www.ShoptheLibrary.com

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

I am the Library 1%

These past two years have flown by, I am now officially a "librarian."  Yes, even though I do not look like one, it is true and I have an expensive piece of paper that says so.  I really, really, really hate to bust the beloved stereotype.  If it's any consolation my friend who also graduated at the same time gets, "Oh, you really do look like a librarian!"  I, myself, get "You don't look like a librarian."  So my oddness is evened out and the balance is restored in the library.
It even happens at the info desk during the rare times there are two of us staffing it.  Patrons tend to line up on her end of the desk and when I ask them if they need help, they quickly eye her to make sure I'm not some nut who wanted to play librarian for the day.

Let's see how I stack up against the stats:


So I am not your stereotypical librarian.  This will either help me or hurt me when I apply for jobs.  It really depends on the organization and what they are looking for.  Maybe I should try to conduct my own study with my stereotypical looking librarian friend.  We both graduated at the same time, unfortunately, our undergrad degrees aren't the same (she's an English major---shocker right?).

If the title threw you off, I apologize.  I am not making re-dick amounts of money from the library.
Damn, I wish I was the "Library 1%" making that J.K. Rowling money.

2 comments:

  1. I don't think the physical really comes into it at all with how the majority of us are represented by pop culture, however, as a dude I think you will actually do much better in the profession than females applying for the same job -- assuming experience and qualifications and all that shiz is the same.
    The educational field which we are often lumped into is very much into promoting positive male role models, so whether they want to admit it or not libraries and schools will chose men for certain job titles over equally qualified women. It may be subconscious, there are fewer of you in the field to begin with but I believe a higher percentage of you secure jobs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Recently, one of my older coworkers got turned down for a library management position. The job was given to a younger male even though she is better qualified and has more experience, this led to her ranting to me, "You have to be a dick or have one to get promoted."

    ReplyDelete