WE’VE GOT THE P*O*W*E*R*
By Alice H. Yucht
originally published in Teacher-Librarian  September 1998  


Information Power, yes. But what about  LIBRARIAN   Power — the personal and professional qualities that have a profound impact on how others perceive our worth?

OUR POWER SOURCES (those attributes inherent to our job):

P is for Position and Provider:  As the keepers of the keys to the vaults of knowledge, do we really provide equal access and opportunity to all, no matter what?  Admit it: we’ve all given advance notice of goodies to a favorite teacher, and also considered restricting the rights of a delinquent patron.  Our roles are changing: are we still the Custodian of the Collection, safeguarding the stock, or are we now the Chief Information Officer, supplying necessary resources wherever found and however needed?

O is for Operating systems:  no, not Mac or PC (I wouldn’t dare get into that argument!).
I mean our Information Service operating system, which can vary depending on the kind of request, the topic, the amount of involvement required, or even the time of day.  
Basically we fall into three canine categories here; we become either:
— Golden Retrievers: “I’ve got just what you need.  Let me bring it to you.”
— Scottish Terriers: “Ooh, that’s a good topic — let’s dig around and see what we can find “   or
— Short-haired pointers:  “It’s three rows over, second shelf down, blue cover.”
Each technique serves a valid purpose; it’s knowing when to use which one that distinguishes us.

W is for Wizardry:  We’re not really capable of extraordinary powers; it’s more likely we‘re just more Willing to read the directions.  We know when books are the best sources, help online seekers develop the best search string, even restart recalcitrant LCD projectors with a well-placed tap (aka ‘percussive maintenance’).  Sometimes we even have psychic powers, as when kids ask if we can find a special book — ’you know,  the one with the dog on the cover.’

E is for Educated Mind:  a polite way of saying Extensive Mental Junkyard.  We can’t help it, we just automatically acquire all kinds of factual flotsam and jetsam.  We’ve got Dewey Decimal numbers stuck in our brains.  We know which famous scientists are dead, and which ones are in People magazine.   We remember where to find instructions for folding a paper crane, and what’s more — we’ve probably even tried to fold one.  

R is for Raison d’etre:  we didn’t choose this profession to be shelvers and dusters; we became librarians because we enjoy the exploring and gathering of information, and then the organizing and dispensing of that knowledge to others.   Many of us also function as Radar O’Reillys (of M*A*S*H* fame); spotting “incoming” before it arrives, and alerting the troops as needed.  The library is Information Central in more ways than one, and we’re the sifters, sorters, and sharers of all kinds of seemingly irrelevant data.   

OUR POWER FORCES (the attitudes and assets we need to use to achieve our goals):

P is for Purpose and Participation:  we know the importance of teaching information literacy across the curriculum.   We need to become activists for the implementation of these skills in every way possible.  “Student Achievement is the bottom line,” but this achievement requires active involvement: preparation, development , planning and consistent effort.

O is for Ownership:  Information literacy is our curriculum; information resources our responsibility; information provision our function.  We need to work collaboratively with classroom teachers to infuse information skills across all grade levels and subject areas. New technologies mean new possibilities; as the Information experts, we need to explore new ways of finding, using, and producing knowledge, and then share these new assets with others.  
 
W is for Worth and Wealth: Information is the coin of the realm these days.  Are we providing cost-effective and cost-efficient programs and services to our clientele? We must make sure what we’ve got is what our students and teachers will find most useful.   An extensive but unused collection is a waste of both funds and space.  Weeding is a necessary function, both in gardens and libraries.   And weeding requires Wisdom; the professional knowledge necessary to know what’s now worth keeping or chucking.

E is for Educators: because that’s what we are.   Teacher-Librarian, yes; an equal balance of responsibilities, clearly understood by the rest of the world.   ‘Media specialist’ always sounded too vague and misleading for me.  To the general public “media” usually means the news providers (radio, tv, newspapers), and “specialist” is a misnomer since we deal with all the subjects, formats, and grade levels.  We teach lifetime learning skills; we Encourage Exploration  and Empower our students to become Effective citizens (especially since they will vote on our retirement benefits).   ‘We touch the future, we teach’ is not an empty platitude at all.

R is for Recognition of both the Realities and Reach we can aim for.    No, not every school library will be fully-funded, fully-staffed, and fully-automated (at least, not in our lifetimes).  Our students will still Reap the benefits of what we can accomplish right  now, but we must continue to Rally our constituencies to provide Robust support for exemplary school library programs everywhere.

POWER is frequently defined as ‘the ability, capacity, or influence to control; the force that makes things happen’.    Are you willing to use your powers to make Possibilities into Realities?
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WE’VE GOT THE P*O*W*E*R*
By Alice H. Yucht
originally published in Teacher-Librarian  September 1998
updated March 1, 2005