Being a librarian is one of 2008's best careers!

According to an article published in US News, being a librarian is recognized as being one of the best careers. According to Mart Nemko today's librarians are "high-tech information sleuths helping patrons plumb the oceans of information available in books and digital records, often starting with a clever Google search but frequently going well beyond." Read the article Best Careers 2009: Librarian.

The group of advocates!

Partnership Project Planning: Group 6

The Library Advocates group members are as follows:

1. Shirley Kabwato - Rhodes University
2. Refilwe Masondo - Library and Archive Services, Department of Sport, Arts & Culture, Free State
3. Elsabé Olivier - Open Scholarship Manager, University of Pretoria
4. Keoagile Phoi - Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis, Gaberone
5. Lucille Webster - Durban University of Technology

Description of the Library Advocates Project:

The group of this project aims to introduce a class of learners from an underprivileged school located in our respective communities to the exciting world of librarianship in the new millennium! Through the ages librarians have been stereotyped as dull, middle-aged ladies with glasses and buns – even though they are very efficient in providing an excellent service to their clients! The You Tube Your Life Work: The librarian is a typical example of the past portrayal of the work of a librarian, but in contemporary society the modern librarian is someone with diverse skills who is willing to embrace technological changes easily and creatively.

The Library Advocates want to challenge this traditional role by introducing a class of grade 9 learners who still have to make informed decisions about possible career paths, to the new and exciting possibilities of librarianship. A school with little or no library infrastructure will be chosen and each member will liaise with the teacher of that class with regard to librarianship as a possible first choice career option for the learners. Each member will provide information of librarianship as a career choice and plan a Career day at our respective institutions. Other staff members of each institution will be involved to showcase the many tasks and roles that librarians play today - preferably during the South African Library Week festivities in May 2009.

Lastly these learners’ comments will be shared through our blog.