[Publib] Re: Why librarianship

[Rebecca Bronson]

It truly is the last refuge for the renaissance person; it helps to know a
little bit about a lot of topics (I do--I think :)). Hand in hand with that,
you never look up the same thing twice in two days (unless there's a school
project), so I'm never bored at work.

The biggest reason I'm in this job, tho, is because it allows me to be a
part of something in the community that matters. The library is one of the
great societal equalizers. We provide access to those without; we are often
the service providers of last resort. See: the recent thread on services to
the homeless.

Here's an example from our library just last week: I was on the desk and a
woman came up and said that she had just left her husband and he had locked
her out. She had no phone, no computer, no way to get in touch with her
family. She didn't have a library card, nor did she have ID on her to get
one. We put her on one of our computers as a guest, where she could contact
her family and friends and let them know that she was ok and on her way to a
shelter. I also got her the number for our local crisis hotline for further
services. She was deeply grateful, and if we hadn't been here, I'm not sure
what she would have done.


Rebecca Bronson
Reference Librarian
Handley Regional Library
P.O. Box 1300
Stephens City, VA  22655

540-869-9000 (voice)
540-869-9001 (fax)

www.hrl.lib.state.va.us