who i am, part two: librarian

i used to work in bookstores.  i had a boss who liked to call me "commie" because of my socialist-leaning political views and my love of soviet-era aesthetics.  he would also refer to libraries as "communist institutions."  why did it take me so long to make the connection?  i really liked my job, except for the low pay and the whole selling thing.  then i realized that i could do the same job, plus more interesting and meaningful things, loan the books instead of sell them, and get paid more, too.  so i went to library school.  you might ask why i decided to enter what some consider a dying profession.  well, i don't believe that it is dying.  libraries are not just book repositories, and haven't been for a long time.  they are places where everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, can find information, use a computer, study, attend fun and/or informative programs, meet with a tutor, take their children to storytime and other activities, and more, all for free.*  yes, libraries are changing, but they have always been dynamic institutions that evolve according to the needs of their communities.  back in the day, the argument was about whether to include such "trash" as charles dickens; now no one would question his place in the library, and the argument is onto issues like video games and ebooks.  people who think libraries are dying (or should be dying) are the people who haven't stepped foot into a library since they were kids, if ever.  they seem to have no clue that many, many people use library services, either in person, over the phone, or online.  you can access library databases from your smartphone, or download ebooks for free directly onto your kindle or ipad.  but the real answer is that i do this job because i love it, i'm good at it, and i think it's an important thing to do.


*yes, i know it's not really free, but it's one of many awesome services you pay for with your taxes, like schools and roads and police.