Why should I be a librarian?

Abstract

Who is a librarian? The question has been asked many times over time, and the answers have always been different; none of them satisfactory or lasting. The question is still open: the figure of the librarian, in fact, escapes categorical definitions, or is drawn with a discouraging superficiality even by scholars, a sign of a profession lacking widespread social recognition. Yet it is librarians who make libraries and transform them into living organisms. Librarians belong to a professional community recognized by virtue of the specific skills acquired in a training and certified path. Does the figure of the librarian still exist today in an era characterized by disintermediation? Choosing to be a librarian and valorizing the profession within society is a civil commitment, as well as a cultural activity, which represents a strategic challenge for those who wish to work towards building a more equitable and inclusive future.

Keywords

• Librarian.