Would any other name smell as sweet?

"I'm a Library Media Specialist"

- the conversation stopping answer to a question that is often asked at social gatherings.


"What is that?"

- the question that always follows with a puzzled, dumbfounded expression...

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Has anyone else had this experience?? This is why I loved the recent article, "The 21st-Century Librarian" in the New York Times focusing on Mrs. Stephanie Rosalia. She just gets the job done! At one point in the article, the reporter refers to her as a "Information Literacy Teacher" and I loved it! I think that the title would still get some strange looks at parties, but I like being a teacher and this article and the video clip really shared who I hope to be and where I hope to go for our 21st century students.

I am young in this profession (starting at 25 and still not 30...yet!!! I won't be able to say that much longer) and love it! When I was finishing my undergraduate English degree and teaching license, I stopped in to talk to the Director of the Career Center at my college about looking at the "Library" field. I don't think he had any clue how to help me and ended up discouraging me from pursuing it - "There isn't much for people in your background pursing this area." Somehow so true - but useless! It didn't take long for my stubbornness to emerge to soon I was exploring the niche of "Librarianship" in schools.

Why is this little experience so important to my little diatribe about the "names" of this profession you might wonder -

The Internet was a part of my high school experience and became an integral part of my life when in college. I never even imagined that a "Librarian" was someone who exclusively worked with books! I viewed "Librarians" as a source - that sometimes lead to books, but just as often made use of the emerging tools and information provided on the computer in the library as well.

I get so many apologetic expressions when referred to as the school's "Librarian," but I am not in the least offended. I am honored by the predecessors of my profession who more often than not amaze me with how they have embraced the changes of the profession and really find so many unique ways to reach students as today's technology leaders in our school buildings.

I certainly hope to ensnare my students with my passion for libraries, because, yes I do still love the library and fingering my way through the pages of a book. I am merely confused at the difficulty in grasping that a "School Librarian" has become something more.

If we must call it another name to make it sweeter in this world of technology, we must.

Let me be a "Library Media Specialist," "Teacher Librarian," or drop the "Library" completely, and let me be a "Technology Teacher / Trainer," "Information Technology Specialist," "Information Literacy Teacher," or any of the other titles that attempt to describe what we do, but let me encourage teachers, students, administrators, and our learning community at large to respect the breadth of knowledge and skill required in using printed media for learning and exploring the world while not being limited to it. If you will call me a "Librarian" this will not contain my enthusiasm for all the possibilities for technology to enhance the communication and learning within our school community.