Comments on: Do I Really Want To Be A Librarian?

By: React | The Formerly Freelance Librarian

React | The Formerly Freelance Librarian — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:59:08 +0000

[...] purposeful way, and the stress that it causes is catching up with me. I recently read a post by Information Tyrannosaur Andy Burkhardt who suggested asking yourself “What do I love [...]

By: mclicious

mclicious — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 04:32:29 +0000

Thanks, Andy. Sorry that I didn’t see this forever. I don’t want to blame all libraries for the rudeness of a few (especially when it seems to be endemic to one particular branch of one particular library system in particular, so that in no way speaks to an entire global field), but yes, I do think it has to do with the lack of diversity, but not in the sense that people of color are better at serving people of color or anything (I have no idea if that’s what you meant, and I doubt it, but that seems to be the objective of any well-meaning or half-assed diversity initiative in any field). I’m fairly certain that the librarians I’m thinking of have been rude to me because I appear to be younger than I am and I’m a person of color, so they assume I don’t know much about libraries or how to use them, and so even when my questions are prefaced with “here are all of the things I have already tried because I am both a regular person who is not dumb and a trained person who knows how a library SHOULD function,” that’s ignored or interrupted. But that of course goes to your second point about bad experiences leading to a desire not to work there. I applied to library school for many reasons, but one of the main ones was that I believe in libraries and yet did not feel that there was much in them for me after I grew out of storytime, and because I believe in the Spectrum program, and so I wanted to be the person for teens and people of color that I didn’t have. But I’m already exhausted and discouraged and haven’t even begun yet.

By: Andy Burkhardt

Andy Burkhardt — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:12:10 +0000

Hanna, I’m sorry you had multiple bad experiences with librarians. That is really frustrating to hear and I could understand how it could sour you on going into libraries. It sounds you believe in the mission of libraries, but in practice they can be very different. Libraries should be places where people can explore their curiosity in a friendly, equitable environment and where librarians are always asking how they can serve their users as opposed to being rude to them.

You mentioned being a Spectrum Scholar. I wonder if these bad experiences have to do with the lack of diversity in the field more broadly? This is something I’ve been thinking about more recently. When people regularly have bad experiences or are treated rudely in libraries they of course would not want to work for those types of organizations. I’m glad that you are reflecting on your career and hope that you find something that you believe in that also utilizes your strengths.

By: mclicious

mclicious — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 23:23:53 +0000

I’m in my second year of library school and am now much more set on NOT going into libraries. I believe in them, but I also kind of hate them, and I’ve had so many unpleasant experiences with librarians that make me both want to be a librarian so as not to be rude to people like me but also to get as far away as possible from people who are rude when they don’t know me and then will fall all over themselves to hire a dual Master’s Spectrum Scholar when I come in for an interview. I’m not dropping out of school (financially that would be a nightmare anyway) because I think I’m learning really great things and can do a lot of the advocacy stuff I love about libraries in another field. I’m glad to hear that this is something other people are talking about, and I might have to join that group and peek in at the conversation to see if other people are naming their reasons and what they are.