"I've got a plan
I've got an atlas in my hands
I'm gonna turn when I listen to the lessons that I've learned."
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich, "Atlas Hands"
I've got an atlas in my hands
I'm gonna turn when I listen to the lessons that I've learned."
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich, "Atlas Hands"
This song, downloaded for free off of iTunes, happened to be playing as I was reading the Atlas. I'd come to really like the tune, but once again, I found the lyrics unexpectedly profound in relation to what I've been reading for this class. As the artist sang these words, I jokingly thought, I've got an Atlas in my hands, too. But as I listened to the chorus repeat, I realized that the whole point of Prof. Lankes' book is to help us develop a plan. He didn't just write it to wax eloquent on a subject about which he is obviously knowledgeable and passionate. If we are to become truly effective librarians in any sense of the word, we need to see and understand how all the elements of librarianship are woven together.
For that reason, I love how instead of "chapters," each section is called a "thread"- chapters imply a separation, a distinction between segments with a beginning and an end, connected by the overarching theme of the book in which they are found. Threads, on the other hand, eliminate that separation, suggesting from the outset that all these topics are more than just connected ideas- they are intertwined, overlapping each other the way threads in fabric weave over and under each other in a unified purpose. By themselves, the threads have limited value and use. Together, there is almost no limit to their future. So it is with the threads of the Atlas- as we utilize these ideas and this information in a comprehensive way, we are empowered to change the world for the better.
I love that Atlas is also the Greek god assigned to carry the world. In a very real sense, that is who we are as librarians. No, we do not literally have the weight of the world on our shoulders, but we have the opportunity to change the world as we shape our communities and allow them to shape us. Just as the core values of librarianship have to entwine together for them to be effective, there is a mutual dependence between the community and the library--we seek to improve our communities and society in general "through facilitating knowledge creation," but only by conversing with those communities, by letting them tell us what knowledge they need help creating, can we have the kind of impact that will improve society. It sometimes seems to be a daunting task, but I return again to the words of Benjamis Francis Leftwich:
"I've got a plan
I've got an atlas in my hands..."
Truly, as we learn and grow as librarians, we can help shape the world, and allow the world to help
For that reason, I love how instead of "chapters," each section is called a "thread"- chapters imply a separation, a distinction between segments with a beginning and an end, connected by the overarching theme of the book in which they are found. Threads, on the other hand, eliminate that separation, suggesting from the outset that all these topics are more than just connected ideas- they are intertwined, overlapping each other the way threads in fabric weave over and under each other in a unified purpose. By themselves, the threads have limited value and use. Together, there is almost no limit to their future. So it is with the threads of the Atlas- as we utilize these ideas and this information in a comprehensive way, we are empowered to change the world for the better.
I love that Atlas is also the Greek god assigned to carry the world. In a very real sense, that is who we are as librarians. No, we do not literally have the weight of the world on our shoulders, but we have the opportunity to change the world as we shape our communities and allow them to shape us. Just as the core values of librarianship have to entwine together for them to be effective, there is a mutual dependence between the community and the library--we seek to improve our communities and society in general "through facilitating knowledge creation," but only by conversing with those communities, by letting them tell us what knowledge they need help creating, can we have the kind of impact that will improve society. It sometimes seems to be a daunting task, but I return again to the words of Benjamis Francis Leftwich:
"I've got a plan
I've got an atlas in my hands..."
Truly, as we learn and grow as librarians, we can help shape the world, and allow the world to help