Librarians Can Be Dangerous to Ourselves and Others…03.19.09

Nothing new here… I’m just sharing some ruminations on the general dangers inherent in our work.

Librarians, like most graduates of higher education, usually have specialties and librarians–like most educated people today–know a little about a lot of things–sometimes a very dangereous position. I guess we would normally respond to a discussion of any such thoughts of potential danger by agreeing with the old saying “curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back!” And, we librarians certainly are a curious lot.

Good librarians generally seem to have a broader range and scope of general knowledge than most individuals and by nature and/or training are able to obtain detailed data, information and/or knowledge on virtually any subject of interest regardless of how intellectually stimulating, mundane or relatively insignificant.

Nevertheless, it’s obviously impossible from an objective observation of the times in which we live to be a true “Renaissance man” (or woman) or polymath.  To think otherwise is to submit to the hubris and egotistical tendencies of which we mortals are so easily drawn.

The danger in our profession lies, as it does in the general population, in our sometimes over-zealous attempts to jump without thoughtful consideration into areas of unfamiliarity and lack of expertise where we can get in way over our heads despite even the best of intentions. During these times, we hopefully know where to turn for the lifeline.

We need to accept the philosophy of Officer “Dirty” Harry Callahan who said: “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Of course, this does not mean that we shouldn’t continue to strive forward.  Perspective and context, however, are essential to keep us from danger.

This problem is further illustrated in the following excerpt from Alexander Pope’s ”Essay on Criticism“:

“A little learning is a dang’rous thing;

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:

There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,

And drinking largely sobers us again.

Fir’d at first sight with what the Muse imparts,

In fearless youth we tempt the heights of Arts,

While from the bounded level of our mind

Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind;

But more advanc’d, behold with strange surprise

New distant scenes of endless science rise!

So pleas’d at first the towering Alps we try,

Mount o’er the vales, and seem to tread the sky,

Th’ eternal snows appear already past,

And the first clouds and mountains seem the last;

But, those attain’d, we tremble to survey

The growing labours of the lengthen’d way,

Th’ increasing prospects tire our wand’ring eyes,

Hills peep o’er hills, and Alps on Alps arise!”

Along this same line of thought–and considering the amount of data and information which increasingly bombards us all daily from every direction–it would be prudent to also be mindful of and heed the warning [admonition] of King Solomon (a.k.a. “The Preacher“) at the conclusion of his life:

“…And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”

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