Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Lies!

This quote was published in CareerBuilder.com on September 21, 2009. I wonder if they spoke to any public librarians before printing these lies.

Jobs for Quiet people

"Librarian - It might seem obvious, but given that librarians work in a mostly "no talking zone," it makes sense that a librarian position suits quiet workers. Most of your time is spent organizing and maintaining library publications and materials, and the rest you'll spend directing people to whatever they may need."

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com

Zupek at least needs a librarian as a fact checker. Even now this delusion of what a librarian does is making my blood boil. Even my 8 hours at work today can prove this description wrong.
  • There was talking - loud even
  • I neither maintained nor organized my library publications.
  • "Directing people to whatever they need" generally requires what librarians call a reference interview. I can't think of one reference interview that I had when I was not speaking. It requires great people skills to draw out of patrons what they are actually looking for.
  • I dealt with A LOT people in various capacities being required to be mature, friendly, and respectful at all times. This isn't always easy.
All I'm really saying is that Zupek should reconsider her argument and tell the world who we really are. We are intelligent information professionals who are able to meet the needs of our customers often in a stressful environment.

2 comments:

Joe and Joanne said...

Amen.
Good job for thwarting stereotypes!

Laura said...

I had no such perceptions of librarians. Rachel Zupek sounds like a moron.