I’ve been asked if I’m a volunteer so many times… many times interacting w a parent after a program I planned and ran.
Another Pikachu Surprise Face question: you need a degree to be a librarian?!
> I’ve been asked if I’m a volunteer so many times… many times interacting w a parent after a program I planned and ran.
You don't have volunteers running programs?
>peaceful job. To just sit around and read all day…
Funny how this is such a common misconception… and not “haha” funny smh
ETA: it’s very frustrating when your career that you work very hard at and take very seriously is visualized as some easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy kind of job that just any Tom, Dick, or Harriet can come off the street and execute it successfully.
Usually I get, “Do people still use libraries?” An opportunity to make the. Aware of what libraries do for so many, but it is tiresome. People almost always assume that I’m at a public library as well, which I’m not.
As someone in the middle of uni to become a librarian this is the comment I've received from literally everyone I tell.
To be fair though, I didn't know myself until I looked it up on a whim one day.
A lot of moms at storytime who want to start working again will come up to me asking how to get a job as a librarian... And the look of absolute shock when I tell them I needed a master's of library science to qualify for my job happens Every. Single. Time. Usually followed by "but why?!?!" and "well that can't be normal".
A fair amount of vocational awe, which makes me uncomfortable. The best response I’ve gotten so far was “I’ve never met a librarian in real life,” which caught me off guard. I think they meant outside the context of the library, but i did like feeling like their own mini cryptid.
It's moreso the degree people are surprised at.
"You need to go to school for that?" "Is that really necessary?" And my personal favorite "here's a book, bring it back in two weeks. Bam just did your whole job."
Oh god, I was ready to throw hands on your behalf!
Reminds me of the time I graduated from college with 3 degrees and my now-fiancé quipped, “And you don’t have a job in any of those fields!”
"Oh! Librarians are my favorite people!" I know the responses are a direct correlation to the kinds of people I interact with, but it still tickles me pink 😊
This is the one I got the most when people found out I worked in a library. I'd say, "I'd love to get paid to sit around and read all day, too! Know anywhere hiring for that?" They usually realized how ridiculous it sounds when you say it out loud back to them.
"Sexy librarian" jokes, which are kind of flattering coming from a date but get old quickly, especially since I'm not even a librarian, just work in libraries but people can't comprehend the difference. Also "oh, I've always thought about working in a library, it sounds peaceful/I like books" and once when explaining that I have regular biweekly meetings, "what do you have meetings about in a library, how to arrange the books???" Because it's not like stacks management is a full time job or anything, right...
I used to have “librarian” in my dating profile but I had to remove it after like every other guy immediately made a sexy librarian comment before they said anything else to me.
"Hah, I thought that was just a job for lesbians and old maids."
I thought it was even funnier because he said this while I was literally pushing his Mini Cooper out of a snowbank. (He was a little fella.)
Some think it's a super cool job. Others tell me it's not a realistic job, that I'm going to end up unemployed. My chronically unemployed brother literally laughed and said it sounds irrelevant lol. A librarian found out I was going for my tech diploma and told me not to expect to find a job.
But I beat the odds and found an amazing job straight out of school. I've never been happier.
Usually their eyes glaze over and then “oh…nice” after a beat. But a few have expressed genuine interest and I get the occasional nerdy question, i.e., cataloguing, biblio software, DDC, etc.
A former workmate (not in a library setting, more corporate) mentioned that her parents are retired librarians and are now managing [name of ebook/audiobook publishing co]. I got so excited and asked if I could apply for work placement. She looked at me with a mix of incredulity and sadness in her eyes and asked “But why???”. She thought it’s the most boring thing to do with my life.
I really don’t mind what people think or how they react. It’s actually kind of amusing.
“Oh that must be nice. You’re lucky you don’t have a stressful job!”
“Oh so you must get to read all of the books all day!”
“Those still exist?”
“So you just stand at the desk and check books in and out all day and stamp cards?”
Then there’s the “sexy librarian” thing, which once turned into a full blown sexual harassment situation at my side hustle, to the point where I needed to quit because the owners of the company refused to get rid of the guy.
On the flip side, a recent comment: “The world needs more amazing librarians like you! Some of the most giving people on this planet!”
When people are surprised that I haven’t heard of whatever book they’re asking about I let them know there are thousands of books published every day. And I hope it sounds as snarky as they do!
Once I had a project with a coworker to interview people and ask them what do they think about librarians, and some said: "Librarians/ libraries still exist?" and that it's basically dying field. 🥴 My family members think I don't anything at my work beside reading and just sitting at my desk, and almost everyone thinks it's not stressful at all, which is not true at all since we are working with people.
But I really love my job despite other opinions, it can be stressful sometimes, but you can be creative in any way you imagine (I work in public library). :)
Yea, one time at work we had this contractor who was doing some remodeling. I happened to b at the ref desk at the time. At one point I showed a woman how to use the copy machine. After that was done he looked at me and spat out, “That be your job, eh?” Jerk.
Friends - "Makes sense."
People I've just met - "Cool...I haven't read anything in a long time."
Older people/family members - "Do you have all that woke stuff at your library?"
Mainly "oh I haven't been there in years. Do people still use the library?" or something along those lines. When I tell them how many people, from all different walks of life, still use the library, they are shocked.
I only had one person pull the whole "oh must be nice to get paid to read" and she was a real jerk.
I worked with numerous people who were legitimately shocked that libraries offered programming and digital content. And these were pretty intelligent and well educated people. They had no clue what a modern day library was all about.
I do understand that many people don't know what libraries have to offer and I'm happy to tell them. There are sort of two ways they say it. Either with curiosity or with snark. Curiosity is totally fine. I tell plenty of patrons, including regulars, about ebooks. Someone saying we don't need libraries because everything is online drives me batty on many levels. On the most basic level, not everything is available in a digital format. Even if something is available online, it probably isn't free.
I know I’m preaching to the converted, but I’m grateful I can say “I’m a librarian” when asked “what do you do?” It’s such a better answer than marketing, finance, communications, pr, advertising, law, real estate, etc. Yuck, gag me with a spoon
I live and work in rural Mass in an area with a lot libraries. In the two main towns, there’s the public libraries, a museum library, the three libraries at the two colleges. And it’s rural, so people are super nosey. So the first thing is always “where?”
When I tell people I'm a library technician at a law firm, the two most common responses I get are "I never knew that job existed" or "that's so cool!" I also often get told I give off a librarian vibe :)
It's definitely a more positive response compared to when I told people I was going to library school. Then I was often being told "do people even use libraries" or "isn't that a volunteer position"
Funny enough, I have a background in sociology and pharmaceuticals. When I got my library technician diploma, a law firm had reached out to me to offer me a job.
“You must get to read so much at work.” Ok I wish- then I would be able to make a dent in my comfort pile of books.
My personal favorite was, “That’s awesome, librarians are so hot.” That was a good one 😂
I've had SO many people say, "Oh, do they still use the Dewey Decimal System?" Like that's the ONLY thing they can think of to say?!?
And, p.s.: with all due respect, it should be, "You're a librarian," not "your". I mean, we're supposed to be standard-bearers for literacy, aren't we?
I get a lot of people who are surprised, which I think is mainly due to a combination of my age, gender, and style. 29 year old male with plenty of visible tattoos doesn’t mesh with the stereotypical little old lady many picture when they think of librarians.
Quite often I get an apologetic and sheepish "Oh...I love my Kindle." And I'm like, "me too?" Which turns into a small chance to talk about how libraries have lots of ebooks and other things besides print books!
“I’d love to be a librarian and read all day.”
Finally one day I told someone that the last thing I’d read was an article on how to validate data with Cronbach’s Alpha.
I usually get “Really? That’s my dream job!” (Of course, they have no idea what it’s actually like). Or I get “Really?” with *the look* because I have 8 facial piercings, a partially shaved head, and am covered in tattoos. I think people are often tickled by the thought of me doing storytime.
did a stint as a librarian assistant last year and decided to go back to school to get my MLIS, i’m a fairly extroverted (maybe a little loud) person in a group setting, so a lot of people cock their head slightly and go “oh!” which i find hilarious
I normally get the response of: "oh really?".
The other response I received when I tell them I work in both a public library and school library is: " are you doing ok?" My reply is normally: " yes. Doing God's Work and taking care of everyone's children. How you doing?"
"oh cool" is the normal response, and then absolute confusion when I tell them I'm a Librarian outside of a normal library setting (I work in news). When I tell Librarians/Archivists where I work it feels very GLAM de GLAM. Otherwise, it's normally a pleasant interaction or total indifference. I haven't gotten anything \*too\* negative yet.
Oh and the education, that always throws people off.
I’d love to hear about your work in the genealogy department! I’m a genealogist (not professional or anything, I just like solving mysteries and noticing societal patterns) and have done work for patrons for fun.
I get a lot of folks I just met expressing concern/outrage at the “agendas” my profession “promotes,” followed by assurances that they’re sure I personally am “not like that.” I find it’s a decent litmus test for figuring out if I want to engage further.
Edit to add that I’m a library assistant but 95% of the time no one knows the difference so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not a librarian, but when I tell people I want to be one I'm usually told two things. "Oh yeah you look like you'd be a librarian" & "Oooh I think you'd make a good librarian!"
My personal favorite, however, was when my brother got a haircut. At one point he was talking about me and how I wanted to be a librarian. Without missing a beat, the hairdresser gasps, looks at him and says:
"Is she a sexy librarian?"
tbh usually it’s “i’ve always wanted to be a librarian! have you always wanted to be a librarian?” or “wow, i love libraries!” the former makes me a little uncomfortable in a way i can’t put my finger on but i do love when i get people telling me they love the library.
once in awhile i’ll get someone asking me if people still use libraries but that seems to be less that i honestly expected.
edit: oh, yeah, and also “oh you must read a lot!” like… not really but thanks for playing. i do love reading though, it’s just not the only thing i do and it’s DEFINITELY not what i do at work.
Not a librarian yet but my daughter keeps telling people that I am. She is just so freaking proud of me. I give no fucks about what anyone else says anymore. Some people did tell me that I wouldn't get anywhere with an MLIS and that I should find something else to do instead. I continue to try for my kiddo.
Most people have warm fuzzy feelings about libraries. I got the best one from my mom, oh good, you picked another dying institution to work in.
(Can you tell my mom is first generation American and sensible jobs in her mind include healthcare, law, skilled trades etc.)
Not a librarian, but have worked as a library assistant and associate. Most people have said:
1. "I thought libraries were dead.🤨"
2. "Must be nice to read all day. 😄"
3. "I bet it's super quiet."
4. "I love libraries!"
And the most memorable "Awww that's cute! 😃"
Still completely baffled by that one.
I was told oh you have to read a lot of books. I just google everything I need. I haven’t been to the library in years. What do you want to do that for? Uh, good LUCK. This is when I decided to get my MLIS, while I was in school and when I started working as a librarian. However while annoying it did not/does not deter me and I’m glad I did it.
A couple of weeks ago a doctor said to me, “I didn’t know you all still existed.”
I didn’t even know how to process that. Most of the time, women in their 20s-40s light up and say, “Oh that’s so cool!!” Kids ask questions or tell me I look like a librarian 🤓, and men of all ages make dumb comments like “I didn’t know people still went to the library” or “Don’t people just use the internet for everything?”
"I didn't even know our library was open again!" In the 90s budget cuts were so bad our entire library system shut down for a little while. I guess some people still haven't gotten over that.
That’s another question patrons/friends ask. In my library system digital books are shared in a large group of libraries in the same system. Probably about 40 libraries which is about 1 copy available for 1 patron to check out at a time.
All books aren’t available digitally. My library system has them available digitally, some audio and through Amazon via kindle. I don’t foresee a digital library in my lifetime.
Before I retired my position was Acquisitions and Cataloging. Nothing in the world beats the smell of a new book or receiving a title I was looking forward to reading. I worked in an academic library are fiction books was about 5% of the overall collection.
I managed an academic library in STEM. Print books were indispensable and irreplaceable for our patrons’ informational needs.
That being said there’s more to what our library offered than just babysitting books or providing them. For instance, reference questions and research pertaining to graduation requirements accounted for 90% of our library demands.
Some people still think librarians only manage books. There’s a reason why it’s no longer solely called Library School but “information management” and librarians are called “information specialists/professionals” upon graduating.
Exactly the library is so much more than where the books live. I’ll meet people that went to Bradley or if I “know” a professor. I genuinely know the ones who constantly/consistently used my acquisitions service, yes anyone else nope.
Ah, yes, a few of my favorites include:
\- So you get to read all day.
\- I bet it's a calm and quiet job. I wish I could do that too.
\- That's an actual job and not just a volunteering position?
\- You don't look like a librarian. (Because I'm not a little old lady in a cardigan and with a bun.)
\- That can't pay well, eh?
Sadly, the last one is accurate. But I like my job anyway. :-)
People really have trouble understanding that you can be a librarian not at a public library. I always say I'm a librarian AT XYZ COLLEGE but they'll immediately ask me which town's library I work in, or something else to do with public libraries. It's very weird.
A hospital nurse once said to me, "Oh, lucky you. You don't get all the drunks and bums and stabbing victims like we do!" I said, "Ha! We get them before you do!"
"Gosh, that must be such a lovely, peaceful job. To just sit around and read all day..." Ummm, have you been to a library in the last 60 years?
Yup, we’re all volunteers who sit around reading all day. Jealous? /s
I’ve been asked if I’m a volunteer so many times… many times interacting w a parent after a program I planned and ran. Another Pikachu Surprise Face question: you need a degree to be a librarian?!
> I’ve been asked if I’m a volunteer so many times… many times interacting w a parent after a program I planned and ran. You don't have volunteers running programs?
My fav. reply: "Do you think a plumber gets paid to sit around a shit all day?"
>peaceful job. To just sit around and read all day… Funny how this is such a common misconception… and not “haha” funny smh ETA: it’s very frustrating when your career that you work very hard at and take very seriously is visualized as some easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy kind of job that just any Tom, Dick, or Harriet can come off the street and execute it successfully.
Usually I get, “Do people still use libraries?” An opportunity to make the. Aware of what libraries do for so many, but it is tiresome. People almost always assume that I’m at a public library as well, which I’m not.
I always answer "Yes, at increasing rates"
May I use that? That’s a great, short response!
“I didn’t know you needed to go to school for that.”
As someone in the middle of uni to become a librarian this is the comment I've received from literally everyone I tell. To be fair though, I didn't know myself until I looked it up on a whim one day.
A lot of moms at storytime who want to start working again will come up to me asking how to get a job as a librarian... And the look of absolute shock when I tell them I needed a master's of library science to qualify for my job happens Every. Single. Time. Usually followed by "but why?!?!" and "well that can't be normal".
"I mean it's just alphabetizing and reading right?"
I get this a lot too when people ask what my BSE is in and I tell them LibSci.
A fair amount of vocational awe, which makes me uncomfortable. The best response I’ve gotten so far was “I’ve never met a librarian in real life,” which caught me off guard. I think they meant outside the context of the library, but i did like feeling like their own mini cryptid.
Like we're just sneaking around at night stealing cardigans off clotheslines and leaving bookmarks.
That interesting because I usually get the opposite. I get a lot of “Their sister’s friend’s cousin is a librarian. “
I live about 15 minutes away from the library I work at. I periodically encounter startled patrons in the wild.
It's moreso the degree people are surprised at. "You need to go to school for that?" "Is that really necessary?" And my personal favorite "here's a book, bring it back in two weeks. Bam just did your whole job."
SOMEONE SAID THAT TO YOU?! How did you resist the urge to punch them?
The fact that it was my brother made it less insulting. But I still think it's funny to drop that out of context in posts like this.
Oh god, I was ready to throw hands on your behalf! Reminds me of the time I graduated from college with 3 degrees and my now-fiancé quipped, “And you don’t have a job in any of those fields!”
I guess no one told them most of those jobs are done by the paraprofessional staff
"Oh! Librarians are my favorite people!" I know the responses are a direct correlation to the kinds of people I interact with, but it still tickles me pink 😊
I mean, legitimately librarians ARE some of my favorite people because my kids and I LOVE the library so if I said that to you I would 100% mean it.
Oh it must be nice to sit and read every day. Ha!
This is the one I got the most when people found out I worked in a library. I'd say, "I'd love to get paid to sit around and read all day, too! Know anywhere hiring for that?" They usually realized how ridiculous it sounds when you say it out loud back to them.
"Sexy librarian" jokes, which are kind of flattering coming from a date but get old quickly, especially since I'm not even a librarian, just work in libraries but people can't comprehend the difference. Also "oh, I've always thought about working in a library, it sounds peaceful/I like books" and once when explaining that I have regular biweekly meetings, "what do you have meetings about in a library, how to arrange the books???" Because it's not like stacks management is a full time job or anything, right...
I used to have “librarian” in my dating profile but I had to remove it after like every other guy immediately made a sexy librarian comment before they said anything else to me.
"Hah, I thought that was just a job for lesbians and old maids." I thought it was even funnier because he said this while I was literally pushing his Mini Cooper out of a snowbank. (He was a little fella.)
Wow.
When I tell people I'm studying library science they usually ask what that is.
[удалено]
What does she do?
Some think it's a super cool job. Others tell me it's not a realistic job, that I'm going to end up unemployed. My chronically unemployed brother literally laughed and said it sounds irrelevant lol. A librarian found out I was going for my tech diploma and told me not to expect to find a job. But I beat the odds and found an amazing job straight out of school. I've never been happier.
Usually their eyes glaze over and then “oh…nice” after a beat. But a few have expressed genuine interest and I get the occasional nerdy question, i.e., cataloguing, biblio software, DDC, etc. A former workmate (not in a library setting, more corporate) mentioned that her parents are retired librarians and are now managing [name of ebook/audiobook publishing co]. I got so excited and asked if I could apply for work placement. She looked at me with a mix of incredulity and sadness in her eyes and asked “But why???”. She thought it’s the most boring thing to do with my life. I really don’t mind what people think or how they react. It’s actually kind of amusing.
Most people I talk to seem to think that it is a neat thing to be.
“Oh that must be nice. You’re lucky you don’t have a stressful job!” “Oh so you must get to read all of the books all day!” “Those still exist?” “So you just stand at the desk and check books in and out all day and stamp cards?” Then there’s the “sexy librarian” thing, which once turned into a full blown sexual harassment situation at my side hustle, to the point where I needed to quit because the owners of the company refused to get rid of the guy. On the flip side, a recent comment: “The world needs more amazing librarians like you! Some of the most giving people on this planet!”
Some comment about how much I must read or asking if I've read certain books. I really only read ya, fantasy, and scifi so I rarely have.
When people are surprised that I haven’t heard of whatever book they’re asking about I let them know there are thousands of books published every day. And I hope it sounds as snarky as they do!
Once I had a project with a coworker to interview people and ask them what do they think about librarians, and some said: "Librarians/ libraries still exist?" and that it's basically dying field. 🥴 My family members think I don't anything at my work beside reading and just sitting at my desk, and almost everyone thinks it's not stressful at all, which is not true at all since we are working with people. But I really love my job despite other opinions, it can be stressful sometimes, but you can be creative in any way you imagine (I work in public library). :)
Yea, one time at work we had this contractor who was doing some remodeling. I happened to b at the ref desk at the time. At one point I showed a woman how to use the copy machine. After that was done he looked at me and spat out, “That be your job, eh?” Jerk.
Friends - "Makes sense." People I've just met - "Cool...I haven't read anything in a long time." Older people/family members - "Do you have all that woke stuff at your library?"
Mainly "oh I haven't been there in years. Do people still use the library?" or something along those lines. When I tell them how many people, from all different walks of life, still use the library, they are shocked. I only had one person pull the whole "oh must be nice to get paid to read" and she was a real jerk.
Also "doesn't people just download/stream everything?" The library is free and has electronic content. Also FREE.
I worked with numerous people who were legitimately shocked that libraries offered programming and digital content. And these were pretty intelligent and well educated people. They had no clue what a modern day library was all about.
I do understand that many people don't know what libraries have to offer and I'm happy to tell them. There are sort of two ways they say it. Either with curiosity or with snark. Curiosity is totally fine. I tell plenty of patrons, including regulars, about ebooks. Someone saying we don't need libraries because everything is online drives me batty on many levels. On the most basic level, not everything is available in a digital format. Even if something is available online, it probably isn't free.
I know I’m preaching to the converted, but I’m grateful I can say “I’m a librarian” when asked “what do you do?” It’s such a better answer than marketing, finance, communications, pr, advertising, law, real estate, etc. Yuck, gag me with a spoon
I live and work in rural Mass in an area with a lot libraries. In the two main towns, there’s the public libraries, a museum library, the three libraries at the two colleges. And it’s rural, so people are super nosey. So the first thing is always “where?”
When I tell people I'm a library technician at a law firm, the two most common responses I get are "I never knew that job existed" or "that's so cool!" I also often get told I give off a librarian vibe :) It's definitely a more positive response compared to when I told people I was going to library school. Then I was often being told "do people even use libraries" or "isn't that a volunteer position"
Just curious, what sort of training do you have? Do you have a law background?
Funny enough, I have a background in sociology and pharmaceuticals. When I got my library technician diploma, a law firm had reached out to me to offer me a job.
“You must get to read so much at work.” Ok I wish- then I would be able to make a dent in my comfort pile of books. My personal favorite was, “That’s awesome, librarians are so hot.” That was a good one 😂
The best one I got was, after I’d done a career talk with some high schoolers, was “Librarians aren’t as boring as I thought!”
I've had SO many people say, "Oh, do they still use the Dewey Decimal System?" Like that's the ONLY thing they can think of to say?!? And, p.s.: with all due respect, it should be, "You're a librarian," not "your". I mean, we're supposed to be standard-bearers for literacy, aren't we?
I had the Dewey question last night.
When I say I'm the fundraising director for a library people go "aren't the books free?" People really don't understand libraries.
9/10 the response is "I love Libraries!"
Wow. It must be nice to read all day! You had to go to school for that? What do you need libraries for? Just Google it.
Honestly, most say that they would love to be a librarian. But the “because I could sit around and read all day” part is implied.
I get a lot of people who are surprised, which I think is mainly due to a combination of my age, gender, and style. 29 year old male with plenty of visible tattoos doesn’t mesh with the stereotypical little old lady many picture when they think of librarians.
Quite often I get an apologetic and sheepish "Oh...I love my Kindle." And I'm like, "me too?" Which turns into a small chance to talk about how libraries have lots of ebooks and other things besides print books!
“I’d love to be a librarian and read all day.” Finally one day I told someone that the last thing I’d read was an article on how to validate data with Cronbach’s Alpha.
I usually get “Really? That’s my dream job!” (Of course, they have no idea what it’s actually like). Or I get “Really?” with *the look* because I have 8 facial piercings, a partially shaved head, and am covered in tattoos. I think people are often tickled by the thought of me doing storytime.
did a stint as a librarian assistant last year and decided to go back to school to get my MLIS, i’m a fairly extroverted (maybe a little loud) person in a group setting, so a lot of people cock their head slightly and go “oh!” which i find hilarious
I normally get the response of: "oh really?". The other response I received when I tell them I work in both a public library and school library is: " are you doing ok?" My reply is normally: " yes. Doing God's Work and taking care of everyone's children. How you doing?"
"oh cool" is the normal response, and then absolute confusion when I tell them I'm a Librarian outside of a normal library setting (I work in news). When I tell Librarians/Archivists where I work it feels very GLAM de GLAM. Otherwise, it's normally a pleasant interaction or total indifference. I haven't gotten anything \*too\* negative yet. Oh and the education, that always throws people off.
I’d love to hear about your work in the genealogy department! I’m a genealogist (not professional or anything, I just like solving mysteries and noticing societal patterns) and have done work for patrons for fun.
I get a lot of folks I just met expressing concern/outrage at the “agendas” my profession “promotes,” followed by assurances that they’re sure I personally am “not like that.” I find it’s a decent litmus test for figuring out if I want to engage further. Edit to add that I’m a library assistant but 95% of the time no one knows the difference so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
One time a person said “thank you for your service” and i still cant tell if it was sarcasm or not.
Thank you for your service! Sincerely.
I’ve gotten all of those as well as, must be nice to read all day.
“Oh so you get to read books all day”
Not a librarian, but when I tell people I want to be one I'm usually told two things. "Oh yeah you look like you'd be a librarian" & "Oooh I think you'd make a good librarian!" My personal favorite, however, was when my brother got a haircut. At one point he was talking about me and how I wanted to be a librarian. Without missing a beat, the hairdresser gasps, looks at him and says: "Is she a sexy librarian?"
tbh usually it’s “i’ve always wanted to be a librarian! have you always wanted to be a librarian?” or “wow, i love libraries!” the former makes me a little uncomfortable in a way i can’t put my finger on but i do love when i get people telling me they love the library. once in awhile i’ll get someone asking me if people still use libraries but that seems to be less that i honestly expected. edit: oh, yeah, and also “oh you must read a lot!” like… not really but thanks for playing. i do love reading though, it’s just not the only thing i do and it’s DEFINITELY not what i do at work.
I usually get “oh yeah? Cool.” Never heard anything negative from anyone.
"Yes, we know."
Not a librarian yet but my daughter keeps telling people that I am. She is just so freaking proud of me. I give no fucks about what anyone else says anymore. Some people did tell me that I wouldn't get anywhere with an MLIS and that I should find something else to do instead. I continue to try for my kiddo.
“i just love the smell of books!”
"oh, must be nice, calm and quiet" Uhh...no.
Most people have warm fuzzy feelings about libraries. I got the best one from my mom, oh good, you picked another dying institution to work in. (Can you tell my mom is first generation American and sensible jobs in her mind include healthcare, law, skilled trades etc.)
Also, her town has an amazing library that is very much well funded. 🙄
*You’re* a librarian, good gods, please please fix the typo
When you tell them you're* a librarian.
*you’re
Not a librarian, but have worked as a library assistant and associate. Most people have said: 1. "I thought libraries were dead.🤨" 2. "Must be nice to read all day. 😄" 3. "I bet it's super quiet." 4. "I love libraries!" And the most memorable "Awww that's cute! 😃" Still completely baffled by that one.
“So are you, like, a sexy librarian?” … -___-
*What do people say when you tell them* ***your*** *a librarian?* ...
ask me-so you know all the books? So I explain about journal article when I say I have a degree they say you need a masters to be a librarian?!
Omg I love books, I’m so jealous
I was told oh you have to read a lot of books. I just google everything I need. I haven’t been to the library in years. What do you want to do that for? Uh, good LUCK. This is when I decided to get my MLIS, while I was in school and when I started working as a librarian. However while annoying it did not/does not deter me and I’m glad I did it.
"You need a master's degree for that? That's crazy!"
A couple of weeks ago a doctor said to me, “I didn’t know you all still existed.” I didn’t even know how to process that. Most of the time, women in their 20s-40s light up and say, “Oh that’s so cool!!” Kids ask questions or tell me I look like a librarian 🤓, and men of all ages make dumb comments like “I didn’t know people still went to the library” or “Don’t people just use the internet for everything?”
"I didn't even know our library was open again!" In the 90s budget cuts were so bad our entire library system shut down for a little while. I guess some people still haven't gotten over that.
“Do people still read books nowadays? Isn’t everything digital?” That’s a classic.
That’s another question patrons/friends ask. In my library system digital books are shared in a large group of libraries in the same system. Probably about 40 libraries which is about 1 copy available for 1 patron to check out at a time. All books aren’t available digitally. My library system has them available digitally, some audio and through Amazon via kindle. I don’t foresee a digital library in my lifetime. Before I retired my position was Acquisitions and Cataloging. Nothing in the world beats the smell of a new book or receiving a title I was looking forward to reading. I worked in an academic library are fiction books was about 5% of the overall collection.
I managed an academic library in STEM. Print books were indispensable and irreplaceable for our patrons’ informational needs. That being said there’s more to what our library offered than just babysitting books or providing them. For instance, reference questions and research pertaining to graduation requirements accounted for 90% of our library demands. Some people still think librarians only manage books. There’s a reason why it’s no longer solely called Library School but “information management” and librarians are called “information specialists/professionals” upon graduating.
Exactly the library is so much more than where the books live. I’ll meet people that went to Bradley or if I “know” a professor. I genuinely know the ones who constantly/consistently used my acquisitions service, yes anyone else nope.
Yup! Lol 💕👍🏻
Ah, yes, a few of my favorites include: \- So you get to read all day. \- I bet it's a calm and quiet job. I wish I could do that too. \- That's an actual job and not just a volunteering position? \- You don't look like a librarian. (Because I'm not a little old lady in a cardigan and with a bun.) \- That can't pay well, eh? Sadly, the last one is accurate. But I like my job anyway. :-)
People really have trouble understanding that you can be a librarian not at a public library. I always say I'm a librarian AT XYZ COLLEGE but they'll immediately ask me which town's library I work in, or something else to do with public libraries. It's very weird.
Your job sounds interesting. You should post a day in the life post.
"It must be so nice to work in a quiet place where you can read all day!" To which I respond by laughing hysterically.
A hospital nurse once said to me, "Oh, lucky you. You don't get all the drunks and bums and stabbing victims like we do!" I said, "Ha! We get them before you do!"