10B: Post-Reference Library Reference?

(Side note, I laughed out loud/woke up my cat at PC Sweeney's fourth option for talking about reference death, "4) Students in Library School who think it’s something new to write about")

I really connected with this quote in particular:

"What I’m saying here in a round and about way, is that we need to continue what libraries have always been, and that is to be enablers to those who want to learn and provide the resources that enable our communities to learn. It’s not reference, its enabling our patrons to live more fulfilling lives"

I find so much value in setting aside the parameters of individual instances of interpersonal reference and instead thinking about how we want to encourage people to learn and solve problems in their communities. I'm definitely biased as this is pretty much exactly what I hope to accomplish with my own work with technology/libraries -- I have always loved being somebody who supports and teaches tools and encourages and makes space.

Like Sweeney, Kenney seems to be interested in reframing around the opportunity that exists rather than what has been lost -- it's interesting to read about the criticism of online databases. This is definitely something that academic libraries continue to focus hugely on, and has a lot of utility for helping the process of research, but I think in a public context the value calculations are way different.

I really appreciated hearing from Rebekkah Aldrich, one of the librarians interviewed in Albanese and Kenney's article, when she listed some of the ways librarians are moving to better understand what patrons are striving towards: "“Today, we need targeted efforts that speak to where people’s passions and aspirations lie. We need to target the unique things we can corner the market on locally: reader advisory, homework help, digital fluency, local history, hacker spaces, and working outside of our buildings with collaborators to make our communities more sustainable and resilient.”

I see a common struggle across these articles to find a balance between truly understanding what patrons desire and need on one hand and continuing to understand what special value libraries can provide towards those ends, while perhaps remaining true to some of the core assets and skills of libraries -- or maybe not. I'm actually not convinced that the traditional implementations of reference in libraries need to persist at all for libraries to continue providing absolutely essential services -- I see there being tremendous value in instead focusing on the problem-solving and tech-centric interactions with patrons AND also the value of a community/civic physical space where members of the community can gather. In other words I'm pretty far along the throw-it-all-out camp, at the end of the day, though I'm open to being totally proven wrong on this!

I think regardless of big-scoping ideas of what reference should or shouldn't be, change happens through individuals creating new services and resources with enthusiasm and creativity. On that note, I absolutely loved discovering the This is What a Librarian Looks Like tumblr and exploring some of these personal stories of librarians getting out there and doing amazing things. This obviously isn't a think piece essay, but instead a source of inspiration about the many ways to be a librarian. For example, I loved this one description:

"Hello! My name is Heaven-Leigh, I worked at the Knight Library at the University of Oregon for 4 years as a lead student assistant. Patrons remember me as “the one who always asks if you are looking for a male, female or single occupancy bathroom.” I left the library with full support from fellow staff and students to write a book on sex positivity in the life of sex workers. If people are interested in following the progress of my book, here’s a link to my blog!"- Heaven-Leigh

Clearly for Heaven-Leigh, it's important to help engage patrons inclusively and expand the capacities of library reference to include sex positive materials (as per our collections conversations!) and inclusion for gender diverse folks. To me, her story illuminates the ways in which reference can also provide a path to education that may be omitted from school and/or mainstream culture, but provide absolutely vital information for individual development - a kind of DIY queer/trans inclusive take on community-based education. I find this to be totally exciting and valuable :)

Works Cited
Kenney, B. (2015). “Where Reference Fits in the Modern Library.” Publishers Weekly, Sept. 11.

Albanese, A.R., and Kenney, B. (2016). “The Changing World of Library Reference.” Publishers Weekly, Aug. 26.

Sweeney, P.C. (2011). “Reference is Dead; Long Live the Enabler.” Blog. Apr. 28.

This is What a Librarian Looks Like. (Tumblr blog) http://lookslikelibraryscience.com/