Nothing seems to surprise people more about libraries than the librarians themselves.
In my experience, the general public still likes to think of librarians as bookish ladies who check out books all day. In reality, the librarians are generally not the people checking out your books. They are the ones behind the reference or information desks waiting to help you find resources, at the front of library classrooms teaching technology skills, or surrounded by little kids with picture books in hand. Librarians are your connection to learning.
We often like to quote Neil Gaiman to sell our big skill: “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” Librarians are the original fact-checkers and fact-finders. We can help you find, evaluate, and use information. Wondering if the latest meme someone shared online is true? Ask your librarian. Not sure about that web site as a legit source? Ask your librarian. Seriously.
We’ll also try to keep up on publishing trends (my specialty) and new technology while planning events and pulling books for displays. No big deal. 😉
Still curious? More information about librarians:
- How do I use the library? – Expert Staff – from the American Library Association
- What do Librarians Do All Day? – from Booklights
- Latest Study: A full-time school librarian makes a critical difference in boosting student achievement – from School Library Journal
And spread the word that libraries matter!
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