Do you agree that librarians are one of the most underrated professions?

The librarians at my school take their jobs way too seriously.

They can't be as bad as the one at my school. She patrols all of the tables, never sits, you can't talk - not even a whisper. Aren't allowed iPods or any other kind of music devices (with headphones on). You cannot use any of the computers without her permission, and you can't check emails either. She takes the fun out of libraries :/

Reply 41

liam1994

9

Our librarian has not gone to university!

She reminds me of that crazy receptionist of Monsters Inc! :frown:

Reply 42

screenager2004

14

I work in a Library part-time as a shelver (Well, a 'collections assistant') and I cringe when people call me a 'librarian', or when people say "The librarian gave me a fine!" cringe cringe cringe! It's VERY underrated.

Reply 43

username694843

12

Original post by Osman1993

lol what the hell did she do to the books?

She ate them.

Lol, I think she just forgot to give them back for a few weeks. But still... She should've just eaten them.

Reply 44

kelpic

OP

16

Original post by screenager2004

I work in a Library part-time as a shelver (Well, a 'collections assistant') and I cringe when people call me a 'librarian', or when people say "The librarian gave me a fine!" cringe cringe cringe! It's VERY underrated.

Thank you!

Reply 45

ukr-nffc

7

Original post by Singh993

Don't get me started on college librarians.............Evil would be a compliment, the way
some of them behave

The ones i've experienced at uni have been little short of the Gestapo ...

Reply 46

thisismycatch22

13

No, I don't agree, and calling it a "profession" is a stretch.

Reply 47

kelpic

OP

16

Original post by thisismycatch22

No, I don't agree, and calling it a "profession" is a stretch.

Why?

Reply 48

thisismycatch22

13

Original post by kelpic

Why?

Why should it be considered a profession?
http://otherlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/ten-reasons-why-professional-librarian-is-an-oxymoron/

"Profession" is an entirely arbitrary definition and I just don't see that the volume and rigour of specialist training or the nature of the work librarians do really justifies falling under that definition. I mean, there was the person who posted about their relative being a librarian without any qualifications at all, and that's incredibly easy to imagine. The "requirement" for specialist training for librarian jobs is pretty much entirely a result of competition; it only applies in densely populated areas. Whereas in contrast, you can't imagine someone out in the country setting themselves up as a doctor or a judge without any sort of qualification!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 49

kelpic

OP

16

Original post by thisismycatch22

Why should it be considered a profession?
http://otherlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/ten-reasons-why-professional-librarian-is-an-oxymoron/

"Profession" is an entirely arbitrary definition and I just don't see that the volume and rigour of specialist training or the nature of the work librarians do really justifies falling under that definition. I mean, there was the person who posted about their relative being a librarian without any qualifications at all, and that's incredibly easy to imagine. The "requirement" for specialist training for librarian jobs is pretty much entirely a result of competition; it only applies in densely populated areas. Whereas in contrast, you can't imagine someone out in the country setting themselves up as a doctor or a judge without any sort of qualification!

Good point(the link)!

Reply 50

Ash Pearson

11

Yes! People use libraries and communities need them like schools, ie. vital. At the end of the day, we're like teachers and they too are underrated (not to mention underpaid but that's another story).

It's a profession. I have colleagues who did a Masters degree to become a librarian. I'm a children's librarian and even I've got a postgraduate diploma in information management, as well as a Cert 3 in Youth Services.

Reply 51

Ash Pearson

11

When I'm required to state my working status, I write 'City Services' (public library system) as my occupation, and 'Professional' for job type :cool:

If I were working in a school library tho, I'd write 'Community Services/Professional' x

Do you agree that librarians are one of the most underrated professions?

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