In today’s world where we can Google any subject, download oodles of information, and basically get anything we want to know about errrr…. anything we want to know…. the librarian may seem like an outdated concept. After all, who really needs to talk to a person when we can just find it out ourselves if we just invest enough time in researching and fact-finding and….
Let me share a story. Up until about a year ago I did not use my library. Sure, I have been a book lover since I was 5, but if a book was out there I wanted to read, I bought it. It was my love of books that eventually drew my back to the library but even then I had a vision of walking into a building that would be outdated and not appeal to me. What I walked out of the library with was a new way to find books I love…
and a library card.
Within the brick walls of our library I found librarians that were quick to help me… no longer was I digging through a card file to find a book… now there are computers that will not only give me the book information, but tell me if it is currently in house. If I had a question, the reference desk had people willing to help me that could talk books with me…. one of my favorite subjects!
Through wit and facts, Marilyn Johnson takes us the reader through the value of our Librarians chapter by chapter. In this quick and information bursting book I find it bursting with what it takes to a librarian – then and now.. and how these amazing people work hard to stay on the cutting edge. And lets not forget the libraries themselves… these buildings scream – or in this case whisper, “community”.
I used this book as a reference guide and enjoyed the different chapters. I found myself laughing out loud in the section on The Blog People. Librarian bloggers – now why had I not considered that before? I don’t want to give too much away but the content in this particular section was delightful and hilarious…. Librarians venting about their jobs in some cases… and you know (oh you know!) I have to look them up on-line for myself.
Chapter by chapter I became more aware of the incredible service our librarians provide. While this book wasn’t a quick read, some of the chapters felt a bit wordy, I did find the book as a whole to be interesting.
If you are a library frequenter… or have considered becoming one but think the whole concept is outdated, you will want to be giving this book a try. There is a whole lot more going on within the wall s of your library than you may think – and chances are like me – you may be pleasantly surprised.
“Remember,” the representative from the Library Association reminded the sea of librarians as they prepared to meet the politicians, “we aren’t asking on our behalf. We are asking on behalf of of those thousands behind us. We’re asking on behalf of the children, on behalf of the tens and hundreds of millions of people who use libraries to develop their skills and to find jobs…”
~page 261
For those of you who are in an area that has a library, I highly encourage you to support it. Walk in those doors, get a library card – and prepare yourself to be amazed.
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The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading map has been updated to include This Books Is Overdue
I received this book as part of TLC Book Tours
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