The place of the Library

'Libraries are the heart of the university' - Dr. Gansen Pillay, 16 April 2010.

Things that kept you going....

Lisa Kane, thanks a lot for this morning presentation. It was inspirational and timely. We are here at the academy to learn how to do research better, how to help researcher with their research, and so on. We are also learning more and more each day about each other on personal and professional level.

I want to use this blog post to place the questions, which we have been asked by Lisa (either place a comment on this post or just create a new blog post):

1. What it is about lib... that I found more exiting?

A: I feel privileged to be part of where information is found, knowledge is acquired and I helped along the way.

2. What is my earliest joyful/enjoyable memory related to lib....?

A: Finding my first books to read. I never thought I would become a librarian

3. What puzzles me about lib.....?

A: Why do librarians are afraid (take slow steps) of change? What are we afraid of?

4. What angers me about lib.....?

A: The lack of recognition; Outdated assumptions of what we should do or not; Stereotypes of how we should look, dress, behave and provide services.....

5. I wish lib...... could be different

A: Traditional library services meet virtual/online library services = Comprehensive services???

6. When I say library/librarian, what comes to mind?

A: The cleverest person in the world (ha-ha); Bookish? With glasses? Conservative clothing... Not my way, definitely..

7. Summarise in one sentence ..... What you wish everyone could hear about library/librarians?

A: My message is: Slowly but surely we adapt to the changing "social" world and the demand for information and services. We are no longer restricted to the " library physical walls", but we are "out there". We are part of the world creation of knowledge and information. I'm proud to be a cutting-edge LIBRARIAN.

Pavlinka

Documents on Research Libraries

In the discussion on the handout, The University of Texas: Looking Forward Research Libraries in the 21st Century, given by Renfrew Christie , it was agreed you would get more references on research libraries of the 21st Century. Please see NYU 21st Century Library Project; Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services ; and The Peloponnesian War and the Future of Reference, Cataloging, and Scholarship in Research Libraries.

I should have posted this earlier. Please accept my apologies - I was still trying to unpack!