Let’s Stop Taking Librarians For-Granted

Librarians are guides to knowledge and the ways to exploit materials. According to a http://www.Today.com calendar of national observances, April 16^th marked National Librarian Day.

According to InfoDocket.com, 1.32 billion people used their public libraries, and 55% of Americans are registered users. So, with the U.S. population of 330 million, more than 165 million people use a public library.

According to Perplexity.AI, “National Librarian Day in the U.S. is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the invaluable contributions of librarians to their communities and society at large175. The primary purposes of this observance include:

• Celebrating Librarians’ Roles: The day acknowledges librarians as essential stewards of knowledge, literacy, and lifelong learning. Librarians do far more than manage books—they organize complex collections, teach classes, run community programs, and help patrons navigate both print and digital resources157.
• Raising Awareness: National Librarian Day highlights the often underappreciated work of librarians and educates the public about the breadth of their responsibilities, which have evolved to include technology integration, digital literacy, and community engagement47.

How much and well do we value librarians? According to the American Library Association, we do, and well. link

My Minneapolis Public Library is something I value. But, my local branch being near my home, and convenient, I take for granted. And I take for granted my wit and my ability to use the digital catalog in order to find what books, magazines or DVDs I seek. Most of the library workers I deal with don’t seem to be trained librarians.

When I go to the library, acting according to lessons from the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” I know what I seek and know how to use the catalog system, and know the way in which the materials are in my mind, “disorganized”. I seldom go to the librarian’s table seeking help. I am probably among the last people you should ask about working with librarians.

One virtue is that my library is a frugal way to have access to items, which otherwise I would need to pay for. For example, I can maintain my reading habit if I read rapidly enough; for example, if that book is in-demand and has been in-turn requested by other users I’d need to finish that book within three weeks. Even if I read 10 pages per day, I might fail that date.

The library workers special skills seem to lie in knowing the library’s layout better than me because they work there. Being independent, and maybe proudly stubborn, I take pride in not needing to ask a librarian for help. At older than age 50, is mine a reasonable bias?

The Twin Cities is a place where people can improve their wits. It’s renown for having highly-educated and civically-engaged residents. The University of Minnesota, Augsburg University, Hamline University, Macalester College and their ilk occupy the metro area.

On colleges, I remember a funny scene of a cerebral pissing contest, between the titular towny character in “Good Will Hunting” and a college student at a Harvard bar. It’s about knowledge and library late charges, “You dropped $150,000 for an education you could’ve gotten for $1.50 in late charges at the fuckin’ public library.“

If for someone reason, you avoided a college and a degree, but relied zealously on your public library, you might work a wonder of self education. You would probably need librarians’ help at some point. And someone would ask why you avoided pursuing a degree.