Why should I be a librarian?

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.

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Publication Details

Journal
JLIS it
Published
2025-05-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.36253/jlis.it-652
Primary Topic
Library Science and Information Literacy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Why should I be a librarian?

Mauro Guerrini
JLIS it
Library Science and Information Literacy
article

Why should I be a librarian?

Mauro Guerrini
article en

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.

JLIS itVol. 16(2)
University of Florence (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 93%
Library Science and Information Literacy
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