Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves
I&#x27;m surprised no one has commented on this.<p>First of all, I&#x27;m glad to have discovered this journal. What a fun name!<p>I have spent tons of time in libraries, particularly in Toronto&#x27;s Innovation Hubs. 3D printing at the reference library was an almost daily joy for me, and I loved helping people - everyone showed up with an interesting story and mission of some kind.<p>The library system is underfunded for its mandate and the staff are underpaid, overworked, and overmanaged.  Library &#x27;leadership&#x27; constantly make insanely boneheaded decisions, like destroying Toronto&#x27;s Maker Festival with bureaucratic bunk.<p>Despite these challenges, our libraries are one of the only public pure spaces. Where else can anyone access the internet for free? Access to information is foundational to our society and democracy.<p>Corrupt and anti-democratic forces are constantly working against the library. Like this ridiculous defunding of one of the most effective institutions in our society, cutting funding IN HALF: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbc.ca&#x2F;news&#x2F;canada&#x2F;windsor&#x2F;ontario-library-service-funding-pc-doug-ford-1.5102406" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbc.ca&#x2F;news&#x2F;canada&#x2F;windsor&#x2F;ontario-library-servi...</a><p>Without the mythology being railed against in this article, we wouldn&#x27;t have the dedicated librarian staff that make the system work. I have tried to work with library management and leadership before, and it was so abrasive and painful that I gave up.<p>How can we keep libraries sustainable into the future?
We need them, our free society needs them. What can we do?<p>It&#x27;s not just about funding, it&#x27;s also about control.<p>Without fixing our political apparatus and dismantling our colonial infrastructure first (a looong project), how can we bolster and strengthen our library systems? How can we protect them against bad actors? I&#x27;m seriously asking, let&#x27;s please talk about it.<p>Do we need a private citizen&#x27;s direct funding initiative a la Benjamin Franklin? I&#x27;m ready to pay! I&#x27;m ready to work! What can we do to keep our most important institution?