[Publib] Backwage and the Sacred Cow

[Louise Alcorn]

By their description she really liked books, but was very shy and did
not like people.  So, they were postiive she would be perfect to work in
a library.
 
I get this regularly.  I gently describe my average day, and they slink
away in horror.  
 
We're dealing with literally generations of guidance counselors, schools
and parents who, with all good intentions, thought (and still think)
that libraries are a place to dump the intelligent but socially awkward
among us.  Only by raising our profile in our communities are people
finally going to say "oh, wait, they have to deal with people all day!".
I think you'd have a hard time finding many jobs in the library world
these days that don't, at the very least, require you to be on a few
committees, to work as a team, and/or to deal with the public.  
 
There are days (not many) when I would *love* to be able to "not like
people" and still do my job.  
 
Louise E. Alcorn
Reference Technology Librarian
West Des Moines Public Library
4000 Mills Civic Pkwy
West Des Moines IA 50265
(515) 222-3573      louise.alcorn at wdm-ia.com
http://www.wdmlibrary.org <http://www.wdmlibrary.org/>    

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