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