Q: Historically, librarians have served as custodians of recorded knowledge and gatekeepers to information resources. To what extent has the rise of networked information services begun to change the roles that librarians play? What other factors, if any, are contributing to changes in the roles of librarians?
A1: Before the rise of networked information services, the library was the only place to find certain kinds of information; as Elizabeth Mahoney pointed out in lecture, librarians in the past were expected to possess a great deal of knowledge, and, much like they do today, they knew their collections and could guide patrons to the right resource to answer their questions. Today, there is discussion of brick-and-mortar libraries facing “competition” from the Internet, especially Google, and there is some belief that librarians might be supplanted (Borgman p. 39). This concern is largely unwarranted: “Almost everything that is best about a library catalog is done badly by a web search service” (Arms). Put another way, someone with training and expertise is needed to choose and catalog information if it is to be retrieved in a meaningful way. Certainly, for many uses, Google and Wikipedia are probably sufficient, but as anyone who has tried doing real research with Google knows, there is a great deal of irrelevant and incorrect information available. This is where librarians come in: we provide authoritative and relevant information, both in the physical spaces of our libraries and in digital collections. Our job, as described by John MacColl of Edinburgh University, is “running pleasant study environments, containing expert staff, providing havens on our campus which are well respected, and building and running high-quality Web-based services” (MacColl). [Word count: 227.]
(A few days pass. I read everyone’s responses to the question, and I formulate a response to their responses.)
A2: As several people’s essays correctly pointed out, many users do not know how to use library resources or the Internet to get the information they need. Neal Stephenson, an author and technology expert, recently commented on the informational divide: he pointed out that, while many of us have “a sixth sense” about what is a credible source and what is not, many simply do not, and he believes the gap is increasing. Remedying this problem, I believe, is the key goal of the modern information professional, but to do so effectively, our efforts must extend beyond our libraries’ physical and virtual walls; we must find ways to reach out to those in our communities who are being left behind.
Of course, that is not our only job. As one of my colleagues pointed out, to serve as effective gatekeepers, we must choose our libraries’ electronic resources wisely; if we filter digital content, we should do so just as cautiously as we would when filtering books.
I disagree with the implication some people are making, perhaps unintentionally, that the problem of authority originated with the rise of the Internet. Certainly, the ease of “publication” on the Internet has deepened the problem, but books have long been published more for their potential sales value than for their factual content; choosing authoritative sources has never been trivial. Even Encyclopedia Britannica fails to impress, when compared to Wikipedia (Giles). [Word count: 235. I’m cutting out roughly 80 words and posting what I get after that, to get into the ballpark of the 150 word limit, but it will sound stilted and sad. I share my real thoughts with you, readers!]
Arms, William Y. “Automated Digital Libraries, How Effectively Can Computers Be Used for the Skilled Tasks of Professional Librarianship?†D-Lib Magazine, July/August 2000. 6(7/8). Available online: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july00/arms/07arms.html.
Borgman, Christine L. From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to Information in the Networked World. MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 0-262-52345-0.
Giles, J. “Internet Encyclopaedias Go Head to Head.” Nature, 438, Dec 2005. pp. 900–901.
GoodReads Author Interview, Neal Stephenson. Available online: http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/14.Neal_Stephenson?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sep_newsletter. Retrieved Sept 21, 2008.
MacColl, J. “Google Challenges for Academic Libraries.” Ariadne, Issue 46. Feb 2006. Available online: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue46/maccoll/
(I cheated and used my classmates’ names. But here’s what I got when I cut it down. I think with 30 more words than this–and 35 fewer than I started with–it would sound pretty decent.)As Roxanne said, many people cannot find the information they need without assistance. Neal Stephenson, an author and technology expert, recently pointed out that, while many people have “a sixth sense” about what makes a credible source, many do not, and predicted an increase in that gap. Teaching information literacy is the key goal of modern information professionals, but doing so effectively will require leaving our libraries’ physical and virtual walls and reaching out to those who are being left behind. Certainly, our job extends further. As April said, we must choose our libraries’ electronic resources wisely; if we filter digital content, we should tread as cautiously as we would when filtering books.I disagree with the [possibly unintentional] implication that the authority problem originated with the Internet. Certainly, the ease of “publication” on the Internet deepens the problem, but books have often been published more for sales value than for factual content; choosing authoritative sources was never trivial. Even Encyclopedia Britannica fails to impress, when compared to Wikipedia (Giles).