Edging Toward the FWLC - another view

This was written in response to my earlier posting today that intimated that AAL (Ask a Librarian) online reference services were, well, less than desirable since they may threaten "real" library workers' jobs.

I thought you might like to hear the perspective of a "flat" librarian, one of the Librarians by Request (LBRs) [Employed by AAL - DJ].

In some cases, we do replace the librarians, but not usually--that's the case mostly in schools which exist primarily online. In other cases, we are the librarians who know Spanish so that we can serve that part of a library's clientele that the librarians otherwise couldn't serve. However, we usually serve as an extension--a way to keep the library open 24/7. I end up performing all three roles. I often get questions from people who simply have no idea how to use Google to perform a simple keyword search. They also don't know about the best websites available, whether in English or Spanish. They don't know how to do academic research. They don't know how to properly phrase a question. They don't know how to navigate through library websites to find the answers they need. They've never used a database. They have trouble accessing their accounts online. Those are universal problems for library users, and because it's relatively easy for them to log on and the chat format is familiar, they ask questions. It's frequently challenging, sometimes frustrating, but almost always soul-satisfying to help them find the answers. And on the rare occasions when I can't find an answer, I refer the question to their library. I've formed strong relationships with my colleagues--the other LBRs--and that's been a wonderful part of the experience too. If I have more knowledge of young adult fiction, I can help my colleague, who in turn can help me with my weakness in business reference. We have a strong motivation to learn more and more so that we can provide the best help possible. For me, it's been a great job. Among the many benefits, I've learned a great deal about how to communicate better on-line.

One of the other LBRs, Luke, has a blog.

I found this e-mail  totally fascinating and I was sure the Blue Skunk readers would as well. After anonymizing it a bit, the writer graciously allowed me to post it here.

It just goes to show I am as guilty of looking at "different" as "frightening" as the next person. This was an eye-opener and viewpoint changer for me. The Flat World may offer as many opportunties and give as many benefits as it does threats and challenges. Bless all librarians - even the virtual ones.

Needfully humbled.... Doug