Library, a point of intersection

This is, in part, a response to the Library in the Lead Pipe post entitled, "A View From the Neutral Zone," and partially a discussion of my own goals as a librarian and educator. I have to say that I strongly agree with Markus Wust's assertions that the library can serve as a space where professors and experts can come together and collaborate. And I love the idea of Librarians working to foster collaboration by recognizing shared interests among different disciplines.

In my mind I see the library as a place of intersection, where students, faculty and staff all come to find information. It is physical and virtual. And I see it as the center of a University, where the idea exchange begins. So I think that librarians and library services need to be pushed up and out in the Academic community. To move up, we librarians need to be serving on administrative boards and committees, helping to redefine the library's place within the University structure. And to move out we need to go out and "hit them where they live." We need to be in close contact with students in their class rooms, on the quad and in their organizations. We need to communicate and work with professors by assisting in and perhaps even contributing to their research. I have seen some librarians credited for contributions to research in other disciplines, and I would love to see more of that. And we need to be reaching out to staff and finding out what kinds of services would help them perform their jobs better.

Ultimately, I would like to be one of those upward and outward reaching librarians. When I, eventually (someday soon, I hope) become an instruction librarian, I want to work closely with professors and students to design IL classes that really hit home with students and cover exactly what professors need them to know. And I want to work on university-wide committees where I can push the library agenda and help others to understand the importance of the library within the University structure. I guess when I really think about it, I suppose I would like to be involved in administration one of these days, which is a bit of a revelation to me, as I never thought beyond mid-management a few years ago.  But now I want to learn the ropes and get my experience in so that I can move into a position where I can do the most good by promoting the library to a larger community. I'm excited and engaged, now I just need that first position to get me on my way.