Self‐Examination: The Present and Future of Librarianship

Citation

Ellis‐Barrett, L. (2009), "Self‐Examination: The Present and Future of Librarianship", Library Review, Vol. 58 No. 2, pp. 138-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530910936970

Librarians are an important group of people. It is librarians who can be considered the guardians of knowledge and who open the gateway to information for the people who need it. This aspect of our role is without doubt the most obvious. What is considered less often is what makes us into librarians, and what is it exactly that we do that makes us so indispensable? For the more thoughtful librarian, scholars and students of librarianship or knowledge management this book provides an interesting and thought provoking study.

Once librarians have found and established an identity for themselves they need to work on it, hone it perhaps and continually strive to meet its requirements. One of the ways in which this can be done successfully is through the education of new professionals. By sharing our knowledge with those new to the profession we continually develop our own understanding of the role that we play in the lives of those that we serve. Furthermore, we are able to understand the importance of difference. This could be the difference in the roles that a librarian takes on from public to school, health, legal or business librarians there is a role to suit almost every interest.

Having understood the importance of being different and taking on different roles it is then an easier step to understanding the role that we play in the wider context of the society in which we work. I have repeated this point with good reason for if librarians are to successfully evaluate themselves and their role, both in the present and for the future, then it is important that the focus is appropriately addressed. If we do not meet the needs of our society, who are after all, our raison d'être, then we cannot assess our present role or that of our future with any certainty. Librarianship has a rich history of potential and we need to learn how to reflect upon this in order to remain conscious of its purpose as a profession and as a group of individuals.

Self‐Examination is a quest for meaning in a profession that is all about quests – for meaning, and for understanding – but always personal to the requester. Librarians spend their working lives informing others. We need to remember sometimes the importance of informing ourselves. This could be advocating personal and professional development or just a reminder to occasionally sit back and reflect. In our work we provide value. It is a social phenomenon that requires us to provide information. People want to know, they ask questions and they expect to be able to find answers. This is as a result of being surrounded by those who want us to know and also the yearning for a deeper and broader understanding of issues that interest and even concern us. As librarians we can contribute to what people know and how they come to know it. How this links to knowledge is a challenging question that forms part of the process of Self‐Examination.

Librarians alter their practices led by demand from society. It is understood that this is the way in which we operate and it is accepted. This may mean that we are merely part of the collection of knowledge; if we are pro‐active it could however result in us being active participants in the processes of learning, exploring and discovering. This is what librarians have done, do at the present and I hope are striving to continue to do in the future. Firstly, however, we must learn to use the past. Understanding our past and where we come from will aid our development and help us to form a secure identity.

What is the purpose of a library? What is in a library? Who are the librarians? What is their purpose? Where are libraries and librarians going? All these questions and more are posed by Budd and answered to a greater or lesser degree in this title.

Beginning with a tantalisingly brief overview of the history of libraries that has been based on major historical periods – Antiquity; Empire; Late Middle Ages and Renaissance; Colonialism; nineteenth century and twentieth century – Budd moves on to consider place and identity though consideration of the laws of Ranganathan. His five laws are a very positive beginning for considering the role and place of libraries and librarians both in a contemporary framework and for the future. He moves on to consider the way in which Anglo‐American society takes libraries for granted, expecting them and realising that they are an essential part of everyday life. This is an essential consideration to bear in mind when thinking about the role of identity. He continues with a consideration of the role of the librarian and the library, its ethical ramifications and the way in which Kant's categorical imperative, Bentham's consequentialist stance and John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism can be used to help us reflect on our practice.

Including a consideration of the modern Information Society and then pulling all these thoughts and ideas together, Budd's study of Self‐Examination is radical, thought provoking and challenging. For any librarian serious about where they and their profession are going this is an excellent resource that will provoke both thought and action.