Thoughts on being a professional

I've had three or four ideas for blog posts recently, but when I don't make time to blog, they get lost in the ether and miscellany of my life. At least in my last post I noted one: what does it mean to be a professional? I've noticed that within the community of librarians (those "degreed" or job-titled folks), not everyone has the same standards of how you do your job. I've seen some behavior that is incomprehensible to me. How can you do x, or not do y, and still call yourself a professional? It's been in my mind for awhile, so today I'll riff on that a bit.

• A professional (in the library biz) takes a stab at a question, even if it's not their area of expertise. Even if the technology is way beyond them. A professional tries.
• A professional is not afraid to say, "I don't know," and then keep trying.
• A professional can say, "I didn't think of that," and give credit to another's good idea.
• A professional can learn from anyone: younger, older, peer.
• A professional thinks about the patrons.
• A professional goes the extra mile (which can get them in trouble.)
• A professional cares.
• A professional may "lose it" at a meeting (we all lose it sometimes), but a professional tries to improve their behavior - they don't keep "losing it," meeting after meeting.
• A professional has a bad day, or a bad week, and so sometimes fails to live up to the idea of a professional. But they acknowledge that, and move on.
• A professional wants to do something for the profession, and does it when they can.
• A professional learns and grows in their profession.

And now, back to my regularly scheduled workday. Take care out there.

Do You Like Being a Librarian?

"Do you like being a librarian?" asked the student. I was helping her track down the journal article she needed. She couldn't find it in print upstairs. We'd looked up the title (she'd gotten it wrong a few times while we figured it out.) It started with "U.S.", which puts it at the very beginning at the U's. So as I went upstairs with her to make sure she could find it, she asked me, "Do you enjoy being a librarian?"

I must have been having a good day. Without even thinking about it much, I said, "Oh, yes. It's like being a detective. Right now, I'm helping you find something. And it's like solving a mystery." And I went on in my head, "The research process is a lot like that. Which way do I go, which terms do I use, how do I even get started." Much of life is a mystery to me, trying to make sense of the world, and it's such an important part of my life, that it's my vocation.

It's interesting that in 20+ years of being librarian, this is the first time I can remember a patron asking me if I liked doing what I do. I've been asked why I do it, how I got into it. I wrote last time about why I do it. I remember (with some embarrassment) years ago when a colleague introduced me to a friend who was planning to go to library school, and I laughed. I was thinking at the time, "why would anyone just starting out want to follow MY example? We're all going to be obsolete in a few years anyway." So I guess I was young, and very foolish.

Things are very busy at work. Change is happening faster, and faster. Much of technology is confusing to me, and I don't like many user interfaces. Times to think are few and far between. But I'm fortunate to have a job, and I'm happy to say that I like being a librarian.