ETL504 - The Text: Introduction and Scenarios

The introduction of the text confused me as to what the management role of a librarian might be. It seems to me that the idea of management is an implicit part of what a librarian does. I am surprised that the ethical and moral nature of the job needs to be spelled out. This is especially interesting in an educational context. At the moment it feels like the library is a separate domain in the school. I think there needs to be more integration. As a new teacher librarian I feel I have so much more responsibility but none of the recognition for it.

I found most of the scenarios overwhelming. How do we know what things are going to look like in the future? We can have a sense of where they might be heading but to assume that libraries won’t exist, or that technology is going to take over, are quite broad generalisations.

The thing that struck me most when reading the scenarios is the idea that “the service aspect of libraries needs to dominate and drive the debate and development of library paradigms with the underlying and imperative factor of human connectedness” (p153). Where, if not in libraries, are learners going to develop information literacy. It is important then, that library managers (for want of a better term) are skilled in this themselves. Not everyone works happily with ICT, librarians need to facilitate these skills. A computer cannot teach you computer skills unless you have the skills to use it in the first place.

This leads into what everyone has been saying about children/students and ICT. You cannot just assume they know how to use it properly because they are on their mobile or ipod all the time. I find that students are not discerning when it comes to information they find online. Most figure that a google search is enough for an assignment. They may know how to use technology well for social purposes but they are out of their depth when it comes to anything academic.