The Errant Librarian

Hi again, and welcome to my blog! Libraries are often misunderstood places. For example, the idea of a communication and collaboration hub comes to mind when I think of my local public library. But that is not a correct representation of my library. Yes, they do not shush anyone anymore, but neither do they provide video conferencing services, maker spaces, or circulating audiovisual equipment. So, then my brain jumps to a traditional quiet library where researchers attempt to find long-buried secrets through the library archives. But, c’mon, this is no Indiana Jones movie where roguish heroes are carted off to fight Nazis after clearing the dust from some old records. My library is neither a hub of cutting-edge services gathered into one place nor is it an outdated meeting area for the intellectually elite. It is something different. Academic libraries face some of the same perception problems which public libraries do, albeit on a different scale. For example, the Eugene P. Watso...

Hi again, and welcome to my blog! I know the title is a little weird, but it has a purpose, just wait and see. Isn’t it amazing how something created more than 400 years ago is still popular today? Just imagine what future generations will remember about us! And that makes me wonder, what will future generations remember about libraries? Sure, some libraries are timeless architectural masterpieces. But more often than not, libraries are nondescript buildings that aren’t flashy or particularly memorable. Therefore, it is up to the services and programs provided by the library to draw customers through the doors to the Valhallian banquet halls of knowledge. Assuming, of course, the library can afford those programs and services. The trick to proper library management, as far as this Errant (and sometimes impertinent) Librarian can see, is not overspending the small, fixed budget. Sure, libraries collect fines for not returning items back on time. But if the revenue generated from th...

Hi there and welcome to my blog! Today I have been thinking about a library which can also be described as an undiscovered treasure. Not only do more than 700,000 documents call this library home, but the federal government selected it as a depository institution over 120 years ago! Think of all the history that is being held on the college campus of a sleepy town in Northwest Louisiana. Did you figure out which library I am thinking of? It's the Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library which sits on the campus of Northwestern State University (NSU) in Natchitoches, Louisiana!!! (Photo Credit: Leah Jackson/Around The Town) According to the official library website , the 95,000 square foot library provides students, faculty, and community-members alike access to: The Cammie G Henry Research Center which "houses nearly 800 Manuscript Collections including Melrose, Caroline Dormon, and the Federal Writers’ Project" The university archives and rare book collections s...