers in libraries would seem rather controversial. Here in Brazil we have a specific law regulating volunteer work in non-profit institutions (Law 9608, Feb. 18 1998). Some volunteers in general start working so regularly that in the future they can even sue a non-profit employer claiming salaries and the like. If the institution has a serious need for human resources, there could be a permanent solution other than temporary volunteers.
Other aspect suggested is the "hiring" of a volunteer. How far can we agree with the possibility of performing activities like indexing or reference services, without professional guidance or training ? On the other hand, we can have support from motivated people who wants to contribute much more than simply shelving books or taking part in public relations campaigns. Will they agree with the guidelines established within the library?
The librarians themselves could start trying, acting as volunteers in their parent institutions, or in other organizations, so that one could feel in what sense the general problems arising from volunteer work would cause impact in their libraries.
Thanks... and a Happy New Year.
Ronald P. Naylor
rnaylor@umiami.ir.miami.edu
I'm not sure what you mean by "hire." And I would like to know why you disapprove.
Many libraries, academic and public, use volunteers -- by definition, unpaid -- in many functions, both public and technical. Some of those libraries would find it difficult to achieve their goals, and the goals of their constituents, if they did not welcome the volunteers that volunteer.
By putting "hire" in quotes I infer that you mean a formal contract. If that's what you object to, I disagree completely. A volunteer program is successful only when the vols understand that they are committing themselves to a formal contract of work under controlled circumstances. When that happens, both the institution and the vol have an identified goal and a path to achieve it. Everyone is happy. Why do you object?
Happy New Year from South Florida where the full moon is shining brightly on a landscape blooming under tropical weather -- 76F today with an evening of 64F.
Monica K. Green
Librarian
Balwyn North Primary School
Buchanan Avenue
North Balwyn, VIC 3104
Australiamonica@eterna.com.au
I haven't had a chance to check the archives yet, but the idea of unpaid volunteers and "hiring," or perhaps I would use the term "selecting," is near and dear to me as I run a one-person library.
I'm the librarian at a Primary School which is going to have over 500 students next year. This will be my second year there, I'm hoping to build up a volunteer program because there is just no funding to increase staff numbers (beyond teachers) at this time.
Other topics of interest to me:
Well, there are my areas of interest for now. I look forward to seeing other peoples interests as well as any other discussions.
I am! Having worked with volunteers throughout my career, I can honestly say that the people are wonderful, but expecting to get ongoing daily work accomplished through volunteer labor is foolhardy.
Most volunteers want to choose among options, they like to do enjoyable, rewarding work, and since libraries are chockful of boring, repetitive, unrewarding tasks, inevitable conflicts arise. Staff get stuck with the unpalatable stuff and the volunteers enjoy the fun work.
Volunteers prefer to come in when it is convenient for them -- an interesting personal opportunity usually (and rightfully) takes precedence, and notice is not always given beforehand.
As with monetary gifts to libraries, volunteers should be used for special projects, and not for work that should rightfully be funded by regular monies from the legislature, taxes, etc. Volunteers, like donated money, can vanish with the wind.
You may join the discussion and look over the list of past and future topics.
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