Academic libraries article......

While scanning the daily newspapers today (noh I don't do it for pleasure, it is part of my job trust me!) I came across this article in The Guardian. I have highlighted some of the sentences in the article which made me nod my head while reading. I must admit, despite being a Librarian I hardly read books anymore, strange world isn't it?

In The Guardian, Tuesday 18 August 2009:

Academic libraries are undergoing a quiet revolution

Being a librarian these days is all about technology and customer service; no time to stick your

Anne Hannaford has a passion for what libraries can mean for people. Photograph: Andrew Fox
Thirty years ago, says Professor Jane Core, director of library and learning services at the University of Northumbria, people went into librarianship for a quiet life that had a bit of cachet. If they think that now, however, "they may be disappointed," she says. "Here, our focus is on working with people and with information." There's not much spare time to stick your nose in a book.
Applying for a job in a university library because you "love reading" isn't going to get you very far these days. These hallowed repositories of academic knowledge have changed beyond recognition over the last decade, and the people recruited to work in them have to be willing to embrace new technologies and customer service with an alacrity that would likely horrify the shushing custodians of the past.
The digital revolution in the late 1990s transformed – and is still transforming – everything, explains Toby Bainton, secretary of the Society of College, National and University Libraries (Sconul).
"It's been a mixed blessing," he explains. "Distributing and sharing information is much easier, but things are much more complex behind the scenes. Students think that what they see on their screens is free, but information is very valuable and has to be bought, so often what they see is very strictly controlled by contract."

I am not going to insert more of the article, don't want the newspaper to come after me! But you should be able to read the rest of it on the Guardian's website.

Information Officer needed!....

....my organisation is looking for an Information Officer (to replace me while I am on maternity leave from September) and so far we have not been very lucky! So if anyone out there is looking for a full time temp work in a marketing library situated in a lovely location (Maidenhead) with lots of staff benefits (free lunch is just one of them!) please let me know!

I know when I say Information Officer it sounds like it could be someone doing more or less anything, could be in a reception, at a police station, in a council and so on, so I understand that the title is what makes people feel that it is the sort of thing anyone can do (which explains the lack of qualified applicants for this position!).

Sorry but we do require a person with a LIS related qualification! It does state so on the advert, but unfortunately we (our profession) have not been successful in making the Information Officer a librarian related title only, and this is the punishment!

Luckily my manager (being a Librarian herself) feels the same way as I do (and should do!) that a Librarian's role cannot be replaced by a non-qualified librarian (unless we are talking about someone with years of experience in librarianship without qualifications...... which is a quite rare anyway...). It would have dangerous consequences for the existance of our profession, so why dig our own hole? We should naturally keep loyalty to our own profession just like any other profession would. I can imagine HR people may not fully agree with this (they have their reasons I guess!) but just like a Marketer would not want to be replaced by a Librarian, a Librarian cannot be replaced by a Receptionist (no offence to receptionists, they are very nice people, my mum is one of them even!)

What if I was a Business Librarian or a Business Information Researcher? Do you think it would help?

Anyway, any questions, please get back to me. I am very friendly and I am always happy to help :)