What are Libraries and Librarians?

What are Libraries

and Librarians?Bookwards and

Bookwardens—or what?

LIB 600 Libraries and Education Spring 2015

2 What is a Library?

3

4

http://www.whyzz.com/what-is-a-library

5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXqsnZVxhos

6 An Aussie take on this!

7 Library, as defined by librarians

library– From the Latin liber, meaning “book.” In

Greek and the Romance languages, the

corresponding term is bibliotheca. A collection

or group of collections of books and/or other

print or nonprint materials organized and

maintained for use (reading, consultation, study,

research, etc.). Institutional libraries, organized

to facilitate access by a specific clientele, are

staffed by librarians and other personnel trained

to provide services to meet user needs. By

extension, the room, building, or facility that

houses such a collection, usually but not

necessarily built for that purpose.

8 OK—so what is a librarian?

9 Merriam-Webster?

10 The librarian definition?

librarian

– A professionally trained person responsible for

the care of a library and its contents, including

the selection, processing, and organization of

materials and the delivery of information,

instruction, and loan services to meet the needs

of its users (to see examples, try a keyword

search on the term in Google Images). In the

online environment, the role of the librarian is

to manage and mediate access to information

that may exist only in electronic form.

11 Wait, there’s more!

librarian– In the United States, the title is reserved for persons

who have been awarded the M.L.S. or M.L.I.S.

degree, or certified as professionals by a state

agency. Also refers to the person responsible for the

overall administration of a library or library

system, synonymous in this sense with library

director. Classified by functional specialization

(acquisitions librarian, cataloger, instruction

librarian, reference librarian, serials librarian,

systems librarian, etc.), librarians in the United

States are organized in the American Library

Association (ALA) and its affiliates and the Special

Libraries Association (SLA). Compare with support

staff.

12 What does this mean?

1. The definition attempts to define limits for the

title by designating an academic qualification

(it is “reserved for persons who have been

awarded the M.L.S. or M.L.I.S. degree, or

certified as professionals by a state agency.”).

It also notes that this is a “professionally

trained person.”

2. At the same time, the definition implies that

there is great variation in how it’s applied,

from “mere” professionals to administrators,

to the Librarian of Congress.

13 Other attempts to define “librarian”

http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2006/

08/what-is-librarian-defining-

profession.html

14 See also (a cataloger’s phrase! )

http://www.slideshare.net/wball/what-is-a-librarian-by-sheila-cannell

15

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdeFuF5P714

16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNYIx1oGtew&feature=related

17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEw0nmGwm5E

18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym06hUckPeg&feature=related

elementswww.animationfactory.com