The Librarian: A Social Animal

Going into your studies which, if you are lucky, may involve mentoring, implementation of your proposals and projects or even assignment of special duties, requires an understanding of the relevant aspects of library workplace psychology. That’s another way of saying “how to not piss everyone off”…

There are a number of difficult personalities that a MLUSers will encounter in the average library and they all require their own unique strategy to effectively remove them as obstacles. First, you have the true believer–this is the kind of guy or gal that organizes their DVD collection at home by alphabetical title (separated into sections based on their country of origin) and hoist signs at rallies when a new, ridiculous prevision to the Patriot Act is written into law. They love library work, they believe that library is an essential asset to the community and they would ordinarily encourage interest in LIS–if the MLUSer is careful with her wording.

These idealistic types will often take criticism of the MLS and the current system of LIS education as a criticism of the knowledge that *should* come with graduation from such a programs–the motivations of an MLUSer is directly contrary to this view but comments taken out of context can go a long way towards masking this fact. For instance, if a MLUSer were to say that a particular co-worker doesn’t need her MLS to do the job that she does, it could be seen as an insult to the library science that *should* be implemented in the co-worker’s position. Instead, if she must be criticized at all, one should focus comments on how this person isn’t living up to the potential of the position in question.

The antidote is simple: elaborate. For those who are quick to dismiss a person based on negative first impressions, it’s best to save your comments on related issues until you have time for a more in-depth discussion–not when you are both working the desk and are frequently interrupted by patrons. Remember: these people can be extremely valuable assets in your studies–don’t alienate them.

Then there are the two other groups: burn-outs and the corporate-types…

Library work can take a lot out of people if they’re trying to accomplish something amongst a number of difficult people and can burn them out–Don’t give up on them! These types span every level of library work from page to director for various reasons and the higher-up they are, the more difficult they are to work around. Sometimes all these people need is a show of interest to rekindle previously trampled passion. Ask their opinions, bring-up interesting thoughts that came to you as you were reading the previous night–a lot of people will respond to that sort of inclusive technique and you’ll find yourself another friend.

There are some corporate-minded types that, while not lacking motivation, have no concept of noble purpose and are just out for their own gain. This could mean anything from a lack of cooperative or team attitude to actively sabotaging other’s projects to make them appear superior. If you can’t get around them in any way, chances are that they’re doing themselves in–they keep going by hiding their discretions from their “superiors” but rarely their “subordinates” as a method of fear-based of control. Refusal to given in to such intimidation–especially from younger pages–is, itself, an intimidating act and will put these types off balance. But it is only through honest and uncensored expression of these individual’s actions on an appropriate level that they will lose their grip–not by trying to fighting fire with fire.

In the end, be kind to everyone that you come across–library science is a discipline that should serve the community and never individual ambition alone, don’t let frustration with these people get in the way of what she believes should be done.