Where has Your Librarian Been?
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- Nuke1006
- MindyL
- GillianDavis
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» Nuke1006 - General Knowledge of Mathematics
I think all librarians should have a general knowledge of at least college level algebra. Now, I know that they should have taken algebra in college, but they should actually be able to solve general problems. I think it says a lot about Mathematics in this country when you can ask a librarian(who has had 5 years of college), what Pi is or how to solve a first degree equation and they have no idea what you are talking about.Nuke
Disclaimer: I don't think all librarians are like this. Just a majority of them.
-- posted by Nuke1006
» MindyL - Mathematics and Librarians
That is a very interesting point. It is a growing trend for specialized libraries to require a great amount of knowledge (and most likely an advanced degree) of the specialization. At most academic libraries, it is considered part of the position to pursue subject specific education at the graduate level. This means that a librarian in a mathematics library should be able to speak to mathematicians on a similar, if not equal, level.As far as public librarians are concerned, I am sure that there are many librarians who are quite familiar with college level algebra, but I am sure that many are not. Some people do not enjoy math and probably did not take any more math classes than their particular school required. My recommendation is to find a librarian who possesses the desired skills and do not hesitate to take your reference questions to him or her if that makes you more comfortable. The key is to get to know your local libraries and librarians well, so you can take full advantage of the resources available.
-- posted by MindyL
» GillianDavis - Nice to See
Mindy, I really enjoyed this article. It's nice to see someone "publicize" what librarians do, and the education we have. Like you said, so many people are surprised that we need a masters degree, so I think it's important to market ourselves and inform patrons (and would-be patrons) about what we can do for them. Keep up the excellent work!Gillian
Editor, Librarians and Information Science
-- posted by GillianDavis
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