tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post718813346886773426..comments2024-03-27T05:00:00.090-04:00Comments on Letters to a Young Librarian: Free to Be... You and MeJessica Olinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-90284348428953501032011-08-26T11:18:43.019-04:002011-08-26T11:18:43.019-04:00@Cari - sounds ominous, especially considering wha...@Cari - sounds ominous, especially considering what I read on your blog. Hope all goes well.<br /><br />@Tom - Of course. Like speaks to like, after all.Jessica Olinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-27957790425416192012011-08-26T07:56:22.411-04:002011-08-26T07:56:22.411-04:00You had me at "nerd."You had me at "nerd."Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09129772985016857146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-31951707930960217102011-08-25T17:48:17.470-04:002011-08-25T17:48:17.470-04:00You know, normally I would say "way to be!&qu...You know, normally I would say "way to be!" but I've been thinking about this very topic a lot lately because of issues that have come up at my workplace. I can't get into a lot of detail, but I'm starting to feel that I need to put some more distance between me and my coworkers. Still, even with that in mind, there's no way I could abandon my nerd identity completely at work. I'm sure there is a happy medium - I just haven't found it yet.Carihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17089762130217570280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-88070673368822808192011-08-25T09:05:42.071-04:002011-08-25T09:05:42.071-04:00@Librarianaut - Funny you mention social media, be...@Librarianaut - Funny you mention social media, because it definitely carries over into my Twitter/Facebook/Google+ approach. I'm as likely to post an interesting Chronicle of Higher Ed piece as I am to post something about NyanCat.<br /><br />@Diana - I've got two Pez dispensers in my office: Chococat & Scrat (the sabertooth squirrel from Ice Age). Pez dispensers are another nerd thing I adore.Jessica Olinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-55495053430981063162011-08-24T22:31:36.708-04:002011-08-24T22:31:36.708-04:00I am firmly in favor of letting your personal frea...I am firmly in favor of letting your personal freak flag fly at work (within reason). I think a lot of library professionals have niche interests--there are a lot of nerds and geeks in the profession. Letting people know what you're into establishes your "cred" and makes you sort of a librarian of whatever your interests are. <br /><br />I'm into comics and science fiction and I think it's good to let people, patrons and coworkers alike, know that to a certain extent. I have a Batman figure on my desk and a Belle Pez dispenser, and I make signage with Doctor Who and superhero images. I think personalizing your space in a professional manner goes along way to being genuine and a "real person" to the patrons.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09634766750596400436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-8556905306905924902011-08-24T21:54:16.925-04:002011-08-24T21:54:16.925-04:00I'm still an MLIS student, but in our Social M...I'm still an MLIS student, but in our Social Media class this summer one of our best and most returned-to discussions was about the separation of personal and professional identities. I'm a big fan of letting them all meld, the way you're talking about here.<br /><br />When I worked as a teen library programming guy it was death to try and be fake about things. The people I dealt with had to know what kind of a comics nerd I was and that I had opinions (so they could show me the error of my ways). And it really helps develop a professional niche if you bring what you care about to work with you.<br /><br />Now that's me, and that's probably more public library focused. I went to <a href="http://librarianaut.com/2011/08/21/scott-mcclouds-talk-at-graphic-2011/" rel="nofollow">a talk by Scott McCloud on the weekend</a> and he said the best way for librarians to deal with comics is to let the comics-passionate folk do it. How does anyone know what you're good at if you're hiding your personality at home?<br /><br />Maybe the "real world" will crush this spirit out of me, but fuck it, I'm not going to leave myself behind just because I'm getting paid. (Though I'll probably try to refrain from cussing when I'm on the clock.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com