CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG LIBRARIAN

Every time I walk in the library, the silence gets too loud for me, that the only thing I could think of is how I am lacking as a librarian.

When I look at the collection of books on the shelves, I imagine how different the world would have been if people read.

When I look at how latest journals are being published regularly, and how information illiteracy is affecting our communities, I'm left to wonder if am doing enough.

As a young librarian, I struggle with a lot of things.

 I struggle with the fact that I am a librarian, I spend a lot of time trying to convince people about what I do. I spend most of my strength, explaining what librarianship is and what it's not because the world does not understand. I have to say all the good things about libraries just for society to accept me.
As a young librarian, there are things I still do not do right.

I still make mistakes when cataloguing books
 I still do not know how to catalogue other forms of knowledge and wisdom
 There are still certain things I don't understand about librarianship
 There are times I do things wrongly to just be on time
 There are times I say things I don't even understand to calm a library user
 There are times that I yell at frustrated library users
 There are moments that I get mad because of patrons
 There are times that I keep quiet in meetings because I barely have anything to say
 There are times that I forget passwords at the time am supposed to help a patron
 There are times when my tongue gets tied when I am supposed to educate and encourage people on how to find materials of choice in the library
 At times I don't like the quietness in the library
Sometimes I hate how people think that libraries are just about books

Despite all, I am always excited about going to work in the library because I understand that libraries are never just about books, there are about people.
There are about relationships.They are about knowledge management, about giving back. They are about reflections, the silence that is associated with libraries gives one time to reflect and listen to one's mind.

In my little experience as a librarian, I have learnt to listen to patrons because everyone is fighting battles I know nothing about, so all I do is give a listening ear and a comforting smile.

Being a librarian to me is a thing of passion, I embrace the joys and satisfaction that comes with helping someone find exactly what they are looking for.

Its about how I am growing and developing as a librarian everyday. The new technologies I get to learn as they come, the opportunities I get to train and teach others about information literacy.
The smiles I put on people's faces when they finally succeed. The lives I touch with my instructions as a librarian. I am grateful to be a  librarian. Given another opportunity, I would still choose this job.

People attach little importance to libraries but they forget that  these are cornerstones for a healthy community. Therefore librarians are an integral part of a healthy information literate society.