The Good Library Blog

I don't know that you need trained librarians to do all those tasks, but librarians are certainly essential in helping people evaluate what they find on the internet. At least with a printed book you had the slight reassurance that it had gone through the rigours of the publishing process, but with anyone able to publish online instantly, with no checks and balances, then a librarian's guidance to the reliability of particular website content is invaluable.

Absolutely. I was in Bromley Library yesterday (a great Library!) in the local studies section retrieving some historical maps and the computer users were frequently asking for help whilst doing their own research. Human interface has to be compulsory. By the way, the staff I spoke to there were happy to help and happy in their jobs - its great to see!

Hampshire still has librarians, just not so many of them. Of course there are plenty of non-english speaking users of the internet in libraries - but I was unaware that multi-lingualism was one of the many skills of qualified librarians. Surely an unqualified library assistant is capable - I would certainly hope so. It doesn't need a qualified librarian to fix a broken PC. I guess that even our 'angry library assistant' could manage that. In reality most people are researching on their own, both at home in in libraries, and will rarely ask for or need quality evaluation, and anyway most libraries have direct free access to quality assured online sources. Let's not exagerate the professional support required to use a library for research. The personal attacks on Mr Ezra betray a less than dispaasionate approach to this discussion.

Durr..you do need qualified Librarians to help people. For example, my enquiry about historical maps and getting them and going through the copyright process (superseded maps, current maps) and OS licensing etc etc could only be handled by a qualified Librarian. I am currently going through my masters and am learning the necessary training that I need in my current job as a Librarian. Denigrating the needs of users and the Librarians professional training in order to save cash waters down the Library service in this country.

'Personal attack on Mr Ezra' - next you will be hinting at anti-semitism. As much as we should champion people we should point out the various goons that are ignorant enough to devalue cultural services in this country. People DO ask for Librarians help ALL THE TIME and most online sources are a joke which I've found out the hard way through study.

Whether or not Mr Ezra said these things or not or whether, as some posters have indicated above, you have put a particular spin on his comments that may not fully capture what he meant, there comes a point where you need to put up or shut up.

Mr Ezra is a paid officer of a local authority and as such if you disagree with what is happening in Hampshire, can I suggest that you move there and put yourself up for election to the council with a clear manifesto of just what you would change in terms of Hants library service.

This constant carping about particular places shows your complete inability to understand local government.

In addition, you have said, numerous times, tht there are national and local political figures biding their time before they ride to the rescue of the library and that they have confided in you.

Come on then, who are they? Unless you can identify them, perhaps its time to stop having a go at paid employees of councils who are doing their politial masters bidding. At least these politicians come out into the open, unlike the ones you seem to be talking to. Do they exist, or perhaps they're just scared? Maybe, they've just been telling you what you want to hear.

Either way, they don't seem very real at the moment.

Katie - how do you tell the difference between a qualified librarian and a library assistant? They all look exactly the same to me. So how do you know that your help was given by a professional librarian as opposed to a well experienced and intelligent library assistant without the benefit of a formal library qualification? Did you ask? And if the information had have been given by an unqualified person would have doubted its accuracy?

Took you a while Gary ; )

My argument (which you have twisted) was that you have Library Assistants and qualified Librarians who work together in a team, but people do have enquiries that Library Assistants are not in a position to respond to (this could range from copyright/intellectual property through to advanced searching)which extends to most Libraries. Much of my work is spent contacting Libraries and Local Studies and communicating with people who have a wide range of roles and abilities. Your argument is that people do not need that much help in Libraries. Yes they do - but there are varying degrees as to how much help people need!

With the correct training a Library Assistant can help with anything. Library Assistants are extremely under valued, a lot of what they now do was once done by Librarians. I can assure others that it is more about common sense,teamwork and experience. I am a Library Assistant and the dearth of training available is a disgrace and on top of that we are then insulted. Please believe me when I say that I am more than capable. Today many Librarians have Post-graduate experience or no experience as Librarians and are being trained on the job to manage the workload of Library Assistants with more experience. Knowledge and skills this combination is unbeatable in life. Library Assistants are now the 'FACE' that the public see first, once upon a time the Librarian did everything.

well of course librarians are needed and i agree they should be respected and valued by the members of public. After all they do give up their own time just to help people. Any one who is foolish enough to underestimate librarians should really look at themselves. i mean are they giving up their time to help?