Five Reasons Librarians Can Be Defenders of Wisdom #sigms

Recently, I was asked to give a keynote on the role of librarians in the Digital Age. I'm still not sure why they chose me, but it was a real honor. Since, people have asked about the SIGMS keynote slides.  You can download and view it above or you can view it on this PDF.  I've heard the complaint that technology has made librarians irrelevant. I'm guessing these are the people who view librarians as book shelvers. They're often the same people who think that a kiosk or a hole in the wall will replace teachers. The truth is that education is about the acquisition of wisdom and that this can happen only through relationships. See, I believe that librarians are necessary now more than ever. We live in a place of information overload, in a culture where the chief goal of technology is entertainment and media consumption rather than than critical thinking or creativity. When I ask students at the start of the year how they use their devices, they list games and YouTube. None of them blog or code or create. Add to the culture of entertainment a school system that tends to be focussed on standardization and test scores and it's the perfect storm for a lack of wisdom. I don't see it as doom and gloom. Many students think wisely. However, this is often a countercultural phenomenon. So, here are a few reasons why librarians are well-suited to be the Defenders of Wisdom:

1. Librarians are often not tested. While they sometimes face the demands of the standardized system, they have an opportunity given looser standards to fight for wisdom. 
2. Libraries are often the only spaces in school that are deliberately inviting. Walk into a classroom bookshelf and the covers are hidden from students. It's the opposite in a library. There's a big contrast between the furniture in classrooms and libraries, too. 
3. Librarians can be holistic. They can promote new technology and research while also encouraging kids to pick up books. They can set up maker spaces and yet also encouraging people to think critically about other works. In the library, there is no rigid boundary (beyond the Dewey Decimal System) separating math, science, social studies and language arts. 
4. Librarians are one of the few people at school who focus on motivation. While we continue to push for more interventionists and data coaches, the librarian is often the first person a child meets who says, "Tell me what you want to learn" instead of "Here's what you have to learn." 
5. A part of wisdom is curation - in collecting, organization and making sense out of resources and information. Librarians have been curators for years. They can lead the way in helping students learn the science and art of curating.