Comments on: Special

By: sonic nurse

sonic nurse — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:49:10 +0000

I’m a nurse. I’ve also been a waitress, a care provider for adults with DD’s, a bookseller, a music seller, a door to door environmentalist, a ticket taker, a ticket maker and pop corn popper. Oh, and I also write on the side. When it gets right down to it, save for the few high school “boulots”, my job drive as been service oriented. I think that speaks to the kind of person (ality) that is drawn to certain professions. I don’t really think librarians are different. I don’t pretend to understand the field and it’s breadth, but from the outside looking in, it seems you MIGHT have to have certain……. um….. quirks….. to want to manipulate, present and categorize so much data for the world’s consumption……… cheers Josh!!!! a good read.

By: Marianne

Marianne — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:29:57 +0000

I remember feeling LIBERATED when I heard that Sports Night quote. Because I was so damn tired of being told “oh, well, as a woman obviously you…” when I knew (and frequently protested!) that no, I really didn’t. It was downright refreshing even though it was in a very confrontational part of the show. I do think librarians have their own culture (having been raised in it), but so do most other jobs! (You know who really IS special, good and bad? Line cooks. Although maybe if I knew more of them I would drop that particular prejudice too. But for right now, oy. They’re all larger-than-life to me.)

By: josh

josh — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:14:01 +0000

Steven, the Myers-Briggs isn’t exactly a strong scientific test, and you’re not comparing libraries to other work places. And even if we accept that a lot of librarians are introverts, that doesn’t indicate that librarians are more neurotic or socially maladjusted than other professionals.

And the fact that a lot of librarians complain about conservatism in the profession doesn’t necessarily indicate it’s there, it just indicates that people are vocally complaining.

If anything, I think relying on Myers-Briggs tests and online complaints is just as oversimplifying the issue as anything.

By: Martha

Martha — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:55:59 +0000

I agree on both points. We librarians may fantasize about being superhuman, be we are not, and we are not inherently worse than other people, either. I really like librarians a lot and enjoy hanging out with them online and in person, on the whole, but that doesn’t mean we are either perfect or inherently effed up as a species.

One side note: I think people share different kinds of information about themselves online vs. in person communication. For whatever reasons, folks (librarians included) tend to disclose more in online fora. I’ve observed that folks in general use online spaces to vent, seek support, seek validation, etc. Just something to consider.

By: Steven Kaye

Steven Kaye — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:52:46 +0000

I didn’t expect a research paper. But a number of studies (like http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=asdpapers) have shown a significant portion of librarians tend to be ISTJs or ISFJs on the Myers-Briggs scale. And amazingly, in the LSW room and elsewhere we complain about conservatism in our profession, which matches that. Shouldn’t we look at the profession as it exists, not as an idealized version of itself?

By: josh

josh — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:28:59 +0000

Steven, while organizations may have cultures that shape who gets hired and who doesn’t, I haven’t seen anything in my years working in public and academic libraries, nor my years working in other professions, that show that libraries tend to hire people who are significantly different than other workers. I’ve seen nothing to justify librarians thinking of themselves as more dyfunctional or more important to society.

Considering this is but one blog post, of course there’s some oversimplification going on. Have I ever claimed I was presenting detailed, multifaceted, well-researched papers? No, it’s just my blog. Now, do you think I’m wrong? If so, show me examples of how I’m wrong. Prove to me that librarians really are more neurotic and/or cleverer than other people.

By: Steven Kaye

Steven Kaye — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:20:22 +0000

@Rick: Well, look how long it took CIOs to be included as shaping firms’ strategies rather than glorified plumbers.

@Josh: I think that organizations do have cultures which can shape the types of personnel who get hired, so to that extent I think you’re oversimplifying.

By: Rick Reno Neff

Rick Reno Neff — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:07:00 +0000

If public librarians were as smart, as special, and as valuable as they think they are, they would have figured out a way to become as GAINFULLY employed as other (unionized) civil servants. If librarians in private corporate libraries were as smart and as valuable as they think they are all the corporate CEOs would be the librarians. If academic librarians….well, don;t get me started on academic librarians.

By: josh

josh — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:13:12 +0000

Rats! I knew I was forgetting something. The Koppenhaver Effect!

By: Degolar

Degolar — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:35:20 +0000

I disagree. The library profession as a whole is slightly elevated over any other as a consequence of my inclusion. Just as my library system is better than any other due to my presence and my location is the best in our system.