Molly D. Boyd

When I think about librarianship, I am often reminded of a story a young librarian told to a group of us at the annual convention of the American Library Association (ALA) several years ago. She said that while on her way to get ice at her hotel that morning, she had been stopped by a family of four. Even though she was in pajamas, wearing a robe, and holding an ice bucket, the visibly distressed mother asked her, “Do you work here?” and before she even thought, the librarian answered, “How can I help you?” Every librarian in that group of listeners laughed out loud, maybe a bit ruefully but also in our recognition of the desire to help people that we hold in common. Librarians bridge gaps between what people need or want and what we can provide for them. We ease transitions from unknowing to confident knowledge. We help in numerous ways without considering the constraints of time or place or job duties.