The Detective Librarian

Did you realise your library is a living, breathing beast?

The information you find in the library is not just words on pages or screens. Sometimes the right information is not available in either of these formats (book or world wide web) at the very instant that you desire it. That's where the mighty power of Librarian Magic comes into play. Or if you prefer because you don't believe in magic, the sleuthing skills of the information professional (otherwise known as your local Librarian). Many of use liken what we do to the work of the detective as we ferret out information and try to join the dots to find the book that our customers want.

For instance, so far today I have found an address for a Births Deaths and Marriages Registry in another country, managed to find the title of a book from a reasonably vague description (slightly more detailed than it had a blue cover, but vague nonetheless), and although I determined that I couldn't find a book the gentleman wanted on Highland Dancing, I could put him in touch with people locally who would be able to help as they learnt, danced and taught. I particularly like it when someone starts the conversation with "This is probably a bit tricky.." as I know my powers of deduction will be required.

My point is that it is not just the information stored in the library in either print or via the internet that makes up the library. It is the knowledge and skills of the people in the library that are just as important to the Library experience.

So don't feel shy about asking us questions. The "DISCOVER" part of the theme from this year's Library Week, often applies to our voyage of discovery as much as yours. It's one of the reasons we love what we do - because there is always something new out there to learn about.