The importance of reading, indeed! As librarians, I would like to believe that this is not something we need to contemplate but rather acknowledge as part of our soul and being.
More importantly, I think we need to realize that this integral part of our being needs to be imparted to others - and this is what distinguishes a good librarian. Being able to 'define' or 'comment' on the importance of reading is a simple academic exercise that achieves little. Being able to instill a love of reading and a genuine appreciation for its importance is our challenge.
Working in a library - we are half way there! Patrons come into our libraries looking for something, and more often than not, it is our interaction with them that determines whether they get what they want. Seasoned readers, on the whole, are able to fend for themselves.*
However, there is a large number of potential readers who do not find what they want, and this is our failing. More important than a love of books, is the ability to communicate, relate and connect with the people who come into our libraries. For too long, we have focused on the technological advances in information retrieval (wonderful though they are), and now we need to get back to the warm, personal and intimate sharing of ideas and passions.
* Most of our seasoned readers would welcome a more personal library experience.
I hope this initiative focuses on our ability to interact with our patrons rather than on 'technology' that might assist them.
