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Thursday
May282015

The laws of (school) library science

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This is a fine list for public librarians. But don't school librarians need such a list of their own? Here are a few of my personal school library laws, rules, and observations. (The complete list.)

 

Johnson’s Library Mission: To get back the overdue readers, not the overdue books.

Johnson’s Observation About Library Climate: If the librarian ain’t having fun, ain't nobody having fun.

Johnson’s Rule of Creativity in the Library and Classroom: You can’t suppress it so you may as well channel it.

Johnson’s Disclaimer: Anything I’ve said that you don’t like, you’ve obviously misinterpreted.

Johnson’s Rule of Indispensability: If your job is eliminated, your boss should really regret it.

Johnson’s Rule of Technology Perspective: Every tech problem is a big tech problem to the person experiencing it.

Johnson’s Experience in Assigning Tasks: You may as well give unpleasant jobs to people who are already unhappy.

Johnson’s First Rule of Effective Advocacy: Don’t advocate for libraries; advocate for library users.

Johnson’s Observation on Internet Resources: The one thing the Internet will never have that your library has -  is you.

Johnson’s Law of Searching: It’s easier to find something than to find it again.

Johnson’s Caution on Collaboration: Treat collaboration, not as a goal, but as a means of achieving one.

Johnson’s Reflection on Library Quality: The quality of the library is never greater than the quality of the librarian. 

Johnson’s Common Sense Economy: It’s cheaper to buy a book for the library than it is to buy one for each classroom.

Johnson’s Observation on Visitors: The number of students in the media center is in inverse proportion to importance of anyone visiting.

Johnson’s Observation of Policy Making: Rules only work with the rational.

Johnson’s First Law of Effective Supervision: Hire people who don’t need to be supervised.

Johnson’s Rule of Research Projects: A project not worth doing, is not worth doing well.

Johnson’s Update of Aesop: The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on learning.

Johnson’s Homily on Beta Testing: The early worm gets eaten by the bird.

Johnson’s Law of Stress Management: If you can’t find someone to pass the stress on to, you’re struck with it.

Share your "laws" with readers!

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Reader Comments (2)

"The quality of the library is never greater than the quality of the librarian, but too often less than."

May 28, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterBob Follmuth

Sad, but true!

Doug

May 29, 2015 | Registered CommenterDoug Johnson

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