I loved this meme that came my way via social media:
Because I love libraries and the smart and passionate
people who could have taken more lucrative jobs somewhere else but instead
chose to build their careers amongst books, on civil service pay. They manage with
shrinking budgets from civic overlords who’d rather spend money on redecorating
their offices than on buying books. They put up with patrons making the most
outrageous demands (“I need photos of the Underground Railroad.”) and being
used as pro bono daycare providers (for both children and adults). They plan a
cornucopia of events around the calendar and execute on them with military
precision on basically a dime. (These days, probably $0.07.)
Librarians have expanded their offerings from books,
story hours and improving lectures on learnèd topics to ebooks/audio books, classes on hog butchery and lending out all manner of tools and
implements (musical instruments, sewing machines, I don’t know what all).
Around here in the Valley They Call Silicon, they have huge sections of
materials (books, periodicals, videos) in Chinese, Hindi, Urdu and Spanish.
They adapt to the times and keep on serving their constituency, no matter how
much it changes.
They are freaking miracle workers, and I love them.
Anyhow, I passed the graphic to my BFF, a life-long
librarian, whom I met when we were both working at the Pasadena Public Library
(which now has Wi-Fi, power outlets and a coffee bar in the place where there
used to be comfy chairs, usually occupied by homeless guys getting out of the
weather).
(She introduced me to Terry Pratchett, as a matter of
fact—another reason why you want to cultivate librarians. You get your horizons
expanded.)
I asked her if what Pratchett says is true about
librarian super powers. Here’s her reply:
“Well, of course it is true. Plus our Head Librarian is
an orangutan and he can travel over rooftops in search of stolen materials…”
Do you wonder at all why I’m immensely grateful for
librarians?
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