Review - Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out :: Essays Papers

Review - Revolting Librarians Redux Radical Librarians Speak OutWho atomic number 50 resist a guard with a chapter titled, Labia Lumps, Chunky Discharge, and different Things They Never Taught Me in Library School? Released this past summer, Revolting Librarians Redux Radical Librarians Speak Out takes no prisoners as its contributors ponder everything from the backtracking of 60s values by ALAs baby boomers to librarian imagery in erotica. This edited volume is a sequel to a 1972 self-published book titled Revolting Librarians. The original is worth checking start for its historical value alone. The editors of the 2003 volume, Katia Roberto and Jessamyn West gathered essays from ten of the original writers from the 1972 book for this version and it is interesting to see what thirty years has done to these radical librarians.The book contains some(prenominal) of what you would expect in a book by revolting librarians. There are the requisite essays on the suppression of civil li berties through the nationalist Act along with essays detailing the problem of cultural representation in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. And of course, theres something both by and about Sandy Berman, a living legend among progressive librarians. But there are also quite a few surprises. Ever curious about the astrological breakdown of librarians? Youll find an extensive article complete with enough statistics to make you break out your notes from IRLS 506. Leos dominate the field, with Aquarians an astrological minority. Another notable essay concerns what services librarians can offer to day laborers.From my perspective as a library graduate student, however, my attention was drawn to the section titled Library School is Revolting. This collection of essays explores questions such(prenominal) as Are we really learning the practical skills necessary to be librarians, such as public relations and professional writing? and Is accreditation really a big deal? While I felt f ortunate that some of the not-so-subtle digs at library schools didnt really apply too heavily to SIRLS, some of it is familiar enough to make you laugh (or cry).I also felt myself drawn to essays that dealt with the everyday work lives of these revolting librarians. I have not been in the library world my whole life. In fact, I applied to library school less than one month after the idea of becoming a librarian occurred to me for the very first time. Any writings that describe the real world of librarianship, therefore, pique my interest.