Okay we’ve had some retirements at work, so we’re interviewing potential new employees. So far it’s been good with a lot of promising interviews with some very qualified people. However today’s candidate uttered possibly the most insane thing I’ve heard in a very long time (and my side job involves hearing the emotional trials of meth addicts). At first she started out as a completely normal person with the appropriate answers for all major interview questions, but then toward the end, when the interview was wrapping up to just casual small talk, she informed us that “she really didn’t like to read at all, except the bible.” She told us she thought the bible had everything anyone really needed. Needless to say we will not be considering her application. But I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that this woman had a library science degree (from an ALA accredited institution). Why would she possibly choose to go into library science if she holds this view and how was she even able to do the course work?
Maybe she was trying to set herself apart from the remainder of library applicants who inform us in dulcet tones that they can’t wait to have the chance to read at work!
Either that, or she’s been forced by circumstances into supporting herself instead of being a wife and mother as God intended, and little old library lady was the least controversial of her options?
Or, she feels that being in the library is part of her “mission” or her “calling” to counteract all of the horrible feminist liberal socialists who are actively trying to corrupt young minds. (We actually had an applicant a few years ago who was a pastor’s wife and felt the need to tell us in the interview that it was her “calling from God” to “guide and shelter” young minds. Yikes.)
As for the ALA-accreditation, I’d take that with a grain of salt. I did distance-learning at my own institution in the past few years and I did not graduate with the best of opinions on the required coursework or the intellectual mettle of my classmates.
First of all, she’s too stupid to hire if should would say something like that in an interview, even if it’s how she feels.
Is it possible, though, that she meant she didn’t like to read for pleasure, except the Bible? Maybe she likes research? Getting an MLS isn’t all about reading books. My sister’s MLS focused heavily on information sciences and emerging research technolgies.
She’s trying to infiltrate Western Culture and bring it down from the inside.
One of my library school profs once said, “Don’t become a librarian because you love books. That’s like becoming a butcher because you love cows.”
Never get high on your own supply
Is it a library position you are hiring for?
I have a programming degree, and no desire to work as a programmer. I just wanted to learn to do it better, y’know?
Same could have happened to this lady. Maybe she likes organizing things. Maybe she likes quiet. Maybe she had a crush on a professor.
I was going to go for something like this but the OP makes it sound like it’s not so much that she doesn’t like reading as that she doesn’t approve of information.
The last time I was in the ER, one of the techs told me, right as he was filling out my discharge paperwork, that he didn’t believe in taking medicine. The whole reason that I was in the ER was because I was woozy and disoriented, and this statement did NOT help matters. My husband was with me, and when I asked Bill about it later, yes, he’d heard it too.
Perhaps this aspiring librarian has a goal of making sure the right books get selected for the collection, while the wrong books get weeded out? I know that some religious wackos believe that it’s perfectly OK to remove “inappropriate” books from the library…that is, steal library books…if it furthers God’s perfect plan.
My niece graduated with a degree in film studies, and when I asked her what her favorite film was, after some thought she said “Sex and the City.” That pretty much killed a seemingly-promising conversation.
I am working - very slowly - toward a library science degree. I can’t imagine being drawn to this profession without a love of books! Maybe she interviews badly and said the wrong thing? I know that since I started school, I have not been reading for pleasure nearly as much (don’t get me wrong, I sneak in “fun” book amongst all the textbooks) - maybe she meant something along those lines?
Ad I see at the bottom of the page: “Earn Your PhD in Ministry Online Convenience & Earlier Grad.”
Wonder if they’ll accept you as a student if you tell them you don’t like to read the Bible.
“I don’t really like to program at all, except for punched cards on an IBM 301. It does everything anyone really needs.”
What exactly does library sciences entail?
If it came down to proper organization, preservation, and display of new and old books, magazines, and other print media (and some digital media), it could keep me fascinated from now until the end of time. I love old books, even on subjects I don’t care the slightest for.
Is enjoyment of reading really a prerequisite for a job as a librarian? That may sound like a dumb question, but I can’t imagine the job actually requires that much reading. You’re cataloging and lending books, not reviewing them, right?
So, you’re discriminating against her for purely religious reasons? How… progressive of you!!
You failed to explain how and why holding that viewpoint rendered her incapable of performing the job. As long as she can adequately do the job and conforms to other reasonable personnell policies (bathes regularly, wears clothes, clocks in on time) she’s allowed to believe whatever she wants, including (although not necessarily limited to) that the Flying Spaghetti Monster provides us all with yummy pasta from heaven and that Jesus died for our sins. Proselytizing those views to others while on the job may be grounds for dismissal, but simply holding those views is not.
That you would discriminate against her for believing in either of those things shows your narrowminded intolerance.
It really is possible, although you clearly “can’t wrap (your) head around the fact”, that people are able to hold religious beliefs which are different from yours and STILL not be unemployable. Or stupid.
(Laughing) Sometimes we read the books (and the articles, and the journals.) And sometimes we write the articles, and sometimes the books, and proofread the articles, and format other people’s bibliographies. And yes, we do write reviews.
I manage a medium-large hospital medical library. I have a “power crew of two” staff members. We do everything. Buy the books (ebooks as well). Evaluate clinical medical information. Do custom, high-level medical information searches. Hold students hands and hug them if they cry. Teach them. Send articles at the speed of light.
We do some serious document delivery and interlibrary loan. Provide consumer health information. Develop innovative solutions and services. Maintain and create electronic resources (sometimes, I get to write code, but mostly I get to update websites with content management software. Eww.) Plan a monthly book club for about 20 members. Please my Library Committee. Dust the shelves (the only thing housekeeping won’t do.) Laminate things for displays. Plan and execute lovely displays 
Write the stupid newsletter. Be an executive and go to management meetings. Advocate. Develop and approve the budget while simultaneously dealing with publishers who want to rob us blind.
I have no idea how you would do this if you didn’t at least kind of enjoy reading and learning new things! Not to say we always have time to read (we’re often too busy to do anything BUT hand people books and answer the phone and email.) But we are all serious readers. My minion (who’s a new MLS student) loves mysteries, romance, and audiobooks of all types. She keeps a meticulous “what to read next” list. The other librarian loves nonfiction and inspirational tales, and I read everything (okay, I don’t like mysteries, but about anything else…)
I would never, ever hire Bible lady. She sounds charming. And hopefully unemployable. - edited to add - not for her religious views, just for general idiocy.
Not necessarily, but since you’re going to be around books all day, it probably helps your job satisfaction if you actually like them.
In the case of this person, though, it’s not just that she didn’t enjoy reading; it’s that she didn’t seem to approve of it. “She told us she thought the bible had everything anyone really needed.” Why would an organization hire an employee who doesn’t believe in that organization’s reason for being?
Speaking of people who don’t like to read… :dubious:
In the position she applied for she would have been making decisions about what materials (books and other media) would be added to the collection (from purchases or donations), including the purchasing of childrens books the College of Education uses. So yeah, it’s a lot of reading and more so the ability to understand the motivation behind why people want to read certain things. Edited: she wouldn’t be cataloging, but trying to guide people in finding the material they need to do research and complete assignments. With the College of Educaton that includes helping the education majors find information to develop leason plans (i.e., what books would motivate students to learn, etc.). How she thought she was going to do this without knowing what’s in some of the books, I can only wonder.