Sensationalistic is more apt here; drawing attention to where little is due.

For myself, I, like Barbara, think that “teacher” sums it up pretty well, though I’ll also accept the term “advocate”. “Salesperson” just doesn’t cut it, since I’m not selling anything, and “marketer” ditto — it’s a library, not a marketplace! That doesn’t mean I won’t become familiar with marketing techniques and choose to use those I find appropriate for the setting and the patrons (there, I said it! ). But words have power, and they convey meanings; I want the people I work with and for to know what I am and what I do. Even if they have only a vague notion of what “librarian” means, it certainly means something different than “marketer” or “salesperson” — and well it should!

While I consider myself to be ever-so-slightly on the extrovert side of the extrovert/introvert boundary, I must admit that I’m not entirely comfortable with an increased focus on marketing. My job involves lots of faculty outreach and collaboration as well as teaching, which I love. But I find that too much time spent in salesperson mode (e.g. working on library PR materials) can make me weary. It seems to me that many librarians are firmly on the introvert side – I think it might be difficult for the profession to focus on marketing as much as we may need to in the coming years. The book you point to is a great start, and perhaps professional development courses or webinars as well?