Organizing Books and Materials

Although I have always loved to read, I never really thought much about organizing reading materials until I began working on my master's degree in library science. I can distinctly remember years and years ago being uncomfortable in my public library just learning to use microfiche. It was the late 80's and there was just one computer in the library used only for searching the library catalog. In my mind, there was no way I was going to try to use that thing because I had no idea what to do and I didn't want to embarrass myself. That was definitely a time when all of the knowledge of cataloging belonged in the hands of librarians.
We've obviously come a long way since that day, and I think it's great that more information is in many more hands now. The implications for librarians is that they have to figure out a way to remain relevant and helpful with the power of the organizational structure of materials shifting to "everyman". I really hate to admit that when I started working on this degree in library science, I thought it was just going to be an easy escape out of the exhausting daily task of being not just a teacher, but a good teacher. I never realized what a daunting task it would be to remain up to date with technology and hopefully even a step ahead, so that I can be helpful to those teachers like myself one day, who want to be creative and the best for their students but are too overwhelmed to keep up the pace of ever changing innovations. I don't see any real negatives in the ordinary person having the ability to organize information that was once only in the power of a few. I just realize now that I have to be a person who continues to learn until the day I die if I intend to be good at my job. Since I've always loved learning, it makes me more excited about the prospect of becoming a librarian. Where I once saw it as an escape (and possibly a boring one), I now see it as an opportunity to do what I love while really being able to help other teachers and students in meaningful ways.