The Dyslexic Librarian or Towards a better breed of Reference worker.
Martyn Lowe
A as in Introduction.
Mention about Dyslexia and you can get a very predicable set of observations upon the subject. Suggest that I have spent almost 34 years working in libraries, that I’m Dyslexic, & then just you enjoy the reaction of others to this idea. I’ve always wanted to put up a website, or edit an periodical entitled ‘The Dyslexic Librarian’. Well – Now you’ve had your fun – Here comes the truth. I have spent just over 34 years working in libraries, and I am Dyslexic. This is not to say that my Dyslexia is in any way sever, but it does show in the way I spell, & in the way that I view the world. My Uncle was Dyslexic too. He would sometimes write numbers back to front, & yet he could work out percentages from the top of his head. He was also a self made multi-millionaire. So I guess that must prove something or other….. Now a lot of people would seem to regard Dyslexia as akin to being a functional illiterate, but this is not the case for me. You just have to see the large number of articles & reports which I had published over the years. However, like many many other Dyslexics I will switch letters around in the works which I write. For example: I’ll write taht instead of that, etc. It’s not just in my spelling that this shows up. I’ve sometimes caught myself trying to write the odd word backwards as I put pen to paper. It’s not a problem for me as I know that I do it, & have learnt to compensate for it all. So why do I mention this ? Because there are very few functional Dyslexics that really realise that they are Dyslexic, although they might state that they are ‘poor spellers’. While very few people who work in Libraries realise that far from being a disadvantage in the work, that it is in reality a very great asset which everyone can benefit from.
B as in A Book.
Here is a book which I would recommend all Dyslexics to read, as it explains just how the Dyslexic mind works, & the kind of difficulties which some dyslexics experience.
‘The Gift of Dyslexia: Why Some of the Smartest People Can’t Read and How They Can Learn.’ By Ronald D. Davis with Eldon M.Braun.
Perigee Books – Revised Edition, 1997
As the author also points out some of the most famous Dyslexic Inventors, Artists, engineers, and Scientists include: