Librarians, teachers, and nurses: three noble careers that are dominated by women. What makes being a librarian such a noble professional, highly regarded by the communities they serve? I offer three reasons.
One: Shhhhhh!
We all had at least one, probably a few, school loudmouths and bullies. The library was always a safe place in school because the librarians made it that way. If you didn’t shush after a stern look and a “Shhh”, off to the Principals office you went. According to a Pew Study done in 2014, having a safe, quiet place to go to is highly revered by young and old alike.
Two: They Could Google Before There Was Google
Librarians never needed Google. They probably still don’t. They had the Dewey Decimal System and memory with greater storage capacity than the latest Apple Mac. Ask them for a suggestion of a novel with a happy ending that includes vampires, they’ll show you a few. Remember having a report to do for social studies on the customs of Africans? The librarian could show you how to find that in one of those heavy encyclopedias that you thought were only there collecting dust.
Three: They Educate Us Long After We Leave School
Internet? E-Readers? Lost Your Job? Librarians have your back. They seem to know what current trends need to be addressed head on. They schedule speakers, workshops and personal one-on-one sessions to help keep us up to speed.
I was recently speaking to one of my local librarians about the global issues facing whales and dolphins. I offered to donate books and videos including Blackfish, The Cove, The War on Whales and others highlighting the issues facing cetaceans. She agreed to do a special display in the library.
Perhaps we should say thanks more often to those librarians who quietly go about their job. Not all Superheroes wear capes.
One: Shhhhhh!
We all had at least one, probably a few, school loudmouths and bullies. The library was always a safe place in school because the librarians made it that way. If you didn’t shush after a stern look and a “Shhh”, off to the Principals office you went. According to a Pew Study done in 2014, having a safe, quiet place to go to is highly revered by young and old alike.
Two: They Could Google Before There Was Google
Librarians never needed Google. They probably still don’t. They had the Dewey Decimal System and memory with greater storage capacity than the latest Apple Mac. Ask them for a suggestion of a novel with a happy ending that includes vampires, they’ll show you a few. Remember having a report to do for social studies on the customs of Africans? The librarian could show you how to find that in one of those heavy encyclopedias that you thought were only there collecting dust.
Three: They Educate Us Long After We Leave School
Internet? E-Readers? Lost Your Job? Librarians have your back. They seem to know what current trends need to be addressed head on. They schedule speakers, workshops and personal one-on-one sessions to help keep us up to speed.
I was recently speaking to one of my local librarians about the global issues facing whales and dolphins. I offered to donate books and videos including Blackfish, The Cove, The War on Whales and others highlighting the issues facing cetaceans. She agreed to do a special display in the library.
Perhaps we should say thanks more often to those librarians who quietly go about their job. Not all Superheroes wear capes.
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