Something got me thinking the other day. What is the role of the public librarian today? The argument goes that since the Internet is often people’s main source of information, the role of a public librarian should be more focused on programming than on providing reference services. While I am not discounting the importance of library programming, the planning of certain types of events is a different skill set from the professional duties of the librarian.
First, the Internet does not fulfill every information need out there, sometimes you just need to use other sources. Also, the first search hit may not be the best hit for a particular need. Also, and this is showing my biases, a good readers’ advisory librarian is hard to find and recommending good books to read for recreation is more than just shoving a list in someone’s face. If someone needs an answer to a question beyond a simple directional or technical service question that person would left to find for themselves causing a dissatisfied customer.
So, what is the purpose of the public library in the 21st century?
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