Hats off to Erik Lacitis who wrote this fine piece on the value of librarians in Seattle. Nice job.
\”That Seattleite suddenly wondered, \”How many Muslims live in the United States?\” And, of course, he had no clue.
That is when he ended up talking to someone such as Joanne Clemmons, a librarian at the downtown Seattle Public Library, who was sitting in a room containing a Lazy Susan with four tiers holding some 500 reference books at her fingertips, plus computers accessing the Internet.
Clemmons pulled out the 2001 World Almanac and there was the answer ? 5,780,000 Muslims.\”
Hats off to Erik Lacitis who wrote this fine piece on the value of librarians in Seattle. Nice job.
\”That Seattleite suddenly wondered, \”How many Muslims live in the United States?\” And, of course, he had no clue.
That is when he ended up talking to someone such as Joanne Clemmons, a librarian at the downtown Seattle Public Library, who was sitting in a room containing a Lazy Susan with four tiers holding some 500 reference books at her fingertips, plus computers accessing the Internet.
Clemmons pulled out the 2001 World Almanac and there was the answer ? 5,780,000 Muslims.\”
\” And then maybe another Seattleite was listening to talk radio and getting all worried about the subject matter being discussed. Suddenly that Seattleite wondered, \”What are the symptoms of anthrax, and how is it spread?\”
Now, some rigorous academician types might sneer at the World Book Encyclopedia, what with its simple, summarized explanations. But working the phones at the library\’s Quick Information line, Clemmons knows her callers aren\’t expecting a Ph.D. treatise.
The World Book Encyclopedia explains anthrax in three paragraphs, and tells that fever, vomiting and shock are among the symptoms.
Clemmons tells me she never considers any question too stupid. \”We take a certain amount of pride in treating people\’s questions with equanimity,\” she tells me. (And, hey, you can call 206-386-4636 to find out what equanimity means. I\’m just glad my computer has spell-check.)\”
For example, she tells me, one woman calls on a regular basis and asks, \”What is the date?\” The librarians always provide the answer with equanimity.
\”
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