Melissa Cherry, November 6, 2017 | 1 min read

Librarian takes Code Immersion to discover new ways to help people access information

As a librarian I have noticed a change in the way people search for information. You used to go to the library and ask the librarians how to look up the answer to a question in a reference book. If you’re old enough you may have even seen them use a card catalog. But these days search engines have nearly done away with library reference and some people believe that this (and the rise of the ebook) is slowly killing the library as we know it.  And they might be right. That is why I decided to become a developer.

But it’s not what you think — I’m not afraid of losing my job to Google (don’t tell anybody, but I use Google to answer questions as much as the next guy). There will always be a place for librarians in helping people find information but the way that we are doing that is changing. I enrolled in Tech Talent South’s code immersion course because I want to shape the future of how people find the resources they need.

These days I spend more time showing people how to interact with a database or a search engine than how to use the Dewey decimal system, but I don’t lament the change from book to web. Instead I see an opportunity to empower and educate those who might otherwise have had limitations on their access to resources. The library played a huge part in spreading knowledge freely and openly and I know that the internet is where that will continue to happen. I am so excited to be a part of making something that enables people to find what they are looking for.