Believe it or not, I did not create this blog title to be a personally reflective one. Rather, it was decided upon between Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon, the authors of the fabulous "Portable MLIS." (My bets are on the lady.)
I was worried I would find nothing to reflect on in this chapter. I was so wrong. It will be difficult to keep this entry short, but I'll try. I'm probably only supposed to discuss one topic, but something else is begging to be mentioned. More on that later.
In reading the history of libraries I was able to remember some things I had heard before about the great libraries of Alexandria and the Byzantine empire. I get so caught up in imagining those grandiose libraries stuffed with archives, special collections, and valuable documents that have since been lost that I forget one vital piece of information. The majority of the population was illiterate. These libraries weren't open to the public and even if they were, would be nearly useless to anyone other than royalty, clergy, and aristocrats.
I was worried I would find nothing to reflect on in this chapter. I was so wrong. It will be difficult to keep this entry short, but I'll try. I'm probably only supposed to discuss one topic, but something else is begging to be mentioned. More on that later.
In reading the history of libraries I was able to remember some things I had heard before about the great libraries of Alexandria and the Byzantine empire. I get so caught up in imagining those grandiose libraries stuffed with archives, special collections, and valuable documents that have since been lost that I forget one vital piece of information. The majority of the population was illiterate. These libraries weren't open to the public and even if they were, would be nearly useless to anyone other than royalty, clergy, and aristocrats.
In addition to altering manuscript, monks would often get cold or tired while laboriously copying texts and draw things in the margins of the scripts or other documents. If you happen to be in New York or simply want to see some examples, check out this exhibit going on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.It makes the mission of public libraries realized as a unique and recent goal. Haycock and Sheldon remind their readers near the end of the chapter that the concept of a public library - open to everyone equally - didn't even exist until the 19th century. Why did this take so long? The United States had established its first university in the early part of the 17th century. Then again, universities were also tailored to the white males they admitted. Women and minorities wouldn't have been expected to need (or even want) this kind of access to educational materials. The literary entertainment that was published before the 19th century for women was mostly moral tales and later, paradoxically, rag novels (think "Charlotte" by Rowson, 1791 vs. "The Woman in White" by Collins, 1859). Using the thinking of that time, what place would either of these have in a library next to law texts?
Not only does a public library have the opportunity to serve people from all walks of live, they are employed by just as diverse a group of people. Now I must mention the second topic that attached itself to this thought train: I found it so interesting and directly contradictory that most women wouldn't have had access to libraries before the 19th century, yet when they become public women were often deemed the more suitable sex for the job. Haycock and Sheldon attribute this to the similarities between social work, teaching, and nursing.
That made me consider what parts of being a librarian are similar to those fields and they were easy to see. Although I can't say I anticipate much nurturing as a librarian, I certainly entered the field because I find it personally rewarding to help others. So although it would be easy to get defensive about women being primarily selected for these positions in the mid 1800s, it also makes me grateful. In short, the barrier of the sexes was broken down for me long before I ever came into the picture of joining the highly regarded ranks of librarian. I currently work with a wide variety of people, men and women, and truly appreciate that kind of diversity. The history of libraries and their employment preferences at different times has likely placed a role in that.
I really enjoyed reading this chapter and learning some things I didn't know. Consider any chance to discuss literature and history aptly seized.
P.S. I tried to give you a picture of a female librarian but 95% of results for "female librarian" were pornographic. Check out this amazing website/blog called "The Lipstick Librarian" for some great insight on what it's like to deal with female librarian stereotypes.
Not only does a public library have the opportunity to serve people from all walks of live, they are employed by just as diverse a group of people. Now I must mention the second topic that attached itself to this thought train: I found it so interesting and directly contradictory that most women wouldn't have had access to libraries before the 19th century, yet when they become public women were often deemed the more suitable sex for the job. Haycock and Sheldon attribute this to the similarities between social work, teaching, and nursing.
That made me consider what parts of being a librarian are similar to those fields and they were easy to see. Although I can't say I anticipate much nurturing as a librarian, I certainly entered the field because I find it personally rewarding to help others. So although it would be easy to get defensive about women being primarily selected for these positions in the mid 1800s, it also makes me grateful. In short, the barrier of the sexes was broken down for me long before I ever came into the picture of joining the highly regarded ranks of librarian. I currently work with a wide variety of people, men and women, and truly appreciate that kind of diversity. The history of libraries and their employment preferences at different times has likely placed a role in that.
I really enjoyed reading this chapter and learning some things I didn't know. Consider any chance to discuss literature and history aptly seized.
P.S. I tried to give you a picture of a female librarian but 95% of results for "female librarian" were pornographic. Check out this amazing website/blog called "The Lipstick Librarian" for some great insight on what it's like to deal with female librarian stereotypes.
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