Yesterday, I had the honor of speaking to the Emporia State University (my MLS alma mater) Masters of Library Science 2021 graduating class. I can talk about librarianship all day every day, but when I was asked to say “a few words,” I tried to reign myself in. Here are my few words.
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Have you ever heard the phrase “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”?
My fellow librarians, prepare to never work a day in your life.
Librarianship is a many-splendored thing. As a librarian, you will serve as a storyteller. You will be a resource; an encyclopedia; an atlas. You will be the finder of books. Often times, your role will bleed beyond what was once traditional librarianship. You will be a shoulder to cry on. You will be the answer to the school’s scavenger hunt. You will be the champion of the newest broadband project. Most importantly, you will be a friend. You will be the person a 9-year-old runs to and tells about the book they just finished. You will know the names of pets and grandbabies. You will celebrate the good news and mourn the bad. You will be there through it all, and your community will know they can count on you.
To the friends and family of librarians: first, may I say: do you have any idea how lucky you are to have a librarian in your life? We can do ANYTHING. You had better hope we librarians never decide to use our powers for evil; the world would be doomed. As I’m sure you already know, librarians are some of the most determined people you will ever meet. The phrase “I don’t know” will only enter our language when immediately followed with “but let me find out.”
Anyone who claims that libraries are on the way out has clearly not stepped into a library lately. Libraries are more alive than they have ever been, with programs and events for all ages and interests. We make slime, we play trivia in bars, we preserve history… all in the name of lifelong learning, and in the name of the library as a place for YOU. Gone are the days of being shushed in the library. Libraries are places for education in all forms, be it through dancing classes or archival research. The library is the place for the simplest question – how do you make a copy, or what are Target’s hours, to the most complex. The library is a place to BE – no matter your age, your income, your background – come to the library and be you. There’s something for YOU, and we’re here to help you find it. Oh, and pro tip: if you think your question is too silly or weird to ask, it isn’t. I can guarantee we’ve heard something much stranger.
We librarians are here today because we have a passion. I know everyone says that their life’s goal is to make the world a better place. Here’s the thing: librarians WILL make the world a better place with every single interaction we have. We will fight for your right to read whatever you want. We spend our days thinking about how to make our communities better – how to do our very best for the people we serve. We work long hours and pull together programs out of thin air. We emerged from a global pandemic with more resources and adaptability than ever before. We care deeply for our profession and our patrons – more deeply than I can say.
Librarians come from different backgrounds and will have vastly different experiences within the career. Some of us will helm the reference desks at large public libraries, and some of us will work behind the scenes cataloging materials. Some of us will work with kids on school libraries. Still more of us will work in universities, in archives, in museums. Wherever our librarianship path takes us, at our very core, we have the most important things in common. We are feisty, we are passionate, and we do NOT give up. You are going out to change the world, and not a single thing is going to stop you.
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