1. Librarians like to read. I still maintain this sentiment, wholeheartedly, and with good reason. The MLIS program is quite reading intensive, so if one doesn't like to read, one doesn't last long! That being said, I will expand this assumption to the notion that Librarians like to learn. Reading is often the vehicle through which learning is achieved. Throughout this semester, my classmates have taught me a lot about who we are as a community, and what I can expect when I enter the profession. In class discussions, my classmates referenced things they read in book and online, things they watched in movies and on the news, things they heard on NPR, interviews, songs, etc. Librarians are inquisitive, curious, well-read people with a lot to say!
2. Libraries are places to gather. Again, I agree. In my initial post, I discussed the changing atmosphere of the public library, and the idea of access. I talked about the role of academic libraries on college campuses. While I agree with both of these sentiments still, I would, again, expand the idea of the gathering place. In The Hollywood Librarian, we saw immigrants from all over the world coming together to learn English at the library. We also saw children coming to learn songs and language, to make friends, and to move and be active. During a number of Think Tank articles and through the research of one of the groups in class, we learned about Makerspaces, where patrons could come together to learn a craft. The gathering doesn't always have to be social, either. Individuals go to gather amongst others, maybe to just go sit and read, and never really converse with those around them. Students gather to study, often individually, but sharing a table or workspace to keep them from distractions found at home. Writers may use libraries to gather their thoughts, using the inspiration of books and knowledge that surrounds them. After the most recent case of the shooting of Michael Brown, the Ferguson Public Library was a refuge for community members and students. So long as there is a community, libraries will always be a place to gather. We learned it on day one, and it has been reinforced each week since: Libraries are about the people, and Libraries and Librarians exist to provide a service to their communities.
3. Big Data is either going to make it or break it, possibly both. Reading this section now in my original post, I wouldn't add or subtract a thing. My experience with my group covering the role of Big Data in LIS confirmed this assumption. I did find it interesting that I gave Twitter a shout-out, which I forgot about, but then went on to study the Twitter Archive at the Library of Congress for my individual post in our group blog. Ah, foreshadowing.
4. The modern librarian is both the job of a future as well as a job of the past. Not only do I agree with these sentiments, I think this is the most important aspect of librarianship. It's important to remember the foundations that gave way to librarianship, yet we must also stay on the cutting edge of technology. This is not to say that each new tech advancement must be immediately adopted, but rather, librarians must be aware of these advancements as they are monitored for longevity and usefulness. In my intended career working with data, it is even more apparent that my job will one of the future. In day 1, we learned that many of our future jobs haven't even been created yet!
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