我在這邊很少提到我的工作, 怕大家會覺得太無聊. 很多人對圖書館員的印象不外乎就是一個老太婆戴著厚度眼鏡兇巴巴地坐在櫃檯教人家怎麼找書. 我在圖書館工作這幾年, 雖然看到有不少圖書館員會給予人家這種死板的印象, 但也看到不少年輕有活力的圖書館員精神奕奕地帶領小朋友做活動. 所以真的不要對圖書館員有太多成見. 我們的工作主要就是教導大家讀書的好處, 以及幫人找資料. 公立圖書館員會舉辦社區活動. 而學校圖書館員則主要教導學生如何使用圖書館資源等等.
話說回來, 現在網路這麼發達, 許多資料文件都能夠在網路上找到, 有些人就問說那為何還需要圖書館及圖書館員呢?
其實因為科技發展的迅速, 更加深圖書館員的重要性. 我們現在唸圖書館系研究所時都十分重視電腦科技課程, 未來的圖書館員都必須要具備電腦科技知識, 幫助民眾搭建起科技資源的橋樑. 你大概不敢相信世界上還有許多人不懂得如何用電腦, 如何上網. 圖書館員正好可以教導這些民眾, 幫助他們找到需要的資料.
離題了, 我其實只是要轉載網路上看到的這則好笑文章. 也是一個公立圖書館員寫的. 不過笑點大概只有我看得懂…..
Top Ten Reasons To Be A Librarian 當圖書館員的十大好處
You totally get to classify things. 你可以整理東西
Where else are you going to ruin a person’s day over a 20-cent fine? 你可以跟人為了兩毛錢吵架
The funky glasses make you easily mistaken for a hipster. 你的眼鏡讓你看來更有深度
You can make up whatever you want and people will believe you just because you’re a librarian. 你可以隨便瞎掰, 但大家都會相信你, 只因為你是圖書館員
You get first dibs on unclaimed items in the lost-and-found box. 你可以摸走遺失箱裡的任何物品
You get to be in charge of buying furniture that is least likely to show a piss stain. 你可以換掉任何有尿痕的傢俱
Playing Scrabble on the Internet can be considered “professional development.” 在網路上玩創字遊戲就算是最大的工作績效了
The most stressful thing that happens is arguing with people over why they cannot view their favorite pornography website. 最煩人的事就是跟人吵說為何不能在圖書館上網看情色網站
Get to spend two hours designing a sign that says the library will be closed for the holidays. 花兩個小時的時間畫個標誌寫說圖書館假日時間將會關閉
No one says anything when you fall asleep during a meeting. 你開會時睡著都不會有人講話
接下來還有當圖書館員的壞處:
Ten reasons not to be a librarian
Who wants to go to grad school for two years to learn theory you will never use? 誰想花兩年時間去唸個研究所學習一些永遠也用不到的理論
Those little punk teenagers on skateboards. 總是有一群溜滑板的小鬼跑來圖書館
People kind of expect you to know things. 大家都認為你懂許多事
If you know enough about how to find information to be a good librarian, you can definitely make more money doing something else. 如果你很會搜尋資料, 也很有能力當個好圖書館員, 那你鐵定可以在別的地方找到更多薪水的工作
People automatically assume that you have some weird fetish for cats. 很多人都認為你愛貓
People expect you to help them find things when you are not working just because you know how. 別人會在你休假時請你找資料, 就只是因為你是圖書館員
Some people think you are weird because you classify things in your house—like clothes and dishes. 別人會覺得你愛整理物品的習慣很奇怪, 包括整理家裡的衣服及碗盤
Writing library policy can be about as fun as watching paint dry. 寫份圖書館方針就跟看牆上的油漆乾掉一樣好玩
Every great idea you have is likely to get shot down as soon as someone says, “Let’s form a committee to decide things.” 當你說, “我們來成立個委員會來決定一些事情”, 一些好的主意就有可能被毀掉.
At some point in your career, someone will, or will try to, physically assault you over something incredibly lame (like not giving him or her more time on the Internet). 你很有可能會因為一些小事情(譬如限制民眾使用電腦的時間)而被罵, 被揍
), 不過這些都太超過啦! 自己活得開心, 但同時也不要讓金錢變成太大的負擔是最重要的.
