As part of the benefits of belonging to SLA, I also get full access to their career center. There are job postings, articles, resources and even salary earning available for me to look at. I really enjoyed reading about “sissy libraries” versus “bodacious libraries” in Michelle McGinnis’ article “Bold, Brazen, and Bodacious” from Information Outlook Vol.7 No.6, June 2003. Here are some outlying points McGinnis explains in showing the difference between the different libraries.
| Sissy Library | Bodacious Library |
| Depends on the parent organization for funding allocation.Derives and dispenses antiquated, powerless statistics that don’t mean much to decisionmakers in the organization.
Library staff are apathetic and ignorant of the parent organization’s competitive environment and the forces that drive it. Assumes that the parent organization will realize the inherent value and worth of the library. Devalues the library by undervaluing staff knowledge, skills, time, and effort. |
Implements innovative services for cost recovery and profit making.Provides and analyzes statistics that really say something, especially those that document correlations between information services provided to client groups and significant business events and successes.
Library staff are highly involved in the workings of the organization. They have intimate knowledge of the projects in which their customers are involved. They are cognizant of current and potential issues the organization faces. They are visible and valuable to management. Time and again, proves and promotes the library’s value and worth by documenting its positive, fruitful impact on the parent organization and by having conversations with customers and management that educate them about the correlation between the library’s products and services and significant financial and business events. Believes in and communicates its value and worth to its customers. Stands by its products and services and the high-quality performance of its staff. |
Obviously as a future librarian, I want to be a part of a bodacious library! Although it’s up to the current librarians to change their view on themselves as a vital part of the library.
http://www.sla.org/content/memberonly/infoonline/2003/June03/BodaciousLib.cfm
My thoughts on special libraries 