Professional librarianship ... not just a product transaction

This is my dog who does a lot of quiet professional thinking ... I should follow her example to offset the distraction of my busy forays into the electronic life ...

This is the week for exploring the world of wiki, but I have been sidetracked back into the comforting world of linear print. I am interested to read 'Renewing professional librarianship: a fundamental rethinking' by Bill Crowley, published 2008 http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/?searchtype=t&searcharg=renewing+professional+lib&searchscope=2&SORT=D&extended=0&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tt%3Arenewing+professional+lib

Crowley sets out to reestablish the profession of librarianship as vital to learning environments, public, academic and school libraries; quite distinct from corporate information product management that has subsumed the library profession of late. His sets out to revalue the learning and entertainment provision of libraries and realign the profession with critical lifelong learning provision. Librarians are not merely an expendable link in information management and provision ... as Crowley points out, gathering information can be yet another self service activity in our self service world ... not always successful I suspect, but quite do-able ...

many pages to go ... interesting also to see how many pages refer to new media informing the profession as well as the public ...

I imagine Bob Carr would agree with the critical importance of lifelong learning informing all our activities, professional and leisure:

http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/search?/aCarr%2C+Bob%2C+1947-/acarr+bob+1947/1%2C1%2C32%2CB/frameset&FF=acarr+bob+1947&17%2C%2C32

I have not yet dipped into 'My reading life' but listened to one of the many interviews post publication where Bob Carr spoke of the influence of literature on his public administration career ... books he has gone back to, and will again ... Bob Carr found profound influence in traditional literature ...

Contributing to new shared media, being influenced by items found, in comparison, may offer fleeting influence only ... the learning may come from the participation, not the content that may never be found again!