[Publib] Library Administration & Ron's Postings

[Burns, Megan]

I am a library student and we are required to participate in at least 2
listservs as part of one of our papers. It requires us to participate -
although we do not have to provide proof of this - and then to write
journal entries discussing what we have learnt from the list, how we
could use the knowledge in our jobs, etc. I have had great fun following
this list - although a lot of the information does not apply to me as I
do not live in the US, but it has been very interesting regardless of
location.
Thank you all 

Megan 
Network Library Assistant
Christchurch City Libraries
New Zealand 

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Su Epstein
Sent: Saturday, 31 May 2008 5:08 am
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Library Administration & Ron's Postings

Somewhat as devil's advocate here....

A majority seems to be irritated at Ron, and have to my reading made the
threat - that by posting a treaty on what lib administration should be -
against the protocol of this list and without proper justification - he
would not be considered for employment.

Aside from the list's traditional postings and the author's legitimacy,
there are some other issues raised by this and perhaps better discussed:

1.  As working librarians, how do we feel about the teachers of our
profession giving the assignment to 'go post to a list'?  

I think this is a problem - with the teacher!  Prior to librarianship, I
taught college for over 10 years.  Even graduate students take things
literally, and I feel it is a teacher's responsibility to teach.  Tell a
student to immerse themselves in a community is fine, but don't tell
them (or set them up) to invade the community.  Telling student (of any
stage or
discipline) to go post - is an invasion and I say a fault of the
originator of the message, not the messenger.

As Library Professionals - what is our relationship to librarianship
education and the professionals in that area?


2.  As professional librarians, how do we feel we are representing
ourselves, if a potential misguided comment on a online list, by one
clearly identifying themselves as a novice gets a threatening response?

This certainly does not makes us seem like an open minded, friendly
bunch.
Would I interview or hire this young man?  I don't know - for aside from
one, out of context post, that reads like a paper assignment, I don't
know a thing about him, his background, his work ethic, etc.  Would I
hire him sight unseen? Of course not.  Would I tell him, don't bother to
send in the application?  Of course not.

What is the image of a library career? What do we want this image to be?
How to get there?


3.  The student's post, while not asking a question, does raise some
interesting issues suggesting we:

"should strive to branch out and connect with source of entertainment,
educational opportunities, fund raising ideas, hosted programs for
senior citizens, activities like storying telling and puppet shows for
children and graphical/creative and technological learning programs for
teenagers."

Do we all agree?  Should public libraries be used for entertainment?
How do we define education?  Where do the lines between educational
institutions of our community and the public library get drawn?

All interesting questions to me - raised by this statement. 

"should be the vanguard and leaders when advocating academic success and
research information gathering. They too should be advocates for
empowering the general public. In fact, public libraries'
administrations should have guides in every library information on how
to manage a library."

The public library vanguard and leaders for advocating academic
success...
I'm not comfortable with that.  Where are the school libraries?  The
academic libraries in this?  I've worked as an academic, a school
librarian, in special and private libraries - all have a roll.

Many of us in publics have come from different places - what do you
think about this?  

If we agree, what is the implication for us?  If we disagree - what are
those implications?

I find these more productive and interesting paths than Ron's posting or
career prospects.

Su
 
Su Epstein, Ph.D.
Library Director
Saxton B. Little Free Library
Columbia, CT 06237




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