Library school is cutting edge

What I've realized so far is that library and information science offers some of the most diverse training I could hope to find. I can do anything with library science -- our director out here spent the summer working in Belarus, there's a big Asian connection, and some folks are in Managua now, working with their librarians. I'm not sure what you do, exactly, in other countries, but then, I'm not sure what you do in my local library either!

Library science is hugely international, developed and developing. Think information organization and transfer and plain old ownership. Who owns the information? Librarians are on the cutting edge of technology, that's for sure. I am starting to learn the tools of how to find the information I need; my need is less for the information and more how to find it.

What I like is how I can do anything with this: art, music, drama, corporate, medical, but also school, public, international, teach, research, not to mention archives and preservation--how do you archive and preserve a digital record--and I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out.

Who knew? Wild stuff. And a perfect transition for a journalist.

One last story: A guy in reference class said he decided to become a librarian when he was writing a short story that took place near the public library in New York City. He thought it would be nice to mention the trees out on the street near the library, so he filled out an information request on their website. A day later he got back what was a thick packet of information. The librarian had gone outside and noted all the trees, their size, bark, and leaves. H/she'd spoken to other librarians about the trees, and more. My classmate said, that's when I knew I wanted to be a librarian too. Love that story.