I hope some of you saw the great piece on CBS Sunday Morning today, called “Pete Hamill on Jimmy Breslin and the heralded world of beat reporters.” Pete Hamill is well worth listening to as a wise man. He is also very well-spoken. One of the first quotes from his interview hit me close to home:
Interviewer: “Did you grow up poor?”
Pete: “We grew up poor, but not impoverished.”
Interviewer: “What’s the difference?”
Pete: “The library.”
That is the perfect explanation for my choice of careers! Many of my fondest memories revolve around getting my first library card and beginning my search for knowledge and entertainment in the small public library in Emporia Kansas. From searching endlessly through the stacks, to getting an additional dip on my imaginary ice cream cone for every book I read in the summer, libraries have been a quintessential part of my life, my search for meaning and my identification as an American.
“Since this country’s founding, public libraries have received broad and consistent popular support for their democratic missions and services. The ability to access free information has become a core ideal of what it means to be an American citizen, despite periods of historic inequality. Libraries help make this access possible by placing public benefit at the center of their work and continually adapting their strategies to meet changing public needs over time.” — A History of U.S. Public Libraries
Granted librarians are rarely glorified in our culture. In fact, historically we’ve been made fun of constantly as nasty ugly old sour-faced women who wear sensible shoes, their hair in a bun and say “Shhhhhhh!” To quote Wikipedia: “Stereotypes of librarians in popular culture are frequently negative… portrayed as puritanical, punitive, unattractive, and introverted if female, or timid and effeminate if male. Such inaccurate stereotypes are likely to have a negative impact on the attractiveness of librarianship as a profession to young people.” But many of us were too smart for that!
Use your mind everyday! Become a librarian!
I believed so much in the connection between American freedom of information, critical thinking and citizenship that I worked for years as a Government Information Librarian. The reference question I enjoyed most was introducing people from other countries to the book on “How to become an American citizen.” I was also an United Nations and International Documents Librarian. My funniest exchange there was the man who came up to the desk and tried to convince me how horrible the UN was. I responded with, ” I didn’t become a United Nations Librarian because I hate the UN.”
I have no regrets about being a librarian for 25 years. It was a positive and flexible career, one which allowed me to enjoy many adventures worldwide, while providing job security and a great retirement. In addition, I was able to celebrate and support everything I love about being an American!
Adventures of the NEW??? Old Farts 
I LOVE LIBRARIES!!! (Was that enthusiastic enough?) 🙂
LikeLike
LOVE IT Diane!
LikeLike
I too have been an early fan of the library. All through College that is where I studied. My BFF who unfortunately for the world passed away at age 61 was a reference librarian. For 35 years she recommended books for me on my likes and tastes. Librarians Rock!
LikeLike
Libraries, and independent bookstores, are like 2nd homes to me.
LikeLike
What would our world be without them? I don’t want to find out!
LikeLike
The library was such a huge part of my life. I remember being so proud that I was the only 1st grader who had permission to check out books because I could already read. My mom started reading to me the day I was born and now we reading to my grandchildren. There were certain milestones that we’ve passed down the generations. First chapter book Little Women, when you started your period Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret. My granddaughter and grandson are 4 and they visit the library every week and pick out books to read.
LikeLike
Thanks Rena! You just reminded me of one my BEST childhood memories: My second grade teacher took me to the 6th grade to pick out books because I had read all the books at my level! WoooHooo!
LikeLike
I bet it was an interesting career. You not only learn about books but also interact with all sorts of intelligent people and kids. Great choice.
LikeLike
Intelligent and otherwise Rebecca! Some were just a hoot!
LikeLike
I love libraries, and was President of the Board of our local one for about a decade. My SIL works for the Newberry Library in Chicago. Libraries ROCK!
LikeLike
I love that quote, and I love libraries. I also remember those summer reading programs in our small library. I remember they had a bulletin board to track our progress. I loved being able to move my name foward. I also loved rummaging through the card catalog. I was so sad when they replaced those with computers.
LikeLike
Spectacular.
As I’ve gotten to know some librarians via Facebook (and we also have a couple of wonderful librarians here at Scholastic, where I work) I from time to time think maybe at my level of bibliophilia, that might have been a good career. I’m actually in a pretty good spot even if the specific job I do (finance) isn’t the job I ever would have dreamed of when I was a kid, so I’m unlikely to go back to school to get an MLIS and then start hunting entry-level library jobs in my mid-50’s – but boy, if I were a bit more of a risk-taker or in a situation that didn’t have as many good things about it as my current one does, that might have been something to chase.
LikeLike
Don’t feel bad Bonnie. I feel like I was brainwashed from day one to be an academic and a librarian!
LikeLike