I'm not afraid of no ghosts!

I am an information professional. My job title is librarian. I connect people with information. Not just information but the right information. I think I'm rather good at it.

I think libraries will be around for years, but even if they disappeared tomorrow I'd still have a job. Some librarians wouldn't, because they are too entangled in the buildings and processes we constructed to help people find useful information. They forget that the point is the people. I was reminded today of some of the pessimism that has seeped into many libraries, particularly law libraries. Years of budget and staffing cuts have created a kind of fatalism. Someone asked me recently about innovations in Canadian Law Libraries. There are a handful that stand out. But largely we are not a very innovative bunch. I think we rested on our laurels too long. We are now paying the price.

Am I afraid of the future? Not at all. How can an information professional not be optimistic at the dawn of the information age? I was made for this; bring it on. I don't have time to mourn past glories, nor tend the ghosts of libraries past. I have people who need my help.

Now back to religious information....