This is what I meant to say...

Recently, I posted a comment on the SLJ article, Things that Keep us up at Night. I did get one e-mail from a well meaning librarian who totally misunderstood what I was trying to say. I thought I had better clarify.
I wasn't trying to say that we should in any way not keep up with technology and trends, etc. What I meant was that I am trying to keep up, and I don't need to be chastised. I would have to agree with the contention that libraries may be evolving to be something totally different. It is still about information, but the containers have changed. If you have read earlier posts, you know that I think that some people still need a quiet place to do scholarly work, but apparently there aren't very many of them. I believe that we are indeed at a crossroads. How we react to the changes taking place in our profession and the world around us may determine whether or not libraries continue to exist and in what form. Hiding our heads in the sand and trying to just continue the way we have been for the last 40 years isn't going to cut it. That is what I meant when I said that it was a personal growth thing--in other words, there should be some personal growth going on. We don't want to go to Doctors and Lawyers who practice like it's 1969, and no one wants a librarian/media specialist (whatever) who does either. What I objected to was not the message itself--it was what I felt was the divisive nature of the writing. Ladies and Gentlemen--we are all on the same side! We want students to learn the skills they need, but we have to adapt to the new environment. Does this mean we don't push reading for pleasure? No. Does this mean you have to use Wikipedia? Maybe, but not for anything important, and kids still need to know about scholarly information in databases. Does this mean we all have to blog or use wikis, or tweet? No, but you should know what they are, and be able to help your staff with those things. When I said I felt like the choir portion of the congregation, what I meant was that I didn't need this sermon. I thought that most of the libarians I know didn't either. We all get that times they are a changin'. But haven't they always been? When have things ever stayed the same? What we have to do is sieze the moment. Information is important. Being able to teach kids and teachers how to find things is important. Supporting your staff is important. But if we hide our lights under a bushel, or worse yet, refuse to get a light (this is a metaphor--your light is your expertise, and it SHOULD include technology), not only are we doing a disservice to our patrons, but we may be ensuring that the future doesn't include school libraries, or libraries of any kind. Yikes!