Do Librarians Have a PR Problem?

 

Stereotypes 

Do you think librarians have a public relations (PR) problem?  Come on, admit it.  When you first hear the word "librarian" do you picture a middle-aged woman (usually white) wearing glasses and shushing you?  Possibly doing something with a book?  If so, you're not alone.  

 

Perhaps this too sounds familiar?  Female librarians are repressed, plain spinsters.  (Because intelligent, educated women couldn't possibly have a healthy sex life.)  And male librarians are fussy and must be gay, because heterosexual men (aka masculine) wouldn't be doing "women's work". 

 

As a librarian, I take personal exception to these stereotypes.  And okay yes, I’m a middle-aged white lady.  With glasses.  Technically a spinster… Let’s move on. 

 

It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that the first librarians in the U.S. were actually educated white men.  White middle-class women started entering the profession in the 1880's.  By 1930, 90% of the librarians were women.  Not particularly shocking considering women were (and still are) cheaper labor. 

 

Recent data shows it's still a female dominated profession - 82.5% female vs. 17.5% male (2017 data).  And 88% of librarians are white (2014 ALA survey).  Librarians also have a diversity problem.  But they're working on it. 

 

Librarianship Today 

Although the stereotypes may persist, librarianship has changed a lot in the last century, thanks in large part to the Internet.  Although librarians may still deal with books, more and more information is now available through electronic resources.  A LOT of electronic resources. 

 

The amount of information available to the public today is overwhelming.  With approximately 328.77 terabytes of data created every day.  And librarians, with their special skills and training, are in a unique position to search, retrieve, organize, store and disseminate this massive data for you.   

 

Types of Libraries and Librarians 

How many libraries are there in the US?  The American Library Association (ALA) estimates that there are 123,627 libraries in the U.S. today. (Library Statistics and Figures: Number of Libraries in the United States)  

• 9,057 Public Libraries 
• 3,697 Academic Libraries (colleges) 
• 105,451 School Libraries (public and private) 
• 4,396 Special Libraries (e.g. law, medical, museums, corporate, etc.) 
• 225 Armed Forces Libraries 
• 801 Government Libraries  

Who else works in libraries besides librarians? Library workers can include Library Technicians, Library Assistants, Administrators and more.   

 

Can anyone be a librarian?  Education requirements may vary, but librarians are usually required to have a Master's degree in Library Science (MLS) and/or Information Science (MLIS).   

 

Isn't the job title "librarian" somewhat outdated?  Why do we need a "custodian of books" if we have no books?  There are so many new titles and fields, especially in the business world, it would be impossible to list them all.  But some examples include: Research Specialist, Information Broker, Data Analyst, Knowledge Management, Competitive Intelligence.  But librarian works too. 

 

What Do Librarians Do? 

Many non-librarians have no idea what librarians do (there's that bad PR again).  I was a librarian in a law firm for 23 years and my own family and friends probably still don't know what I did.   

 

Once my law library moved away from books to electronic resources, they were even more in the dark. "You don't have books anymore?  Does that mean you don't have a job?" 

 

Librarians do a lot of different things.  It's what helps keep the job interesting.  The specific duties depend on the type of library, the position, and the clientele.  But at its most basic level, librarians help you find information.  Whether it’s a book you want to read, the best electronic resource for your needs, or an answer to a legal question.  If it’s out there, they will find it (or die trying). 

 

In addition to researchers, librarians may also be trainers, educators, public speakers, website managers, archivists, analysts, catalogers, contract negotiators, resource evaluators, and administrators (e.g. pay the bills, manage budgets and personnel).  We also answer a lot of questions. 

 

National Library Week 

National Library Week (generally the second week in April) is an annual week-long celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. (National Library Week)   

 

Libraries and librarians have had a very positive influence in my life and I wanted to pay tribute to them this week.  I was the nerdy kid who was always hanging out in the library.  Looking for a new adventure or piece of knowledge in the pages of a book. 

 

As libraries and their resources have evolved, so has how I use them.  20 years ago I may have checked out print books and books-on-tape in cassette then CD format.  10 years ago I was downloading e-books and audiobooks onto my iPad and I went to the library for wi-fi access and DVDs.   

 

These days I mostly access library resources remotely.  In addition to checking out e-books and audiobooks through their Libby app, I can stream movies through Kanopy or Hoopla.  And I can read newspapers through their Research Databases.  All for free. 

 

But there is a cost.  Today, librarians are facing all kinds of challenges. School libraries have to deal with book bans and mass shootings.  Special libraries have to deal with decreasing budgets and staff attrition.  Public libraries have to deal with the decline in reading, attention spans, civility, and faith in objective information. (Top Ten Challenges Facing Public Libraries)  

 

Librarians are on the front lines of these battles. They deserve our recognition and support (and their PR isn't always up to the task).  So next time you encounter a librarian, please be sure to thank them. 

 

Do you use your neighborhood library?  If so, what for?