Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Librarian… Me


Me and my supervisor were discussing just this morning about the stereotypical spinster librarian… the sexually questionable woman who owns a cat, does very little outside of work except read for fun and play with her cat, you know the seemingly boring woman with the glasses, the hair bun, the plaid skirt and the pursed lips.

One of the librarians who works somewhere in this institution was featured in an article in the NY Daily News about 2 weeks ago about her lost cat. A quote from the article says: "I'm always going to double-check the carrier," she said, before gazing at her beloved kitty." And me and my sup gasped! LOL

We [my supervisor and myself] have taken on the fight of beating down the stereotypical image of Librarians by being hip, cute, fashionable, and with interests in more than just electronic resources, reference sources, data imaging, migrations of every sort and the standard and perfunctory cataloging jargon. But then you got those Librarians with their beloved kitties who are just messing stuff up!

While instant messaging at work... me and my co-worker Liryc got to talking about a whole lot, life, careers and she happened to question me about Librarianship. So here it goes....

Liryc: Did you see yourself working as a Librarian as a child?
Ms.KiA: Not really.
Liryc: What did you want to be?
MS.KIA: A writer, a singer, a fashion designer, a hair dresser, a dancer. I still want to be a singer, a dancer, a fashion designer, a hair dresser.
Liryc: LOL... seems like a totally different direction than where you are now? What made you do the total opposite of what your passion or dream was?
Ms.KiA: The one school my mother actually pushed me to audition for Fashion Industries HS because she knew that fashion and designing was my passion. I still have my sketches from elementary school and I sketch even now when I’m bored, but I followed my friends to Washington Irving HS. I started my undergraduate studies in Social Work, and then I wanted to make some money. So I switched to Accounting and Business, and then I started to fail outta school, so then I went into Psych, which is my next passion under cosmetology. Then I started working here and then I figured let me do librarianship. And well I’m such a librarian at heart it's crazy. This comes so natural.
Liryc: I see. Is it because you're a literary person and you thought that it meshed so well? Do you have any regrets?
Ms.KiA: No regrets! Literary... possibly... but it's more systematic, organizing and disseminating information for public use.
Liryc: You wouldn't change a thing if you were given the opportunity?
Ms.KiA: I would add some things, stop being lazy but not change a thing
Liryc: You're used to a pattern?
Ms.KiA: Used to a pattern.... yes. And researching, analyzing.
Liryc: Do you think you'd like to have something else on the side, for added income?

PAUSE

Ms.KiA:
Are you trying to sell me some pyramid scheme?
Liryc: LOL… No
Ms.KiA: Sure I would do something on the side. Not quite sure what. I know I’m not done with librarianship or doing something else in this career. I'd definitely like to work with young readers, probably some type of literacy work.
Liryc: So you've definitely made this your career?
Ms.KiA: Of course, for now until about 10 years. I’d like to work in an educational environment, school or academic librarianship, quite possibly on the vendor end, developing electronic content.
Liryc: Then what’s the new objective?
Ms.KiA: Owning my own business, publishing, writing full time, doing hair, singing, dancing…
probably just writing and publishing
Liryc: I think you should write
Ms. KiA: Thank you
Liryc: How about continuing on with your Psychology degree? Getting your Psi D., ever thought about that?
Ms.KiA: Wow, I recently thought about pursuing my Psi D., only because it's not as aggressive as attaining the PhD in Psyche but I'm still not sure.
Liryc: You'd make a lot more money and you'd still have that flexible schedule.
Ms.KiA: I use my psych degree e'ryday, diagnosing all of y'all!
Liryc: LOL... I agree. That has to be the best part of Abnormal Psychology, learning about the disorders and self diagnosing. Wait! I'm not crazy. According to the DSM IV, I'm completely sane.
Ms.KiA: Ummm, sure you are.... You have Anxiety Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Schizoaffective Disorder.
Liryc: I am not schizo! Yes I do have anxiety disorder. That's a definite. So before working at the Library, where did you work?
Ms. KiA: In a bookstore chain... and before that at St. John's University... bookstore. I think I was destined to be around books. What I've found is that everyone at some point in life needs a Librarian to provide them with the start they to begin their research assignment or the reference they need to finish. It's just great to sit in front of a pc all day and not get into trouble for internet surfing because it's just a part of work. But it's even better to know that I've found my niche, me and my sup are crazy cool, mostly because we're more like peers in this field, and my other co-workers are socially phobic, compulsive crazy cool too!

5 comments:

Ms.Honey said...

Its funny cause your right..I've always viewed librarians as lil old ladies and I'm glad that's kinda changed cause I love the library

Don said...

Was she trying to imply that being a librarian was something bad? Or was she simply asking all those questions trying to understand what your past and future is going to bring?

I always think of librarians as gentle and warm hearts.

Just Kel said...

Hey Ms. Honey... some old ladies are still hanging around too but Librarianship and libraries are definitely changing.

Don... you know I do think she was insinuating that Librarianship wasn't all that. When she asked if I definitely made this my career, in my head I said hell yes since I'll be paying for it until I'm 66! After "the interview" I asked her why she questioned me so and she said it was just questions she had been asking herself, so I took it light. But don't be fooled, Librarians are mean and crazy, anal and rigid! Not me though-lol-some of these other ones. LOL

Queen of My Castle said...

This was a very insightful post. Actually got me thinking about changing my major.

Don said...

lol @ after the interview

All the ones Ive met are sweet. Now I have to ask you to give us an example of the kinds of librarians you describe. lol.