John J Meier, science librarian,
Physical and Mathematical
Sciences Library
Send comments to:
meier@psu.edu
The 21st Century Librarians
When entering a university library these days, you are more likely to see computers before you see books. Perhaps it is not so unusual then to see a former computer engineer behind the reference desk. That’s me. After working for a while in a cubicle at a hi-tech company, I decided to seek a new career. A master degree in library science looked appealing primarily because, well, I liked books. But the surprises began immediately during course registration. Information Technology? Digital Preservation? Chat Reference? These topics were quite unexpected. It turned out that a background in computer technology was actually useful in my new career from the start. Certainly there were some differences to get used to since I was now in the gender minority and most of my fellow students didn’t share my background in the sciences. Overall, what I thought would be my handicap turned into an advantage.
Here at Penn State technology touches every part of the library, on the frontlines to behind the scenes. I’m still using my previous career and learning even more every day. Keeping pace with new and emerging technologies is a difficult but exciting part of my job. Instant messaging, for example, which has grown from computer geek origins to mainstream use, can let me quickly communicate with other librarians, faculty, and students. Faster than email with the synchronicity of a conversation, I can answer questions, share knowledge, and plan activities all over the University and beyond. A new innovation for Web pages, chat widgets, can put this on each library Web site and can break down the hurdles between users and librarians.
New social networking Web sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace, also build a communications channel between librarians and learners. Friends and professional contacts provide not just entertainment on these sites but also knowledge and assistance. I have the benefit of two careers and dozens of networks worth of contacts in computers and libraries.
Web 2.0 is the new Internet built on user-generated content of videos, podcasts, and blogs. The library is using these to teach and collaborate with students and faculty. Currently I’m part of two podcasts, audio programs available on the Web that teach Science Information Resources and communicate Social Networking Group discussions. For library guides students can use in specific courses, I have created blogs, which are Web pages that allow students to comment and have input on the library information relevant to their class.
I never expected working in a library to be like this, but the convenience and speed that technology can provide brings information and help to those that need it. That makes the modern university library an amazing place to work and learn.
Emily Rimland
(’99 Liberal Arts),
information literacy librarian,
Department of Library
Learning Services
"Live your passion."
That's what was scrawled on a cemetery gate in one of my favorite photos that was taken by father (Robert D. Forwood ’68 Science). "Live your passion" has become my mantra, and I became a librarian because of a passion for two things: working with people and technology. It actually wasn't because I love books (though I do) or because I'm an über-organized person (I like to think I'm somewhere in the middle). Rather, it was the realization that librarianship was the intersection of my interests—it brings people and technology together.
For me, librarianship today is about new ways—usually involving technology—of doing the valued and respected "old school" librarian things. For example, librarians still teach people how to find books, articles, and information; but we've added in new tools such as widgets, RSS feeds, and Facebook applications as gateways to the resources. We still answer reference questions, but we do it via instant messaging, text messaging, and email, in addition to the other forms. We still have reference desks, but we are experimenting with using mobile handheld devices to rove the libraries and help users at their point of need. Librarians still build collections, but this now includes e-books, online encyclopedias, and digitized collections. We enjoy teaching and incorporate topics like how to make a personalized research desktop (the online kind) and how to evaluate online resources for the good, the bad, and the ugly; and we do it using student response systems (a.k.a. "clickers") so that we have instant feedback about students' learning.
These are just some of the ways technology is shaping what librarians do today. Tomorrow it will certainly be different and that is what makes it so exciting. Not only does this mean life-long learning in my chosen career, but it also means that I get to teach other lifelong learners about how technology can help us learn, conduct research, and make life better. Simply put, it means that I am living my passion.