Exploring the Importance of Librarianship
By Academy Gold intern Maggie Rank
I grew up fanatical about reading and organizing, so no one was too surprised when I said I was getting my master’s degree in Library and Information Science. That said, many well-meaning acquaintances continue to express worry about the alleged slow death that libraries are suffering. While funding is indeed a widespread source of anxiety, I have noticed a sense of vigor driving people in all types of libraries and archives.
Libraries are the places where connections are formed between people and information.
They are places where narratives are remembered, and counter-narratives can be brought into the light. They render a keyword-searchable world legible and meaningful.
Librarians and archivists play a critical role in shaping what gets remembered and what gets forgotten, whether we realize it now or not.
When I applied for a summer internship at the Margaret Herrick Library, I saw a chance to combine art and order, community and solitude, preservation and access, scholarship and entertainment. The Margaret Herrick Library holds not only books and journals, but photographs, archival materials, microfilm and microfiche, clippings, pamphlets, websites, scripts, film posters, production art and a staff of film librarians who are experts in the field. All of this material gives life and depth to the actual film reels that are preserved and stored in climate-controlled vaults at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study.
This level of dedication and comprehensiveness, to collect everything about the world of filmmaking to preserve for future generations, reflects the seriousness with which film librarians are facing the future. It is a cautious approach.
New technology isn’t necessarily good technology.
Digitization is a wonderful and important part of making materials accessible, but it is never as simple as slapping photos online and trusting they will exist in a stable form without maintenance for the rest of time. Software packages stop being supported. Links rot. Devices go out of fashion.
Part of librarianship is anticipating the challenges that will arise with various formats down the road.
This is particularly resonant in the film world where filmmakers are constantly looking back for inspiration. We see familiarity in stories and techniques that have stood the test of time. Shooting a movie on film is nostalgic, to be sure, but it also is done for posterity.
There is a sturdiness to analog formats that is being revitalized despite our fascination with all things digital.
I believe there is an increasingly strong pull for people to step out from behind their screens to experience storytelling in a more tangible way.
Much like the magic of sitting in a darkened theater watching picture and sound with a group of people, libraries are places for us to gather and connect. As the public square shrinks, the remaining spaces for all types of collaboration become increasingly vital. Being a small part of the collaboration taking place at the Margaret Herrick Library for the summer has assured me that libraries are (still) very alive.
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