This one pretty much wrote itself.
Some common “Future of Libraries” pronouncements, represented as a bingo card.
Many thanks to Meg Ecclestone for the idea and encouragement. Use this bingo card generator and my text list (after the jump) to make your own cards!
I hope this settles things.
Unless you’re a transforming alien robot…you’re probably not an emerging technologies librarian.
Put a QR code on it!
This comic really really needs to be a video–if you want to film it, let me know and I’ll finish the script!
Photo credits:
Panel 1, 3, 5: Hazel Gay from the Smithsonian Institution
Panel 2, 3, 6: Photograph of Mrs. Adelaide Minogue Checking Humidity Recorder in Stacks, 1942 from the U.S. National Archives
Panel 4: Library , c1981 from LSE Library
Panel 7: Student at Work at Senior High School in New Ulm, Minnesota from the U.S. National Archives
Panel 9: library signage -New books by rhondda.p
Panel 10, 11: Archives’ stacks by dolescum
Panel 12: Libguides from Phillips Memorial Library, Dr. John Archer Library, University of Melbourne Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library
Panel 13: Binding by Morrell, late 19th or early 20th century from National Library NZ on The Commons
Panel 14: Finding aids SPL by leeleblanc
Panel 15: Sleeper by John C Abell
Panel 16: Book Moving Cart by Jeffrey Beall
Panel 17: Book of Hours, f.108r, (184 x 133 mm), 15th century, Alexander Turnbull Library, MSR-02 from National Library NZ on The Commons
Transcription after the jump.
Some of you may be aware that my employer is currently hiring for an archivist. Long story short, my employer moved all my professional responsibilities to a new position, and then decided to hold a search. I could apply, but I’d be facing a demotion if I didn’t get it. To say I was disappointed in their decision would be an understatement.
A few weeks ago, not long after landing in Chicago for SAA, I checked my email and found a job offer…for a librarian position. The job responsibilities included a lot of things I’d wanted to work on at my archives, like digital preservation, managing digital collections, and faculty outreach. But as I spent the week in the company of thousands of archivists, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave the field just yet.
I let my employer know that I had a job offer, and they decided to continue with the search. I reframed my options as joining a library that really wanted me to come and staying at an archives that didn’t seem to care if I left. Suddenly, the decision became much simpler.
What sealed it was an email response I received from the library director regarding my concerns about the position. I said that even though the position was a librarian gig, I thought many of the job responsibilities were things that archivists work on, and I wanted to stay involved with SAA and other archivist groups. Oh, and by the way, I write this little webcomic; how do you feel about that?
It turned out that not only was he very aware of this blog, it was one of the things that convinced him I was the right lady for the job. He agrees with me that divisions between librarians and archivists are often unhelpful, and that this job was a wonderful librarian/archivist hybrid. In fact–and I hope he doesn’t mind me quoting here–“you might be inspired to create an entire cartoon narrative around how to name such a new creature! A ‘Libedigitivist’ or something. Perhaps an edgy Easter bunny crossed with a Great White that does standup.”
Oh. Em. Gee. As soon as I got back to Philly, I sent in my acceptance letter. And I’m thrilled to announce that on October 10th, I’ll be joining La Salle University‘s Connelly Library as the Media and Digital Services Librarian. (or archivist, whatevs)
I don’t think things around here will change that much just because I won’t be working in an archives anymore. (You probably wouldn’t know it from reading this comic, but I’ve never actually processed a collection before.) I suspect I’ll be branching out beyond EAD comics to derange other metadata standards, and I may shift the focus a bit more towards digital collections and digital preservation. Of course, that’s a direction the field as a whole is taking, too.
There are a few lessons here for those of you who are thinking about your future job search or are already in the middle of it. You should probably assume that employers have done a very good job of Googling you before they invite you over to hang out for a day. Don’t be afraid to put your future employer on trial, and find out if their library/archives/shark tank is an environment you’d want to work in. And when you find a place that really wants you, just the way you are–well, it’s just about the best feeling in the world.
An edgy Easter bunny crossed with a Great White that does standup! So this archivist walks into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you?" And the archivist says, "Get me a beer--No, wait, a screwdriver. Or maybe a martini?" The bartender says, "Come on, decide already!" And the archivist says, "Okay, fine. I'll have the original order." I don't think the audience gets it. I can see a guy saying "Um, what the fonds?" There's no pleasing some people.
Photo credits:
Easter Bunny from the Library of Virginia
Group assembled around great white shark: Key West, Florida from the State Library and Archives of Florida
So yesterday @mandahill posted a link to a Library Journal article that ruffled a few folders. “OMG,” said the archivists, collectively, “did he really just SAY that about us?” Oh yes. Yes he did.
So these two librarians are chatting at the reference desk (next to a window! with sunshine!) and one of them is all, "Archives will always need librarians to curate and preserve." And the archivist below them in the basement is all, "Hey librarians, I can hear you down here." The whole thing would be kind of sad if it were true, but it's not, it's just a metaphor for how librarians and archivists need to communicate better.
Hey Professor Stephens: a lot of the things you’d like to see librarians doing, archivists are already pretty good at. Helping users find things? Creating localized collections? Helping users create localized collections? I’ve done all those things. In the last week. And I think I’m hardly unique in this respect. We archivists would be happy to show you how it’s done–you just need to ask.
Hey archivists: don’t wait for the librarians to come find you in the basement. We’ve got a lot to learn from each other, and the sunlight would do you some good.
–Rebecca (who works in an archives and a library, and loves books)
Hey Derangers, our librarian friends need help! When ebook publishers put limits on the number of times an ebook can be checked out, they undermine libraries’ role in preserving access to information. If you’re an archivist, that ought to ruffle your folders.
Learn something: read this blog post from Librarian by Day (thanks @Girlinthe!), or follow #hcod on Twitter.
Do something: some ideas from @wawoodworth.
Today is International Women’s Day, and this year’s theme is “Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all.” And I have something to say about that. But it’s not something I like to talk about, so I made a comic instead.
(Thanks to Timothy Greig for the photo, to @archiwicz for letting me rearrange my hours to do a comic this morning, and to A&A for being awesome as usual.)
Today is the Louisville Free Public Library blogathon, where library bloggers of all stripes are writing posts about, well, Why Libraries Kick Ass. Librarians are our brothers and sisters in metadata, and I think we ought to help them out.
But this week is an XML comic week here on DnD, so we shall be recording the ass-kicking qualities of libraries in MARCXML.
You can send a donation to the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation on their website.
Derangement and Description 