Here's What A Culinary Librarian Really Does
Print may well be an ancient concept, but rows of brightly colored and finely aligned books emit an aesthetic pleasure akin only to a perfectly photographed exotic meal. The wisdom books hold is fairly important, too, but not to the extent of harvesting a few social media likes, of course.
Even though libraries are the protectors of glorious books that define the current and historical significances of decisions, culture, and society, their popularity in the freedom of the digital age has waned considerably. Analysis by Publishers Weekly suggests that the use of libraries has fallen by 31% during recent years, prompting calls for reform in the library system.
Spicing up library life may be a productive way forward. A library in a volcano would be cool (not literally, obviously), as would one focused on cute photos of dogs and cats performing hilarious stunts — there is surely no better way to engage modern young people, right? Perhaps the hottest style of library already exists, however: the International Culinary Center in New York (via Thrillist).
Culinary librarian is a tough job to find, but there may be a need for more in the future
Opened in 1984, the International Culinary Center is renowned for educating thousands of people on the importance of culinary techniques, pastries, and wines, including celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Christina Tosi, and David Chang (via PR Newswire).
Achieving such educational excellence is unsurprising given the quality of the library utilized by the school. According to Thrillist, the library boasts more than 6,000 books in its collection, which is curated by a specialist culinary librarian. The role of looking after so many food books involves researching recipes, logging historical food facts, and — without a doubt, the best part of all — buying loads of relevant cookbooks.
Even though Thrillist notes that the role of culinary librarian is a very obscure opportunity, perhaps the cooking habits of Americans will prompt an urgency for more positions. CNBC reports that consumer habits appear to be evolving to focus more on home cooking, aided by many people opting for different flavors and styles of food.