A Brave New World

Hey Y'all,

This is an exciting time to be a librarian. Sure there are hardships and hurdles, but I would not trade this job for anything in the world. I LOVE libraries, and have since I was kid. It’s not just about the books and magazines and films and art and so forth, it’s not just about the media. For me the satisfaction comes from helping people further their understanding and enjoyment of the world through the use of the media.

One of the most exciting things for me about being a librarian in the dawn of the 21st Century is seeing the paradigm shift in the way information and recreation are being redefined by libraries and library patrons. I think that many of our patrons spend little to no time reading books, yet spend hours on end in the library. They immerse themselves in user created content: games, blogs, fanfic, facebook, youtube, memes, mmorpgs, and music in video and audio formats which has never been through the recording industry process and is therefore raw and direct in a way that is both new and primal: bards had no record producers. In essence the patron becomes the record producer, deciding what music will make it to the market of their ears and iPods. The patron is now the editor deciding what fiction, again often untouched by publishing middlemen, will reach the market of their eyes. The patron is now in charge of deciding what film will be distributed to their senses and again in this arena there are many and varied ways for filmmakers to reach their audiences directly. With the rise of mmorpgs and online communities, the ideas of interactive storytelling and interactive media production on a grand scale are being born before our eyes with our patrons serving as both creators and consumers simultaneously.

How do we help patrons navigate this ephemeral world? First we have to make a decision: we have to admit that the patron who comes to the library and spends hours on end on the computer without ever touching a print source is EXACTLY as important as one who never gets on a computer. Next, we need to school ourselves in the virtual shelves, byways, and sources our patrons are accessing. Lastly, at least some of us need to immerse ourselves in online culture so we can develop a lingua franca in order to relate to such patrons and continue to act in an advisory capacity. We are supposed to be brief here, so let me close by saying what an honor and privilege it is to face the challenges of tomorrow knowing I have such talented and knowledgeable cohorts at my side.

Sincerely,

Craig Bertuglia