If librarians were the first wave of professionals to have their careers “threatened” by the advent of the Internet, 2006 proved to be the year when journalists came under similar fire. I just watched a News Hour piece titled “New Media, New Year” (mp3 version) in which journalists, educators of journalists and journalism analysts debated the pros, cons and significance of the year in which Time Magazine declared “You” to be the person of the year.

Somehow, it all sounded familiar: the fretting, the fear that the greater public does not understand the added value that a group of professionals brings to the information environment, the bated enthusiasm that one has for a new medium which has massive amounts of potential but which also severely disrupts all that you hold dear.

Journalists, welcome to the 21st century. As your gentle 5 minute ambassador from LibraryLand, I would like to assure you that things will work out. See these promising numbers from a forward thinking (and public!) institution, they are proof that relevance is, well, relevant to the effort a profession makes:

Last year we announced that items circulated during the 2003-04 year passed the 2 million mark. This year, we circulated just over 3 million items. This new circulation record represents a 33% increase and the highest annual percentage of increase in the Library’s history.

We are also experiencing growth in other key areas. Our buildings were visited 1.3 million times, an 8% increase. Attendance at programs increased 14%, over 51,000, and more individuals used library computers than ever before…223,000 logins represent a 37% increase over last year.

The need to expand our space and adapt to the needs and interests of the community is clear. Let us know what you need from the Library.

(source)

No tags