A Closer Look at Librarianship

The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change by Michael Stephens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great companion to class discussions and readings, giving me plenty to think about as I continue my journey to librarianship.

First thoughts: Several times parts of the book echoed class discussions, especially about the evolution of librarianship. There is lots of mention of leadership and management, plus how to work with technology - all classes I still have coming up - so I was particularly excited to read about those topics.

Favorite quotes:

"No amount of training or professional development can move us forward if an individual is uninterested in learning or growing. I'd argue for two vital traits that will serve librarians well throughout their careers. Longtime librarians, mid-career folks, new hires, and students, I'm talking to you! The traits are simple yet pack a powerful punch: curiosity and creativity."

"Beginning this learner's journey in library school should be a given....'Follow your curiosity' is my answer when students ask me what emerging ideas and tech they should focus on. This emphasis on learning will carry our graduates forward into their positions." (This made my heart soar as a subscriber to the Follow Your Curiosity life motto.)

Career thoughts: As someone who's never quite known what she's wanted to "be" when she grows up, so far librarianship has offered me the most. Part social worker, part teacher, part book reviewer - these are all the things I've already committed my life to. Life is wild and wonderful sometimes.

Recommended for: library students, library teachers, librarians at all stages of their careers.

Final thoughts: I'm so glad I picked this book up before the start of my fall semester. It was the perfect motivator for jumping back in to classes and keeping my focus on the purpose of all this reading, discussing, writing, and learning.

The New Librarianship Field Guide by R. David Lankes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First thoughts: This book reaffirmed things I've learned already in library school, and reminded me of other concepts I'm excited to learn more about.

Favorite quotes:

"Let's face it, if you're reading this, you are either are or want to be a librarian." (guilty)

"The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities."

Career thoughts: Librarians are in the knowledge business, not the information business, and knowledge is a conversation. A conversation leading to creation, which is the purest form of creativity I can think of. I'd love to be a part of those conversations in the future.

Recommended for: library students, library teachers, librarians at all stages of their careers.

Final thoughts: One of the best points this book made for me was in the admittance of mistakes librarians of the past made (and those present librarians make, and the ones librarians of the future will make) - Lankes says we honor these librarians by questioning and improving their systems. It does no good to pretend libraries were always beacons of democracy, or to assume that all librarians always have the best interests of their communities in mind when making decisions, but if enough librarians and library members take the time to understand why decisions were made, and when it's time to change things up, libraries will continue to stand for equality and access for everyone.


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