Traits for the 21st century Librarian came out of a book discussion in one of Michael Stephen’s classes over at Dominican. The group read a bunch of books (like The Long Tail and The Wisdom of Crowds) and after two discussion groups, came together to talk about what traits and skills they would want to take into their careers. The list uncludes some wonderful traits:
- Not afraid of change & technology
- User-centered focus
- Spot trends and market them!
And many more…
we fear constancy
Having read the list I am surprised at how un-tech it is. Its mainly stuff about leadership and none of it is new. There is a fear among some of doing the same things over and over. I think it actually bothers them that there may be similarities between what is done today and what was done a hundred, even a thousand years ago.
Defining their presence by absence
Those happy change embracers focused on technology instead of on, well, the power of linear, extended argumentation (reading books) to enlighten us (aka devotion to western civ) need to envision a 21st century where they are…looking for some other line of work! Can’t they feel what’s coming? The library as repository AND as tech participant is about to dissolve into buggy-whip archaism.
The library as Homer’s home, public space, democratic forum, and read-aloud siren song venue could have survived this wave, but the boat is weighted down with technologists who can’t see the future and who have gutted the meaning of the public library. Their strident call for us to get with the program of “change” is really about recycling this present age’s machine dream, only ever so much more so. And this “change” — whatever its meaning/value/track record — is apriori good. In reality, librarians generally make mediocre thinkers and unthinking futurists. Let’s hope they all are good resume writers.