Librarian Core Values?

It would be a serious mistake if ALA underestimates the importance
and the need for a clear and concise statement on the core
values of this profession. Failure to reach consensus on a statement
communicates to members that we do not know what is
most important in- our service, or at the very least, that we lack
the ability to summarize and articulate it. The absence of a core
values statement tells students and prospective students that we
do not know what should inspire them and that we are not in
agreement as to the foundation of their instruction. Lack of a
core values statement limits our ability to describe our valuable
functions to the people we serve.

The list of values put forth by the task force:

Connection of people to ideas
Assurance of free and open access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works
Commitment to literacy and learning
Respect for the individuality and the diversity of all people
Freedom for all people to form, to hold, and to express their own beliefs
w Preservation of the human record
K Excellence in professional service to our communities
a Formation of partnerships to advance these values

From:TITLE: The search for librarianship’s core values
SOURCE: Public Libraries 40 no3 My/Je 2001 AUTHOR: Sager, Don
I agree with the need for the core values, but the author used  a little too much vitriol and (admitted) bias in his article. The existence of the Librarian Bill of Rights and Librarian Code of Ethics should provide a stable basis for the profession, and is the need so sudden? This was written in 2001, I wonder what has happened since then?

One of My Required Banned Books Posts

I liked this one:

I’m always confused when I see  books like Brave New World on a banned book list. Yes, it is about a homogenized world. Yes people can have sex with whomever they please without fear of disease or babies. Yes there are no families. However, the whole point of the novel is that a life like that is entirely unsatisfying. It’s not condoning that sort of lifestyle in the least.

I often wonder if the people who attempt to ban books even read them, as they often decide what to ban on by the base content of the book, and not the message it contains.

Banned Books

Here’re a couple online resources on banned books. The exclusion of some of these from schools is somewhat horrifying (To Kill a Mockingbird?!?)!I did my particular segment on 1980’s court cases, the main resource of which was ALA’s First Amendment Court Case.    Other banned books sources are as follows:

http://ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_books

http://books.google.com/googlebooks/banned/

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/banned-books.html

Banned books are really interesting to think about, it’s very informative to see what kinds of people want books removed form the library and their reasons. Why can’t they just forbid their own child and not make the rest of the school district go without a piece of literature with uncomfortable things?

The *Other* Blog

http://hunt6010b.blogspot.com/

That is the blog that my 6010 (Intro to Profession) class will be posting in. So there will probably be some decent information there over the course of the semester!

Online

Post Monday’s Hour Long Blog Q&A (ugh), I actually learned a few things today while watching my online class lectures! The prof gave a nice overview of Microsoft Word 2007, which was looking a little scary to me. It has some nice features such as an auto-bibliography and auto-formatting citations. You can also add watermarks really easily, and lots of other things. It was nice and informative, I was happy to learn a few little tips and tricks.

I’m currently watching the second lecture, which I skipped earlier because it kept glitching on me. It’s just an overview of “Wow, computers are freaking everywhere, so you should probably learn something about them.” I like it, it’s my sorta thing.

Intro to Blogs…

…and Wikis

Today’s class was pretty boring. We spent most of the time learning the basics of blogs and wikis, including how to post articles and comments. For someone like me who lives and breathe this every day, not a single thing was new, and most of the questions could have easily waited until after class, only a few of the older people and the one homeschooled (through undergrad??) guy had questions. Maybe I should have taken this course online, too.

My group seems pretty solid, although we lack a go-getter who will arrange everything for us. Luckily we get a discussion board where we can share information. I like the idea of the class blog, which seems like a really nice place to share what we’ve learned with room for creativity. The instruction on this so far has been vague, so I’m a little nervous on that front. For 6080, I have 1.5% of my class completed, which is 100% of what we’ve done so far… so yay?

I’m expecting to enjoy 6080 more, as I think I’m going to tend towards the techy side of the profession. Yay grad school!

Awesome Quotes

From the first link in the previous thread.

For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no sur-cease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye.

— Curse Against Book Stealers
Monastery of San Pedro, Barcelona

This next one actually strikes me, I have been afraid to read something that someone claimed would change my life:

It often requires more courage to read some books than it does to fight a battle.
— Sutton Elbert GRIGGS (1872-1930)

Something I wish would be done less, in other (non-libary) circumstances:

Classification, broadly defined, is the act of organizing the universe of knowledge into some systematic order. It has been considered the most fundamental activity of the human mind.
— “Cataloguing and Classification: An Introduction”
Lois Mai Chan

Teehee:

“Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there.”
— Clare Booth LUCE

Reminds me of the time I called my sister a bastard:

‘Children, don’t speak so coarsely,’ said Mr Webster, who had a vague notion that some supervision should be exercised over his daughters’ speech, and that a line should be drawn, but never knew quite when to draw it. He had allowed his daughters to use his library without restraint, and nothing is more fatal to maidenly delicacy of speech than the run of a good library.
— Tempest Tost
Robertson DAVIES

A man will turn over half a library to make one book.
— Life of Johnson. From James Boswell, April 6, 1775.
Samuel JOHNSON (1709-1784)

Explore these links.

I haven’t done this yet, but will provide a little more info once I do!

Librarian Quotes

The History of the Internets

Some Steve Bell Guy’s Website

Self Description

Posted on a discussion board for 6080:

Hi, I’m Allison, and I currently live in Ann Arbor and manage a small locally owned pet supply store. The pay isn’t great, but it’s a lot of fun and I’ve learned a ton about small business. I went to U of M for undergrad, and got BA’s in Archaeology and Japanese. This is my first semester at Wayne, and I’m really very excited about this program!

Summary

I’ve had my first taste of my introductory LIS classes, and maybe be able to relate a bit of what I think I’ll be learning. Luckily, no reading yet :>.

6010 is the intro to the profession. It’s going to be a much more essay intensive class, where we will learn vocabulary, issues that affect librarians, and ethics. We’ll also have some blog and forum conversations, which is very neat. We have small groups of 5 people with whom we will collaborate for three, I think, projects. This class will be easy but time intensive. This class is in person in Macomb, but most of the work will be done online on Blackboard, which is WSU’s equivalent to Ctools.

6080 is the tech intro class. They will be covering a lot of material that I already know, but because I am self-taught as far as computer things go, I think it’ll fill in a lot of blanks for me. I’m very happy about that. This is my online course, which worried me a bit at first, but the recorded online lectures are great. I can pause and rewind at will. I think I may become a fan of this type of course, especially for my basic core courses that will have 50+ people per class. I’ll take my archives classes in person :>.

Still excited, and a little intimidated, but I think I will do well.

Required programs this semester:

Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise – free through program (!)

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Internet Explorer

So, basic stuff. Part of 6080 is getting your MS Powerpoint certification, which is very nice and a great prep for other courses. From there, I’ll probably look to get an MS Word cert as well.