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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Do You Have to Love Reading to be a Librarian?

It's well known in the branch that I don't read books often.  I do read (webpages, emails), I know how to, it's just that I am surrounded by too many things to be distracted by.  Granted if the power went out, and my cell phone and laptop were both dead, and I didn't have any gas in the car to go anywhere, I might, just *might* pick up something to read.  The most recent book I've read would have to be the Basher series, the cartoons are bad ass.

I will read if I have to, usually for school or food preparation.  It seems as though all of my MLIS professors love to read and they just shove article after article down your throat.  I honestly would read them if they weren't saying the same thing each semester.  It has become extremely redundant to be given the umpteenth article about how important libraries and librarians really are, blah blah blah.

Don't even get me started on the textbooks!  They have to be the least interesting thing since I took a social class in undergrad.  Suffice it to say, the textbooks I buy at the beginning of the semester are pretty much in the exact same condition at the end.  Except for my final exam for one of my recent classes.  The professor wanted us to cite page numbers in our responses.  I'm glad that I even bought the damn thing to begin with.  I'm pretty sure that I could go through this whole program without buying or reading a textbook.

If being a non-avid reader will affect my prospective career in whatever librarianship route I choose, who knows?  I don't see myself going the public route so reader advising wouldn't be in my future.

The main thing I learned from that class is that indexes are a life saver.

4 comments:

  1. Do you have to love reading? Nope!

    One of my coworkers hasn't read a book since he finished grad school and is in charge of updating the library's website, and I know a couple others who just prefer to read stuff on the web. I know you're not going into public, but fear not, even if you end up here you will be in good company!

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  2. I read, but I don't read books relevant to being a Youth Services Librarian. When ever I get asked about certain books I just smile and say I haven't gotten to it yet. And when I get asked to recommendations I asked what was the last book the child liked was and go look through NoveList for another book they would like. Don't worry about not reading.

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  3. I would love to read more. I look around me each day and know that there are all sorts of great stories just waiting to be read on our shelves (and some not so great ones), it's just that my Xbox and social life eat up most of my time. Feel safe in knowing that many library workers do not read very often.

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  4. SHUSHIE,
    it is one of my greatest fears being stuck at the public library and I can totally see my first job offering after graduation coming from them. 10 years passes by and I'm still sitting at the info desk in a snow flake themed sweater covered in cat hair.

    MISFIT,
    I get a lot of recommendations from patrons as they're checking out. I just smile and say, "Thanks, I'll have to check that one out." And I often do, usually checking it out on the damaged books card after it has slid down the book drop soaking wet from an indistinguishable liquid on a clear sunny day. Damn you patrons... damn you.

    LIBRARYFAIL,
    I do see a lot of books that have caught my eye. I've given up on borrowing books thinking that I would read them if they were in my room. I actually have read more when I'm working mostly out of sheer boredom and lack of Xbox, oh and those damn internet work filters suck.

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