How to Be a Good Librarian

by

Frank X. Roberts

The really useful librarian should, in my opinion, be broadly educated. Knowledge in depth in a particular area is fine and also useful. But, to paraphrase Dr. Johnson, the good librarian either knows things or knows where to find out about them, in all subject areas.
 

Librarians, you should be wading pools,
Wide, extensive, but not ripple free,
Seek all opinions, enter all schools
In the branches of Porphyry's tree; 

Never be narrow by closing your minds
To subjects that don't fall within
Areas of knowledge one especially finds
Interesting.  O' Speciality, the gin
 
Which powers weak souls if it can,
The two-fisted engine closing the door
On Melvil Dewey and Ranganathan.
(I'm not done, I have five stanzas more.)
 
Don't avoid Math, that difficult stuff,
Or Computers, too liberally installed,
But say, like Huck, "Interesting but tough,"
Instead of getting yourselves all walled
 
Up inside an obtuseness created by fear
Of subjects that don't easily scan,
Hide behind laughter, or react with a sneer,
When you should be a broadminded clan.
 
Yes, Renaissance types in a specialized world,
That's the state you ought to strive for,
Embracing the Trivium and the Quadrivium
While the world queues up at your door.
 
In Admin., in Reference you surely must use
Your knowledge, and patient managerial tact
To serve the public, in spite of abuse,
With Science, with Lit., with Statistical fact.
 
But though you may pick some depth of the well
Of knowledge to immerse yourselves in,
You know that each day, come high water or hell,
In a wading pool you must sink or swim.
 

Frank’s extensive career in teaching and librarianship began when he taught English in the U.S. From 1961 to 1963, as part of a Columbia University program called “Teachers for East Africa,” he taught English and American Literature in East Africa. There he met his wife, Dorothy. They returned to the U.S. where he simultaneously taught and finished two Masters’ degrees, in Education and in Librarianship. In 1968 they returned to England where Frank taught Library Studies, and adopted Hodge, a cat who later traveled around the world with them. In 1972, Frank was “seconded” for two years to teach at Makerere University in Uganda, East Africa, but left reluctantly after one year when the tyranny of Idi Amin became intolerable. From there it was back to England, then Australia and finally  to America in 1979, to Buffalo where Frank earned his doctorate. Later they moved to Colorado, where he was Professor of Library Studies at the University of Northern Colorado until retiring in 1997. Frank published James A. Michener: A Checklist of his Work with a Selected Annotated Bibliography (Greenwood Press) in 1995. He has written on bookmarks, specifically on medieval bookmarks, his special area of interest. A poet by avocation, he writes eclectically but traditionally. Frank and Dorothy live in Colorado with two very senior citizens of the feline persuasion. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .