Many thanks to The Centered Librarian for pointing out this article by William H. Wisner in the Christian Science Monitor.

Wisner basically talks about the changing role of the Reference Librarian from facilitator of patiently research to that person who changes the printer paper.  The article focuses on the idea that libraries are being dumbed-down by the switch in focus from knowledge to information.  I noticed that he also equates additional noise with additional technological distractions.

I need to sit on this article for a bit and think more about it.  He makes many points, some I agree with, some I disagree with, and some I hadn’t thought about before.

After my first quick read, my big question is this: where, in a traditional library focused on scholarship and reverent silence, would my little GED and English classes fit in, and what would this signify about the roles of the traditional library and my students?