Library Science 101

My Approach at the RefDesk when helping a student or member of the faculty (which occasionally would get me into trouble):

• "Let's Try Something Else" (i.e. different database or different search terms, etc.)

Secrets of Library Science (Academic)

Secret Part 1 -- They Call It 'Teachable Moment':

Important to remember: the student is there to learn something. You don't look up the article -- the student does! You're there to make looking up anything a 'teachable moment'. That's your job, that's your responsibility. We all come out better for it!

Secret Part 2 -- Problem Finding Something?

If you're helping a student search for something and nothing turns up: Encourage the student to try another search term or database. Things can be hard to track down but there are a variety of sources to look up -- and a variety of search terms one can use to find them.

Goal of an Academic Research Librarian

Goal of an Academic Research Librarian: Teach the student how best to use the library's online research tools (article coming out) ...

Last Day Library

Reasons Why:

• Left due to inappropriate, nasty, mean-spirited treatment by library mgmt ...
• Ensuring a student who comes to us for research help -- ensuring that student from the ill-informed and disruptive behavior of a student worker is a professional responsibility...
• Because I was reprimanded (and put on probation) for having explained the system of how the library organizes its books (so the student could look the thing up herself next-time) instead of simply looking it up & giving her the call-number...
• When you're treated like shit, it's best to get out of the toilet...

It's called (on my part), 'Professional Responsibility', 'Teachable Moment', and 'Higher Education' ...

We Were All Librarians and All Human Beings

From an article written in 1944 about the Good Old Days of librarians in Chicago in the 1890s:

William Warner Bishop (1944): "As I look back on these formative years I am struck most of all by the sense of fellowship and solidarity among librarians. It was a new profession in our American conception of its possibilities; there was no little of the "missionary" spirit among its members, and there was much kindly feeling and much sharing of information and experience. A newcomer was made to feel at home. One instinctively felt he could rely on and trust his colleagues. I had a beautiful illustration of these solidarity ten years later, during my first summer at the Library of Congress. One of our messenger boys went swimming in the Potomac and was unfortunately drowned. His people came from a village near Milwaukee. They were too poor to come on to Washington, and the body was sent to Milwaukee to be transferred to their home. I telegraphed to Agnes Van Valkenburgh in the Milwaukee Public Library without any hesitation, and that great-hearted woman not only met the train bearing the corpse but went, provided with flowers, to the small town and to the funeral. It was a perfectly natural action on her part and on mine. We were all librarians and all human beings in distress at the sudden death of a very minor member of our calling. The incident is typical, and I like to recall it. We all felt not only pride in our work but a sense of responsibility toward our fellow librarians. It is a great thing to have been a member of such a profession."