rare book school, a recap

It's somewhat difficult to characterize Rare Book School. It was, in a word, marvelous in that way things are can be when you get to indulge in something you're passionate about along with others who share the same passion. In a world where what is temporary is valued more than what is lasting, it was so nice to come together around a belief in the enduring value and significance of the printed word. In a profession that is increasingly seduced by the promise of technology and electronic access for all, it was a breath of fresh air to be around people who understand the need to preserve the printed record and learn from past triumphs and failures.

I feel like I work in a profession that is so insecure about its own relevance and validity that it's willing to toss aside time-honored purposes and values for what seems to be the trend of the moment. It would of course be foolish to pretend that there's no need to embrace technological advances. I would just encourage the profession and its leaders to think about the long term implications of the direction we're heading in.

In a word: think.

Think critically, logically about the decisions that you make, and really consider the ramification of choices. That was really the underlying lesson of the course I took on scholarly editing last week. Pay attention to the details of whatever it is you encounter. Don't just dismiss or accept it blindly, but really consider how the new information you've learned fits with other facts at hand.

And as we thought deeply and barreled through an entire semester-long graduate course in one week, we began to understand how something as seemingly small as an editorial decision can impact what is believed to be true and good. It made me think more critically about how I build my collections at the library and how they can be used in scholarship. It also reinforced a thought that I've been thinking around for quite a while now. We in the library profession are too insular. We need to get out more. We need to read the scholarly literature of the disciplines we support. We need to be in conversation with faculty outside the walls of the library about the research they're doing and the concepts they're teaching their students. And we need to think carefully about how our decisions impact the people who use our collections most.

The more we know about any topic, the better we understand it, and with understanding, a deeper appreciation and interest develops in time.

It is as Michael Suarez, the RBS director, said in both his opening and his closing statements: "Knowledge conduces to love, and love conduces to wonder."

And we could all use a lot more wonder in our lives.