Letter to American Libraries
My morning coffee moment has just been ruined by opening the latest American Libraries to an opinion piece about unequal treatment of support staff titled, unbelievably, Jim Crow in Our Libraries. No, it’s not about racism, just about non-MLSer’s right to call themselves librarians.
At least it’s finally prompted me to send a letter to the editor.
American Libraries Editorial Staff,
I am hard pressed to think of a more ridiculous analogy for Sandy Puccio’s Opinion piece in January’s “On My Mind” column. Having spent five years as support staff in a large University Library system, I share her disdain of our profession’s protectiveness of the title “librarian”. But Jim Crow it is not. Analogies like “separate drinking fountains” and “back of the bus” are not only hackneyed and overused, but show a level of ignorance and insensitivity to the Civil Rights movement that is painful to see displayed in my professional organization’s publication.
I open American Libraries hoping for inspirational ideas and thoughtful reflections on librarians and the work we do. Sadly, I am often disappointed. Please encourage articles that move beyond the unimaginative and offensive, and provide us with a magazine that reflects the excellence I hope we are all striving for.
On the bright side, just when I’m despairing I’ll ever read anything interesting in AL they go and sign up Meredith for a column. Someone there must be on the ball.
Thank you for your letter to American Libraries. I had the same reaction and wanted to send both the author and editor a “reading list.” It’s more than an unfortunate analogy. It’s an insensitive reading of racism and U.S. history.
10 Jan 2007 at 3:18 pm