This is for the MLIS candidates in the iSchool...
Why did you start your library training? Â Yes, I know you care about digital literacy and connecting people with information. Â Youâve argued fervently for streamlined user experiences and your enthusiasm for classification theory is palpable.
But seriously, what made you want to be a librarian? Â It was books wasnât it? Â Itâs ok, I promise I wonât tell your professors. Â
For those of us who want to work in libraries, and for a good chunk of our colleagues who donât, books were our gateway drug to information science. Â We love the feel; we love the smell; we love novels and histories and poetry. Â We love our Kindles, too. Â We lose ourselves in written stories that we devour whenever we get a quiet moment.
Thereâs a lot of eye-rolling that goes on in library school when students declare their passion for books. Â âItâs not enough,â the knowing scoff. Â And, sure, it isnât, but for most of us, this love makes the difference between getting by and getting motivated. Â
One of the major goals for Circulation to to become that space in the iSchool where we can come together to get excited about literature and writing. Â Whether you love The Pickwick Papers or The Clockwork Orange, whether you run on poetry or crave visual art, this is your space. Â Letâs come together and explore these passions!
Loving books may not be enough, but itâs not a bad place to start, right?
- Becky Ramsey, Co-Editor-in-Chief, MLIS Candidate