Valerie J. Gross

What a timely editorial. Thank you, Rebecca! Indeed, everyone in the library profession would do well to heed John Chrastka’s suggestion to “acknowledge that more than a decade of advocacy campaigns have failed” and that we must change our approach to “do it right.” If further evidence is needed, Google “Wikipedia Douglas County Library System.” Expect to be stunned by the opening sentence: “The Douglas County Library System was a public library system” in Oregon. The good news is that there is a simple solution. It involves a new way of thinking and modified language. It’s called “Libraries = Education.” Why does it work? Because it causes those outside the profession to fully understand what we do (see bit.ly/LibEduMI2010 for a video clip of Salem-South Lyon District (MI) Library’s success with the approach on elected officials—the result is astounding). The strategy applies to all library types. It establishes a crystal clear purpose for our profession and dispels—permanently—all misperceptions. Use it and you’ll never again have to explain what you do or “tell your story.” This is because the very language you’ll use will speak for itself. Hundreds of libraries across the U.S. have adopted the concepts and enjoy heightened respect and optimal funding. What are they doing differently? They are:  Repositioning public libraries as educational institutions (school/academic/special libraries as key departments), and librarians as educators  Categorizing all that their libraries do under three, easy-to-remember “pillars”: I. Self-Directed Education (our collections); II. Research Assistance & Instruction (classes, seminars and workshops for all ages, taught by “Research Specialists” and library “Instructors”); III. Instructive & Enlightening Experiences (events, partnerships, and building community)  Replacing traditional terminology with language people outside of the field understand (e.g., “education,” “instruction,” and “research” replace words like “information” and “reference;” “class” takes the place of “story time” and “program,” and “curriculum” replaces the unremarkable “services”). It goes like this. The next time someone asks you what your library does, say, “We deliver equal opportunity in education for all through a curriculum that comprises Three Pillars: Self-Directed Education, Research Assistance & Instruction, and Instructive & Enlightening Experiences.” They’ll first say, “Wow!”, and then, “Of course!” (because you’re telling them what they already know). There are three types of education: K-12 Education, Higher Education, and Library Education (see diagram at bit.ly/LibEduDiagram). While Library Education can also involve formal education that leads to a degree, it is chiefly informal education defined as follows:  information about a subject matter  knowledge acquired by learning  the process of acquiring knowledge, and  an enlightening experience. For a complete presentation of Libraries = Education, see Transforming our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage, ABC-CLIO. (San Jose State University uses the book in its MLIS program; it's required reading for Chicago Public Library staff.) The Three Pillars image—which could become our refreshed national symbol—is available at bit.ly/LibEduThreePillars and includes a button template. Perhaps now is the time for ALA to adopt Libraries = Education. Consider encouraging them to do so. You’ll be ensuring a solid future for libraries and librarianship for centuries to come.

Posted : May 30, 2018 07:10