[Publib] Re: The Death of Reference / Librarian Stereotyping

[Donna Block]

I'm an MLS student, under 30, and have worked as a reference
paraprofessional for just over a year; so my perspectives are obviously
going to be very different from many on this list.  While I do answer
questions like, "Where is the bathroom?" several times a day, I don't
have a problem with that.  The strangest question I've been asked had to
do with the use of taser guns against heat-seeking weapons.  Two of the
most challenging had to do with annual biomass production in the U.S.,
and the tuition for North Park University for the past five years (not
as simple a task as it may seem, considering that the college
directories are only kept for a couple of years).  Answers to both
questions were found on the internet (but not with Google) and took
about 10 minutes.  I've also helped a patron track down two different
books when he couldn't remember the authors or titles, and wasn't really
sure what they were about.  He remembered that he'd seen one author on
Charlie Rose, and heard the other on Wisconsin public radio, and that
(plus Internet access) was enough for me to find both books.  I wish
sometimes that I would be asked more questions like that, but I have a
lot of fun with the vague, open-ended questions that I get every day.
Most come from students with assignments breathing down their necks.
"Where are books on psychology and abuse?"  "I'm writing a paper ...
about globalization?"  Through a little gentle interrogation, I can help
them define what it is that they're looking for, and then direct them to
all the books I can find that could help them. Even when the topic is
clear, finding the right books can be a challenge.  For instance, I just
spent about 10 minutes helping a youngster locate biographies on
Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen that aren't either checked out or
more than 200 pages long. I have no doubt that the web has greatly
changed reference service, but I view the Internet as a convenience,
rather than nails in a coffin.

 

While the veracity of the dried up old crone image is slightly
bothersome, I've come to terms with being called "ma'am," and having to
remind people not to use their cell phones in the quiet study area.  Who
knows, maybe someday I will wear reading glasses and twist my hair into
a bun.

 

Donna

My 2 cents

 

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