Revolting librarians


Librarians of the world, UNITE!
It´s time to break away from the old maid-Marian-Librarian image, or if the case may be, the fairy-Harry-Librarian image. Practice a few sensuous exercises to make the library full with the joy of life, and to help make you feel like a real person, and not just a role:

Pull up the shades. Open the windows. Let the sun shine in

Meditate

Greet the patron (your friend and tax payer) with a smile. Look deep into his eyes. Grok his person

Get up to show a patron where a book is located. MOVE your whole body an not just your index finger

Don´t treat non-professionals as non-professionals; treat them as human beeings. An MLS does not always a librarian make

Remember the administrator is not always right. He may make the rules, but he does not have to live by them

If there is something do be done, do it. Better yet, get everyone to do it

Get involved; don´t be afraid. PARTICIPATE

Ask the patrons for suggestions. Who knows they may even come up with some good ideas

Decorate celebrate. It´s always a holiday somewhere

Bring in goodies

Grow something green on your desk, and plant surprises in the catalogs (seed packets, happy thoughts, etc.)

Dres like Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall, but don´t ever dress like a librarian

Make your library a place of pleasure as well as a place of learning. Lights, colors, smells, movies and music, music, music

Convert staff meetings into sensitivity sessions. Gently

Find a garden to lunch in. Sometimes have a departmental picnic. Bread, chees and wine!

Write poetry

Crochet, knit, macrame, weave. Be crafty...

Imagine yourself in the centerfold of LJ (Library Journal)

Read. It´s good for the body as well as the soul

Use your imagination. Create the person you want to be

Live lif to the fullest, and let the JOY of living spread happiness to your work, to the people you work with, and to those you meet every day


aus dem Kapitel "The sensuous librarian" von Kathleen Glab
Kathi Glab - who prefers to be a ski bum than ever go to library school, works at the legendary Enoch Pratt Library. In the telephone reference service, she is asked things like "Is there a law against sewing the American flag to the seat of the pants like so many of those dirty hippies do?" Besides being sensuous, she is POLISH.

Links zum Thema
revolting librarians redux

 

© Edlef Stabenau | 20.01.2002