ERIC Number: EJ907243
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Dec
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1041-7915
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Librarians Forever!
Gharst, Loretta
Computers in Libraries, v30 n10 p6-11 Dec 2010
The rumored death of librarianship caused by the advent of technology has not, and will not, come to pass. In this article, the author describes how technology has exponentially increased the librarian's ability to provide library service at the Calcasieu Parish Public Library, where she serves as head of Collection & Computing Services. The core of library service is organizing, providing access, and guiding others in the use of materials. Material format changes (handwritten scrolls to printed books to ebooks) and methods change, but the core service roles do not. These service roles can be called the organizer, the gatekeeper, and the navigator. The author contends that library administrators need to recognize the impact of technology on library work and the need to dedicate staff time for training to use technology for library work. Library job descriptions need to take technology skills into account. When staffing libraries, administrators should look for people who have the combination of technology and people skills that will continue to support the core library services of organizing, providing access and guidance in using the library. Libraries will forever need librarians to fill the core service roles of organizers, gatekeepers, and navigators.
Descriptors: Public Libraries, Library Services, Librarians, Library Administration, Library Materials, Library Automation, Online Catalogs, Documentation, Standards, Cataloging, Catalogs, Metadata, Coding, Users (Information)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A