Librarians as Communication Specialists
By Elizabeth Jean Brumfield
From their historical beginnings as places to keep business, legal, historical and religious records of a civilization, libraries have emerged as communication facilities. Librarians are, in a way, communication specialists. They research information, decide what should be transmitted, how it should be channeled, and in some cases, determine information’s potential impact or social consequences. In the history of human beings, communication of ideas and reasoning have been factors that distinguishes them from animals. The ability to pass on knowledge and culture through speech and later through the written word has enabled humans to control their environment and record their history. It has been the duty of the librarian to preserve, organize, record and present human knowledge and ideas. From the Egyptian slaves who catalogued the papyrus rolls, to modern day librarians accessing the Internet, communication is very important.
The printing press started a revolution because it allowed for ideas to be exposed to others. Likewise the Internet offers many opportunities for ideas to be exposed to millions of people, worldwide. This communication revolution is changing librarianship. Years ago a patron asking a question at the reference desk was led to a shelf of books, now the patron is more likely to be encouraged to consult the web.
Electronic communication has created a globalization of librarianship. Now that a significant and increasing amount of the content that libraries provide their readers can be sent around the globe in a matter of seconds, we find that the ways in which librarianship is practiced around the world affects North American librarians and their patrons ever more directly. The e-mail discussion list lends itself to use by librarians around the globe and this increasingly brings librarians in contact with perspectives from outside their region and country. From the early 1980’s to present, libraries have undergone more changes brought about by technology.
Electronic communication forces
librarians to devote more time to updating their technological skills,
which results in sometimes taking time away from direct interaction with
users. While it is important to have knowledge of new databases and
search engines, librarians realize it is equally important to communicate
with our users and reflect the needs of the communities
served. Nothing can replace direct personal communication, not
electronic, or even the written word. Speech is the most proficient
form of communication as a transmitter of ideas, a problem-solving device
and a means of conveying emotions. The service aspect of
librarianship requires competence in all forms of communication, technical
and personal, in this way librarians are communication specialists.
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Last updated March 26,
2001