No Librarian is an Island

I don’t think there has been a week that has gone by that I haven't encountered one librarian stereotype or another. Are we all bun-wearing, cat-eyed glasses touting, sshhhhh sergeants? No.  But recently, as I stood alone, headphones in, systematically weeding an old collection, I came across a dusty copy of John Donne’s collected works. And there it was. “No Man is an Island”; a 14 line poem that addresses isolation. And his words rang true. As librarians, we are more often soldiers of solitude rather than the stereotyped sshhhhh sergeants. We work alone developing, weeding, shelving. But as Donne noted, though we may feel like an island at times, each of us is a piece of a continent—in our case, an informational continent. We are all working toward a common goal of preserving, disseminating, and promoting information and information literacy, so why not work together when we can?

Solitary duties are probably half of what we do. But as I have said before, there is no reason to be completely isolated and feel like you have to reinvent the wheel all the time. Being a part of the information continent means calling upon others for help or collaboration. Need a good read-aloud or program for National Poetry month? Dollars to donuts your counterpart at the local public library has one. Looking for the next book to read in your lunchtime book club? Ask another school librarian. Here are three of my top ways to reach out to colleagues and become an active part of the informational continent.

Make Local, real-life contacts

If you are a school librarian, don’t wait to see your peers at the monthly department meeting. Call them up, get to know them. Chances are they are working on similar programs are lessons and can be a great sounding board or collaborator for new ideas. 

NYPL

Don’t be a stranger to your nearest public library

Pop in and introduce yourself. Both you and the public library share a patron base. Chat about what the kids are asking for and about upcoming projects they will be doing in class. Perhaps you can coordinate an after-school tutoring program or a library card drive.

Join online communities 

Become a member of Follett Community, Library Thing, or Goodreads and use social media. Follow Pinterest boards and other librarians/educators on Twitter. Bookmark library blogs and leave comments when you read something interesting. You will gain followers and have a go-to when you are in need of ideas.

Taking these few small steps will not only bring you closer to the heartbeat of the industry, but it will save you time. Trust me, the hardest part is getting started. But once you do, you will be exposed to a wealth of information that would have otherwise sailed right past your island. So come, rejoin the informational continent; and remember, “ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”


Ever onward.