To Be a Librarian

When most people hear I'm currently working on my Masters in Library Science, it usually evokes a blank stare.  "Is that like cataloging?"  Inside I think, "oh boy!!"  What is it to be a Librarian?  There is absolutely no way to answer this question in one post, so I figured I would start with one, and work my way down the list, periodically.  Now, there is absolutely no way I could cover everything that a Librarian does, let's face it--even I don't know yet, but I want to talk here about what being a Librarian means to ME!!

THE GATEKEEPER

One of the greatest privileges afforded a Librarian is the opportunity to stand as a gatekeeper or a guardian of the past, the present, the future.  Each and every piece of information- written, spoken, tweeted, poked, or whatever the information vessel, is a piece of a puzzle.  This immense 3D puzzle is the picture of us.  Each book reflects not only an author, but also a society.  The "popular" books, speak of that society.  I personally believe that the burning of the Library of Alexandria is one of histories great tragedies.  All that knowledge, lost.  Not only in what was written and stored there, but also with the passing of that library, a cultural shift in how knowledge was pursued and thought of.  A Librarian gets to assume many roles, but it is our privilege to stand as guardians over knowledge in it's many forms, and to attempt to foster within our tiny realms a habitat of reflection, a pursuit of knowledge, a love of words, a passion for information, a desire to save them all--good or ill, for the future to look back upon.  We are to be objective; we do not care if what is written or thought now will be seen as frivolous or negative in the future or even if it will reflect well upon us, all that matters is that it exists.   We seek to preserve the Fact in Truth.  We stand as guardians of information, and pray everyone wishes to Come In!