MLIS Then and Now....what do you think?

In the following posts I am to describe the chapters that I am reading in the book The Portable MLIS Insights from the Experts
Edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon.

Presented here are my thoughts about Chapter 1 "Stepping Back and Looking Forward"

I had read about this book and read that it was an "easy read" in that it was not full of language that one would have to look up in a dictionary or beyond the average persons ability to understand. Admittedly, I was skeptical. I was proven wrong. This book is phenomenal. A brief history of libraries, five laws of librarians, four core values for librarians and definitions were outlined. I found the book to be a page turner and interesting. It takes a bit for me to say this about a book given as an assignment.

I would like to share with you some of things that I found most interesting. I, in general like facts and new information. Early on in the world of libraries they were mainly used by the elite and one had to pay for service (I can't imagine). Then libraries were used to educate immigrants. Librarians back then were male, scholars, priests, monks or bookkeepers. The monks were charged with making copies of the texts. It was said that if they did not like or understand the text they would change it. I was in awe at this, imagine changing the dictionary or The Bible. The other thing that was striking was that books were not viewed as sacred or fact. They were burned and banned. I personally agree with the premise that books are there for the people whether we agree with them or not. Some of these items are things we may never again gain access to items like the Constitution of the United States. Libraries are now places to explore new ideas without judgement or negative repercussions. I do not even want to think about what it is like in places where you can't read a book because someone else deems it dangerous or inappropriate. I am of the belief that I should get to decide what I read!

Rubin, R. E. (2008). Stepping Back and Looking

Forward: Reflections on the Foundations of Libraries and

Librarianship. In Haycock, K., & Sheldon B. E. (Eds.) The Portable

MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp. 3-14). Westport, Connecticut.

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