Bonehead
Anonymous said...
Is there a reason you all think you're extra smart just because you work in libraries?
I feel the need to respond to this question. The comment was in response to a post discussing/snarking against the stereotype of librarians being considered nerdy. I probably did come off sounding smarter than thou, but that is not the case.
I'm an idiot. Have proven this on numerous occasions, but I feel confident in answering someone’s reference question, not because I'll know the answer, but because I have several million dollars worth of resources available at my fingertips, and the odds are that I'll stumble across the answer. I don't know the answer, but I am willing to help find it. I won't claim to always find a satisfactory answer for the patron, but I make a go of it.
This doesn’t mean I’m extra smart. Remember when the book cart attacked me? Do I need to say more? Okay, I once put the wrong key in a conference room lock and got the key stuck so badly, locksmiths had to be called while a group waited to get into the room to have a meeting. The group was a bunch of library very higher ups. Yeah, I felt really smart that day.
Once I left a couple of printouts in the printer from Pirates of the Caribbean website. There was this amusing game to make up pirate names so there were a couple of printouts with “Captain Scalawag Vampire Librarian” but with my real name. So yeah, that was smart.
I’ve misshelved books. I’ve forgotten to desensitize them until the patron set off the gates. I always have to pull out a campus map when someone asks where any of the other university libraries are located, even if it’s one I’ve been to before. I drop things a lot. I’m constantly forgetting where I left my soda or coffee cup. Don’t ask me how to spell something. I have to count on my fingers.
So no, I don’t think I’m extra smart. I know otherwise. I just think I can find an answer quicker than the average person. Not because I’m smarter but because I don’t know much and have to look up stuff often for others and for myself.
Is there a reason you all think you're extra smart just because you work in libraries?
I feel the need to respond to this question. The comment was in response to a post discussing/snarking against the stereotype of librarians being considered nerdy. I probably did come off sounding smarter than thou, but that is not the case.
I'm an idiot. Have proven this on numerous occasions, but I feel confident in answering someone’s reference question, not because I'll know the answer, but because I have several million dollars worth of resources available at my fingertips, and the odds are that I'll stumble across the answer. I don't know the answer, but I am willing to help find it. I won't claim to always find a satisfactory answer for the patron, but I make a go of it.
This doesn’t mean I’m extra smart. Remember when the book cart attacked me? Do I need to say more? Okay, I once put the wrong key in a conference room lock and got the key stuck so badly, locksmiths had to be called while a group waited to get into the room to have a meeting. The group was a bunch of library very higher ups. Yeah, I felt really smart that day.
Once I left a couple of printouts in the printer from Pirates of the Caribbean website. There was this amusing game to make up pirate names so there were a couple of printouts with “Captain Scalawag Vampire Librarian” but with my real name. So yeah, that was smart.
I’ve misshelved books. I’ve forgotten to desensitize them until the patron set off the gates. I always have to pull out a campus map when someone asks where any of the other university libraries are located, even if it’s one I’ve been to before. I drop things a lot. I’m constantly forgetting where I left my soda or coffee cup. Don’t ask me how to spell something. I have to count on my fingers.
So no, I don’t think I’m extra smart. I know otherwise. I just think I can find an answer quicker than the average person. Not because I’m smarter but because I don’t know much and have to look up stuff often for others and for myself.
posted by Vampire Librarian at 9:57 PM
10 Comments:
Arrr... Mayhaps I not be the best person to comment since I have passed the Jeopardy contestant test a couple times, but me thinks that my work in a library doesn't mean I be extra smart.
There's more than book-learnin' ye know. Seamanship, for instance.
Yer way smarter than peeps who email other peeps to express their sour grapes. Even with the Pirates of the Caribbean printer incident.
Hope that makes sense. I can't tell as I was woken up at 4.30 by some dickhead screeching in the street because he couldn't find his beer. It was in his hand.
Someone should tell the anonymous bonehead that it ain't that hard to look smart when the majority of customers are so stupid. :)
I think I should clarify the title. I'm the bonehead, not the commenter.
*chuckles*
One of my teachers used to say that "A person who's mouth was constantly open has an empty mind".
Sometimes people don't know any way to build themselves up other than to appempt to stand on someone else's shoulders.
Came by way of Glitter and stopped to visit. Excellent site.
I get these critics too and it just makes me want to scream.
Librarians are mysterious creatures, gatekeepers to knowledge and power, with an eerie other-worldly aura, who don't have opinions or feelings. Gag, retch!
So, when some celebrity pokes fun at us, we're supposed to smile demurely and thank her kindly for acknowledging our existence? No way!
I think your commenter had an inferiority complex. And I think it had nothing to do with you. Don't take it personally.
Love your post!
Thrilled with your smartness!
So many new people! Welcome! I hope to read more of your comments.
Library Guy - You're the exception that proves the rule--or something.
Spike - "I was woken up at 4.30 by some dickhead screeching in the street because he couldn't find his beer. It was in his hand."--You poor dear, but at least, there weren't gunshots, unlike what I heard at 12:45am last night. Hearing a lonely gunshot in the middle of the night in a small town...is far to common.
Madame Boffin - You're preaching to the choir.
Chuck - Your comment was very touching profanity aside.
Disgruntled World Citizen - I'm glad I made you chuckle.
Junebugg - Welcome and I'm glad you liked the post. I have another saying for you, "A full mouth gathers no foot." Free food is constantly available in Library X.
Happy Villian - Love your blog. I wasn't offended by the commenter. I fully believe that I was on a high horse in that post and subsequent comments, and the commenter was making an honest observation of my tone.
Tired Tunia - Yeah, finding a book where it's supposed to be is a pretty amazing feat.
spookyrach - Why thank you!
I'm with Chuck; I *do* think I'm smarter than my patrons, at least when it comes to library research. When they say "wow, you know a lot" or some other admiring comment about my skills, I say "thank you, I went to graduate school to learn this."
I'm tired of people thinking we're just shmucks who search Google all the time. I want to get credit for my MLS and my advanced searching skills.
If they seem impressed with what I do, and "get it" (like truncation or nested boolean searching), I suggest *they* might want to consider going to library school.
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