I don’t know any librarians personally, but I do use the library fairly often. I’d like to think my local librarian knows a thing or two about information. Like, I would expect them to be able to recommend a few authors if I had an interest in a popular topic. Or if I’m interested in exploring a genre, they’d be able to recommend me a couple of “entry level” names and titles. Like science fiction? You might like Ray Bradbury. Like popular science? You might like “A Brief History of Everything” by Bill Bryson. Very basic, non-head-scratchy stuff.
I wouldn’t expect them to have an encyclopedic-like mind, although that would be nice. But I like knowing that I’m paying the salary of well-versed and informed people. Sorry, but a person who thinks a big ole book of fairy tales and folk wisdom is the end-all, be-all to human knowledge doesn’t sound like she meets these very basic criteria. Especially in this very competitive job market. The interview is not the place to expose such dumbassery, “honest” or not.
This doesn’t necessarily address your particular individual–and I’ve no idea what sort of position you were hiring for–but, depending on the focus, a library and information science degree doesn’t necessarily have to love to read. There’s a growing focus on data curation and management within the field, and individuals who focus in that area may not intend to work with books in the way that a typical “librarian” would. You also have individuals who might want to work in technical services or digital collections; again, that wouldn’t necessarily have to include a lot of interaction with books.
I’m currently in an LIS program, and most of my coursework has involved network analysis, information technology, programming, information gathering and interpretation, and social computing. Pursuing these fields require no more reading than any other graduate program. The overall lack of intellectual curiosity would be a problem, but no more than it would be any other field.
Ultimately, however, being a librarian is more about information and collections management than it is simply “knowing a lot about books.” Not all librarians are front-facing, and not all of them are in a position to need to be able to recommend books. And, you know, not all people with a master’s in LIS are interested in being traditional librarians, even if (like me) they love to read.
I have seen the same thing probably a half-dozen times when interviewing English teachers. We always ask something like “What do you enjoy reading?” and probably half the applicants can’t come up with anything beyond “Well, in one class we read . . . and I really liked that.” I go out of my way to make it clear that non-fiction, genre fiction, anything is a relevant answer, but a ton of people apparently want to be English teachers while having no affection for language.
Sheesh. If I’m asked that question, I usually say that it’s easier for me to list what I don’t like to read. I don’t like most formula books, for instance, formula romances, formula westerns, formula men’s adventure. I have read and enjoyed books in each of those genres, though. I can list my favorite genres and subgenres, and categories of non-fiction.
But if they’re not, they shouldn’t apply for those jobs. I’ve never been interested in teaching HS Chemistry and somehow I’ve managed to avoid applying for jobs as a HS Chemistry teacher.
I don’t work at a library, but, I go to my local library sometimes twice, a week and i would hate it if some whackjob took a machete to the science fiction and other stuff because it was not biblical enough for her.
If all she wants at her home is bibles, that’s on her but librarians should not be in the business of censoring books because she doesn’t like a damn thing. If i wanted lectures I’d take my ass to church. Librarians should help people find new thngs they like. Librarians should help people who want to LEARN, and expand their minds. Llibrarians are not here to spoon feed morons their daft pablum. The ignorant bitch can kisss my ass.
I suspect that when they think “librarians” most people think about the guys working at the local library lending books to the general public. But I also suspect most librarians have zero contact with the general public, and need to be fairly conversant with the content of their library to properly advise the rather specialized public they serve (students, professionnals, whatever…)
FTR, I’m no librarian, but worked in a technical library (intended for social workers and people working in related fields like psychologists, educators, etc…) Although completely lacking any training in either field and having an entry level job, I was required to read quite a lot (for instance to index articles in reviews) and the actual librarians moreso. Dealing with “customers” was a small part of their jobs by comparison with making sure they were actually able to do so and to provide them with the informations they needed (for instance advising on books/articles that might be related to whatever subject they were interested in), which meant being familiar with the content of the books (if not having read them cover to cover), related issues (law, “hot topics”, research…) which meant more reading, being aware of what was published about what (more reading again).
I can’t see how someone who dislikes (and in this case even seem to despise) reading could work as a librarian. Nor why she would want to be trained as such.
And perhaps more to the point, you’ve somehow manfully (womanfully?) resisted getting a masters in education focusing on HS Chemistry. How on earth did you manage to restrain yourself?
One of my mother’s friends back when I was in grade school tried to get a series of books banned from the public library. This series was, I shit you not, Captain Underpants. Look, that series is some of the most inoffensive potty humor you can get. It’s like trying to get Spongebob banned because of the episode where he gets naked and there’s nothing there.
Yes, but it also involves sitting at a reference desk answering, and usually looking up the answers to, a whole lot of strangers’ questions about everything under the sun.
She may have been trying to set herself aside from the candidates who went to library school because they “like to read”. A fine trait, to be sure, but not the reason to become a librarian!
(Note: I may be currently ensconced in a search committee work so am particularly aware of the trials and tribulations of library hiring. )
Is it too much of a leap to wonder: if library 'data management" doesn’t need an affinity for books, how much different could that become from insurance business people making medical decisions for patients?
