Category: Libraries

Via Librarian’s Rant and LAW-LIB.

The Lovesong of A. Radical Militant Librarian
By: Robert S. Ryan – 12/16/05

Oh, I am just an RML
I’m militant. I’m radical.
I plot to thwart the FBI
When I am on sabbatical.

I hold the most bizarre beliefs,
Perhaps they are exotic –
Due process, law and privacy
Can still be Patriotic

That there are ways that we can fight
Fanatics and their wrath
And still stay free and not eject
The baby with the bath

When panic strikes, the pendulum
Will often swing too far
Like Robert Frost, I think we should
Choose something like a star

Let’s not, with hearts as pure as snow
Destroy what we would save
You can’t preserve our way of life
If freedom’s in the grave

Our history will clearly show
We often go to far
McCarthy and the Black List
And the camp at Manzanar

Our saving grace – with passing time
We recognize our sin
This time, let’s anticipate
And not go plunging in

Let’s avoid the smallest step
Upon the slippery slope.
As corny as it sounds, we are
Still mankind’s greatest hope.

We blunder, stumble, make mistakes
Yet somehow, we still try.
And many eyes still dance
To see that banner in the sky.

So let’s be proud to be among
The many who say “Wait,
Let’s think this through, let’s not be rash.”
Before it is too late.

If we and the FBI do not
Agree, well, that’s our right.
It doesn’t mean we don’t support
Our country in this fight.

The disagreement is the thing that shows
Our country’s worth the cost.
The blood, the lives, the tears, the sweat
That we and ours have lost.

So wear your button proudly
Beause you’re an RML
And if some folks don’t like it, well,
They can go to…someplace else where discussions like
this aren’t permitted.

———-
Bob Ryan
Hill, Farrer & Burrill
Los Angeles
(And, as always, the opinions expressed here are mine and not those of Hill, Farrer or Burrill, all of whom are deceased. Yet still patriotic.)

This memo has made about as many waves as the Hysterical Librarians by Ashcroft, but I haven’t seen an ALA press release about it yet. 🙂

And following in the footsteps of the Hysterical Librarians button there are also Radical Militant Librarians buttons. A red version just says Radical Militant Librarians (I got a few of these), there is also a black version of shirts etc. but no button.

There is also another black version for both buttons and shirts etc. The shirts look good, the button is a bit hard to read.

So be a Radical Militant Librarian Capitalist and buy something if you like. 🙂

I went to Library History Seminar XI last week with some other folks from SISLT . It was ok, as with most conferences the presentations were all over the map, some were interesting, some were not. You would think that since LHS is only held every 5 years more people would present their best research, alas this was not the case.

Some words of warning, Robert Allerton Park and Conference Center, where LHS was held, is in the middle of nowhere. Be prepared for a drive to Urbana-Champaign for any food, bookstores, or alcohol. ( The library conference triumvirate) Connectivity is spotty at best, very few computers, phones, or TVs. Cell phone reception is also hit or miss.

Best lesson learned at the conference. If you keep books by Marx and Gramsci in a duffel bag, you can deny that the books belong to your library.

I’m starting some research into web services librarianship (or related job titles). Here is my research question, gap in the current research and outcome.

Research Question:
What are the perceived duties, needed qualifications, etc. of a web services librarian? How does the position announcement compare with actual job functions?

Research Gap and Outcome:
Since web services is a new field for libraries, it has very little history and an ill defined skill set. By examining the current generation of people in these positions, insight will be gained into what these individuals thought they would be doing in their job and what they are actually doing. This insight will provide a framework for new hires, and in doing so, improve library web services.

I’m starting this research off with a content analysis of web services librarian job listings. I’m looking to collect around 50 job postings.

The collection criteria:

1. Positions must list Web Services Librarian or a related job title. Related titles will be determined by reading the entire ad and determining context.
2. Positions must have a start date in 2005 or early 2006 (Jan. – May)

I thought I would ask library blog land for a little help. If you see a job listing that fits there criteria, leave a comment and tell me about it. Better yet if you are a web services type librarian who started your job sometime in 2005 or will start soon, give me a shout.

Via librarian.net. This picture is both distrubing and amusing. Glad I didn’t go into cataloging.

From LISNews, The LISNews Librarian Pickup Lines. Use with caution.