Spring 2007

Revolting Librarians Redux is an insightful collection of essays written by those in the field who feel that certain things regarding the library could be done differently, or given a second look. It is a follow up to the 1970 book Revolting Librarians, written in the same manner. Throughout the book the reader is introduced to a myriad of concerns put forth by present day librarians. While there are numerous and various complaints, one can see three major issues rise up through all of the other matters. These three issues include: the relevancy (or lack there of) in current library school curriculum, the current trend towards new library business models which turn the patron into a mindless consumer of library services, and protecting the patrons privacy (and the integrity of the library, itself) especially since the post 9-11 threat to our civil liberties.
Jess Nevins notices in his essay What Library Schools Still Aren’t Teaching Us (pgs 45-53) that there are a few common sense job applicable skills that are not being taught in library school. Included in his list are: office skills, dress and hygiene, sensitivity training, teaching, book purchasing, professional writing, public relations, managerial skills and interviewing skills. Nevins recommends creating one course that is taught in library schools that would incorporate the teaching of all of these skills. Besides not getting thorough training in library school it is also suggested that the information and teaching one does get is often outdated and irrelevant by the time one finishes their degree. If this weren’t enough there are more issues with library school such as: the inability for a paraprofessional who is already doing the job of a librarian to receive the title and pay of a librarian without their MLS, and the issue of ALA accredited schools versus the non-ALA accredited degree program. While all these things put together create a hard case against library school, prospective student should not be discouraged by reading this, but, rather, should be encouraged to be critical and active participants in their education instead of just passive consumers of it.
A second major issue that has librarians revolting is a new trend being set by library managers and administrators to adopt a corporate-like business model for running their community library. This is thought by Sanford Bernam to undermine “The essential public library mission and ethos: To freely provide materials and information in a variety of formats, representing widely divergent opinions, experiences, and perspectives-and to do so in a noncommercial, “neutral” environment for the entertainment, enlightenment, and both intellectual and spiritual growth of the whole population, unlimited by age, income, sex, disability, ethnicity, or occupation.” It is the fear of these librarians that the library is turning into little more than a state run Barnes and Noble, where one can find twenty copies of Oprah’s latest book club book and less, if any, copies of more challenging or controversial books or publications.
A third concern worthy of noting is the library’s position on privacy and information access before and after the USA PATRIOT Act. In his essay Taking a Stand (pgs 61-65) Daniel Tsang observes that “Libraries, for example, are cited as a specific venue where FBI agents are now free to troll or conduct fishing expeditions for basically anything.” If a library receives a government request to hand over a patrons circulation record, they are encouraged to seek legal advice from ALA lawyers, but it is questioned as to whether this is enough to protect the patron’s privacy. The government has also used the current political climate as an excuse to restrict access to otherwise public information; “the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have all deleted “sensitive material” from their web pages (p.96).” Librarians are caught in a balancing act to keep patron’s records private and public information accessible.
Although these issues are large and pervasive it does not seem to be the intention of these revolting librarians to overwhelm the reader. They are writing for change in these issues that concern them and their field. They are writing so that “their silence is not taken for affirmation.” Throughout these essays there is a humor, an insightfulness, and a concern that someone who did not have faith in the profession (as a whole) would ever express. As Chris Dodge put it on page 135:
“Revolting librarians have not given up hope for the future of libraries.”