What do you think of, what picture comes to mind, when you hear the word “librarian”? A spinster (to use a quaint term, as outmoded as this mental picture), tending dusty books in a musty library? Or perhaps, more specifically, Marian the librarian, of THE MUSIC MAN fame?
Today’s librarians—like today’s libraries—are a new breed. If you haven’t visited a library since you were in school, you’re in for a shock. In a small town, the librarian may be a reference specialist yet also as knowledgeable about the latest books as she or he—yes, “he”—today’s librarian may be male—is about ancient history or literature and where to look up info on these subjects.
In a larger library, you may find a reference librarian, a children’s librarian, a head librarian, and various assistant librarians—possibly even one whose sole responsibility is periodicals, as books and magazines are termed.
Whether your visit to the library is in search of a good read, reference for your work or for school, something you want to look up in a back issue of a periodical, or an answer to a question you have that you know you can find in the library, the librarians are there to serve you.
Are you looking for the first-ever Sherlock Holmes book or the latest political tell-all? Are you looking for information on how to draft a résumé or seeking a recipe for Portuguese Chicken? Whatever your need, if you can’t find it on your own, the librarian will be happy to assist you in your search. He or she is a fount of information, which she gladly shares with the library patrons.
Let’s hear it for the librarians!