Welcome to the Academic Librarianship Blog!
Libraries exist all over the world, and they come stocked with various types of books which range from encyclopedias to thriller novels. With time, however, the value of libraries continues to dwindle in the society, and more people put off the idea of heading to the library for a visit. Libraries are facing a crisis which needs dealing with for the good of the generations to come.
What issues do librarians face?
Budget - Librarians require money to maintain the resources in their hands and to get more resources. The competition for funding is stiff, and more often than not, librarians end up losing out on allocated monies.
Library changes - It is necessary that any changes made to the library get to the ears of stakeholders; otherwise, things will fall apart. Librarians sometimes lack the support required for such communication which in turn makes management quite a hefty task.
Declining requests - The need for validation of all library purchases as well as the strict budget on which they operate makes it hard for them to accept applications for books from their patrons.
Career advancement - With the fast pace at which technology is taking over the world, librarians need to get equipped with the right education. However, this on-the-job training is not forthcoming, and it makes library administration hard. However librarians are on the demand nowadays.
Technical requirements - Librarians need help to come up with digital libraries to make books more accessible. Such training is not easy to find. They also require understanding the current trends in research so that they can help others out in that sector.
Policy changes - Many changes occur in the scholarly world regarding the way education materials should get handled, and librarians need to stay on top of things to ensure that they are not in violation of any regulations.
Tracking performance - Librarians handle some people working under them, and they need to keep track of their progress to ensure that things run smoothly. It is clear that more work requires going into aiding librarians better manage the assets in their possession.
Why is education so important?
A child who gets a chance to get educated stands a better chance of having a stable job in the future as compared to one who is not. Having academic experience also increases the job opportunities that a person has and enables one to earn a higher salary when compared to one who does not have such a background. Education reduces the chances that a person will engage in social vices because they know the effect of such practices and it shapes them into becoming a better person who can be of help to the society. Having libraries allows people to have tons of material to read, from where they can get ideas on innovation. Reading opens up the mind and enables one to think outside the box. With books, scholarly perceptions can get shaped into becoming some of the most important people in the society. As such, the need for libraries is dire.
Why does the government invest so much in education?
With the growing rate of school drop-outs, there is less innovation in the world. The population keeps growing, and the jobs get less each day, and there is a need to strike a balance between the two. Educated people can see gaps in the market and work on exploiting such loopholes in a bid to create more jobs in the world - an educated person can earn money even via non traditional methods like playing in Internet casinos, or doing online job for someone across the globe. The more educated people that we have, the more enlightened people become about social vices, and the rate of crime can reduce. People also start seeing the bigger picture and what they can become if they put their minds to it. Instead of focusing on giving people hand-outs, it makes more sense for the government to invest in them through education, to make it easier for people to be more independent.
Importance of libraries in the society
Education - Libraries offer people a chance to go through centuries of reading material which makes them knowledgeable about the world in which they live. There are countless stories of people who sourced their creativity from stories in books. Mr. Kamkwamba, a Malawian national, once read a book on windmills. He used this knowledge to build his village’s first turbine. His experience was so fruitful that it drove him to pursue a degree in the United States. Given that students cannot afford to buy every book required for their research, libraries provide a solution to their predicament. Students can source information from various reading materials in the library, cite them and present them in school.
Cultural heritage preservation - Libraries not only have books that contain information on past generations, but they also include age-old collections which visitors can view. This preservation of our history for the generations to come is entirely a useful function served by libraries.
What kinds of people need libraries?
The answer to this question is everyone. Children require libraries to shape their young minds at an early age. Students need the resources in the libraries to come up with excellent essays for their school papers. Teachers too, refer to reading material as they decide on the content that they will pass on to their students. There are cases of doctors who have sought the help of librarians in a bid to come up with a cure for a disease. Whether it’s for leisure, work or research purposes, everyone needs a library at some point in their life. If you are looking to make a big break in betting in casino games, crack open a book about some tricks that you can use to make some money. Education helps us make the world a better place, and the more we read, the more educated we become.
Importance of training librarians and academic administrators
The world has changed, thanks to technology. It is therefore critical that librarians get in tune with such changes to make them more efficient at their jobs. Regular training courses should be undertaken every few years to keep them up to date with such modifications as they can then spread this knowledge to their patrons. Education is essential for an economy to thrive and what better way to spread it than by using books? Grab a book today and enrich your mind. Whether you are a librarian, tutor or administrator log onto our website today and scour through tons of materials which are beneficial to your library experiences.
Read Our Blog
Google's Digitization Project — What Difference Will it Make?
Many respondents were excited that so much knowledge would be available so democratically, that books “locked up” in libraries would be free for all to use.... Read More
Assessing the Library’s Contribution to Student Learning
The challenge of searching for a library director is complicated by the perspectives and interests of the varied members of the typical search committee.... Read More
Shaping a National Collective Collection: will your campus participate?
Our nation’s libraries are nearly full and are experiencing severe cultural, space and budgetary pressures that affect how they manage their collections.... Read More
Looking for Director Goodboss: How to Recruit a Head Librarian
The challenge of searching for a library director is complicated by the perspectives and interests of the varied members of the typical search committee.... Read More
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Latest Posts
- Google's Digitization Project — What Difference Will it Make?
Many respondents were excited that so much knowledge would be available so democratically, that books “locked up” in libraries would be free for all to use. - Assessing the Library’s Contribution to Student Learning
The challenge of searching for a library director is complicated by the perspectives and interests of the varied members of the typical search committee. - Shaping a National Collective Collection: will your campus participate?
Our nation’s libraries are nearly full and are experiencing severe cultural, space and budgetary pressures that affect how they manage their collections. - Looking for Director Goodboss: How to Recruit a Head Librarian
The challenge of searching for a library director is complicated by the perspectives and interests of the varied members of the typical search committee. - Social Networking: Strategic Use and Effective Policies in Higher Education
Now the social networking tidal wave has hit our academic shores, administrators will want to have written policies to anticipate problems. - The Library as a Place: Tradition and Evolution
Is the library, as a physical entity on academic campuses, passé? Is it becoming redundant in today’s electronic environment? It might be tempting to wish so! - The USA Patriot Act: How Will Your Library Respond?
The challenge of searching for a library director is complicated by the perspectives and interests of the varied members of the typical search committee. - What Good Are All These Links? Rethinking the Academic Library Website
Who, besides the librarians, knows where the link to the library website is on the institutional homepage? Is it prominently visible to visitors?