Sometimes, I really dislike telling people that I’m a librarian. Why, you might ask? After all, librarians don’t appear on most lists of despised professions: used car salesmen, politicians, lawyers, journalists. It’s just that the librarianship is such a stereotyped profession.
Reactions usually vary, I find. The two most common reactions so far: “Oh, you must really like books!” or: “Oh, you don’t look like a librarian!” Both bug me, because they are based on stereotypes of libraries as being mere book repositories, quiet, dusty, and boring, and the librarians that work in them, correspondingly quiet, dusty and boring.
Now, I actually don’t see anything wrong with libraries as book repositories, because let’s face it, we do collect and maintain large numbers of books, and we do do that very well indeed. I love wandering down the stacks, inhaling the scent of hundreds of old books, looking at spines and browsing. I love the atmosphere of libraries – people sitting around reading, thinking, writing – it’s quietly soothing but exciting at the same time, because you never know what masterpiece or work of art is being created by any of those people.
No, what really irks me about the stereotype is the fact that many people now associate information, and finding information, with the Internet, and don’t associate libraries as having any role in the information-seeking process at all. Why go to the library when you can find it all on Google? The number of times I have heard this sentiment – why indeed? The stereotype gets in the way of library folks doing our jobs, too. Historically, traditionally, we might have done things a certain way. But if tradition starts to get in the way of improving services… could we all go out of business by 2020? What are we librarians going to do about this state of affairs?
I actually started off wanting to write about the sorts of issues I’m hoping to reflect on here. Instead, because it’s been one of those weeks, I am in a bit of a mood at the moment and this post is the result. Still, the usual adage about writing as therapy is very true; I feel much better having written this and knowing that I am a part of the blogosphere.
I love the fact that all these issues are being discussed by library folks throughout the librarian/library blogosphere (biblioblogosphere… liblogosphere… whatchamacallit), and that I can engage in these discussions so easily by just participating. Welcome to our new contributors (you know who you are!) - and welcome, if you’ve just happened upon this blog. I’m looking forward to a long and interesting journey with all of you.
July 16, 2006 at 17:48
Yes, I’m looking forward to the journey on this blog and working and talking with other librarians and library folk.
I often get the “that figures” look from people when I tell them that I’m a librarian, so I think I must fit the stereotype…I know my shoes do. I’ve had it when I’ve visited an accountant and when I see my son’s specialists and school. Something to do with the duplicate, categorised documentation with executive summary I usually present to people at these types of meetings, I guess.
July 17, 2006 at 10:50
I’ve recently moved back to libraries from being many years in IT, and the sheer adoration of moving back where I feel I “belong” still hasn’t left me … so I say “I’m a Librarian” with an unconscious pride (and, possibly, a certain “ook” tone behind it. Terry Pratchett reference for those who read the Discworld). The evident pride seems to stop the typical “love books/don’t look like one” comments in their tracks.
It might also be the fact I also don’t/didn’t fit the geek stereotype and also proudly proclaim I’m a geek. I like taking people aback by doing the unexpected; by being fiercely proud of a profession many people now regard as outdated, or by being proud of a profession people regarded as introverted, absocial, and insular (that’s the IT part, folks, not the librarian part
). (btw I invented “absocial” just then to mean “unaware of even the existence of rules of conduct for interacting with others”, as opposed to “antisocial” meaning “doesn’t like interacting with people but knows it”.)(Sorry, I like parenthical comment!).
I could say I was an “Information Manager”; it would also be correct. I don’t want to. I personally believe Librarian, as a profession, needs to be rescued from the negative stereotypes, and how are we to do that if we, ourselves, are not truly proud of it? I don’t believe we need to change the name of our profession; just that every time we utter the name, we imbue education with it.
“I’m a Librarian. I find you information faster, better, deeper, and more accurately than you ever could; even on the same IntarWeb. Phear Me”.
Anyway. Having found the biblioblogosphere (libblogs is so much shorter
), I’m a happier little geekbrarian. Now if I could but GET to Click06 …
July 17, 2006 at 20:53
Sirexkat, maybe it’s just the shoes… I dunno..
Hello Fiona! (When are you going to update your blog, by the way?
) You are absolutely right - in future, whenever I’m asked what I do for a living I am going to say it with pride!
July 18, 2006 at 08:16
*blush* er … yes. The blog updates will start when I stop having a bad case of Real Life (changing jobs, changing cities, new house, etc and so on). It’s peculiar, actually; I’m very chatty in group mailing lists and email (and even blog comments), but personal blogging stops me in my tracks. I’m sure there’s a blog post in there somewhere
I’ve got a few other thoughts about “relevance of libraries” that tie in with discussions about how the women-centricity of the profession may tend to cause the profession as a whole to hold back when it could push to the front, but I’d have to link to those discussions properly … so I’ll do it later. (Hmm, there’s the other reason I don’t blog as much as I ought!).
In short, however, information workers will ALWAYS be relevant. The real question is whether it’s the new-fangled “information managers” (tend to be drawn from the IT part of the workforce) or the steady librarians who are at the forefront. There appear to be too few of us who are both; who claim a library background and solid information management experience (which inevitably involves a high IT component, these days; information content and information delivery systems are now too tied up to be separated).
Think on this; libraries, wherever they are, are constantly under funding/dissolusion threats. Public, private, Government, “special” - they’re always at the pointy end of budget cuts.
Knowledge managers, information managers, though; they’re the buzzword. New positions, new funding, and BIG money (twice that of being a “librarian”. Trust me, I know).
The difference between then? Background, ONLY. And terminology.
July 18, 2006 at 20:40
If it helps you’re also welcome to write those posts (on the women-centricity of the profession) here, Fiona!
And yes I know what you mean about constantly being under threat in terms of funding. We always seem to manage to do as much, if not more, with less, though.
July 19, 2006 at 14:55
I find I get a pleasing mix of disbelief and intrigue when I tell people I’m a librarian (I quickly learned no-one beyond the library-sphere knows what a library technician is, compared to a librarian). A lot of people just don’t expect it.
Maybe it’s the way I dress. Working at a university library and dealing primarily with students (many from fashion/design) I don’t have to worry about dressing up for work. Indeed, I often go to the opposite end of the spectrum and try to look as out there as some of the students. Basically I can and do have fun with what I wear.
Maybe it’s the circumstances in which I meet some of these people: out at a gig, a party or a bar. But at these same places I often meet people who recognise and say, “Hey, aren’t you that library guy?”, which has resulted in a few friendships.
What ever the cause may be, of that disbelief tempered with intrigue it’s always fun to explore it and find out what people really think about libraries and librarians and to help dispel some of the pre-conceived concepts. After all, they are the people I’m there to help.