It was an extremely cold and snowy day when I started my Intro to the Information Profession class. School did not start out as I had planned. Mondays were my day off of work and my plan was to spend the entire day working on school work. Instead school for my kids was cancelled, my husband wasn't able to make it into work and I found myself attempting to do school work with chaos instead of quiet. Today as I reflect back on this past semester, I am sitting at my desk with the windows and doors open to the fresh air although the kids are off of school again so chaos is reigning!
This semester has made me stop and think many times about my ideas of what a library is. During my library visits, I went to an academic library that really turned my thoughts completely around. During my time at college, the library was a place to grab information. While some students went to the library to study, it was at tables with uncomfortable chairs which never appealed to me. Now academic libraries are seeking ways to make themselves user friendly. There are comfortable chairs, reading nooks, fireplaces, tables and chairs that can be moved and reconfigured for group work, computer areas that allow several people to collaborate on a project and food and drinks are welcome. This made me rethink how even public libraries could use these same principles for their own patrons. Not everyone just runs into the library to grab a book. Some patrons would like to have comfortable spaces to sit and read, chat with friends and maybe enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Why can't libraries be this?
Each community faces different challenges and I believe that libraries need to be a part of the solution. This involves the library staff working with community services, helping to figure out what challenges are being faced and being part of the solution. This might involve changing up how things have been done in the past. Maybe the community has many working parents that cannot attend the regular story time during the morning. The library could host a story time in the evening so these children can attend then with their parents and they can use the library then.
The library profession needs to be able to constantly change as the community and needs change. We cannot find a groove where we feel we fit best and stay in the same tracks for years. We need to evolve, change and be flexible always. We need to stay relevant to the community or we will lose their support. I am excited to see where the library world takes me. I hope that during my journey I can continue to learn, grow and make positive changes to my library as well as to myself. What a wonderful opportunity it will be.
This semester has made me stop and think many times about my ideas of what a library is. During my library visits, I went to an academic library that really turned my thoughts completely around. During my time at college, the library was a place to grab information. While some students went to the library to study, it was at tables with uncomfortable chairs which never appealed to me. Now academic libraries are seeking ways to make themselves user friendly. There are comfortable chairs, reading nooks, fireplaces, tables and chairs that can be moved and reconfigured for group work, computer areas that allow several people to collaborate on a project and food and drinks are welcome. This made me rethink how even public libraries could use these same principles for their own patrons. Not everyone just runs into the library to grab a book. Some patrons would like to have comfortable spaces to sit and read, chat with friends and maybe enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Why can't libraries be this?
Each community faces different challenges and I believe that libraries need to be a part of the solution. This involves the library staff working with community services, helping to figure out what challenges are being faced and being part of the solution. This might involve changing up how things have been done in the past. Maybe the community has many working parents that cannot attend the regular story time during the morning. The library could host a story time in the evening so these children can attend then with their parents and they can use the library then.
The library profession needs to be able to constantly change as the community and needs change. We cannot find a groove where we feel we fit best and stay in the same tracks for years. We need to evolve, change and be flexible always. We need to stay relevant to the community or we will lose their support. I am excited to see where the library world takes me. I hope that during my journey I can continue to learn, grow and make positive changes to my library as well as to myself. What a wonderful opportunity it will be.
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