The “Beerbrarian” is Jacob Berg,
Director of Library Services in an unnamed academic library in the Washington
D.C. area. Like many other librarians’ blogs, the Beerbrarian’s blog covers a
bevy of topics around libraries ranging from the “New Librarianship” movement
to how students view their library satisfaction. There is no common theme among
the blog post topics, just a blistering and brutally honest tone that conveys
his opinions on the subjects of his posts.
Personally, I appreciate his
honesty, even if others view it as rude or offensive. One blog article he wrote
was his very blunt thoughts on 5 interviews he conducted in May. http://beerbrarian.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-four-and-half-types-of-people-i-met.html
I read this
blog post for another class, but it caught my attention and I’ve been following
his blog ever since. Berg was criticized
by some for using profanity and posting his unfavorable thoughts about these
interviewees. ALA, however, saw the point Berg was trying to make, and posted a
link to it on their job listings. The follow up blog post to this confronts
both sides of the issues people took over his words. http://beerbrarian.blogspot.com/2013/05/interview-451-four-and-half-follow-up.html
Rather than
viewing the post as rude or crass, a prospective job candidate should read this
and take to heart the observations posted within. Job seekers get so swept up
in their desire to get the job that they lose sight of what image they are
presenting and how they come across to the other person sitting across the table from them.
I will continue to follow the
Beerbrarian’s blog. I really appreciate his honesty, because sometimes hearing
the hard truth is the last thing we want to do. I applaud the fact that he is
willing to say how things really are.
The Annoyed Librarian is a blog
hosted by Library Journal. The author is completely anonymous, with a
tongue-in-cheek attitude about current events in the library profession. The
topics covered in his/her blog posts range from the future of libraries to “hipster”
librarians to busybody trustees. Unlike the Beerbrarian’s Blog, the Annoyed
Librarian focuses more on how libraries are developing, how new graduates view
themselves, and how libraries are staying relevant in the changing workplace.
The Annoyed Librarians post
about “Hipster Librarians” was a reaction to an article s/he read during the
ALA conferences in Chicago this year. (http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/annoyedlibrarian/2013/07/08/the-hipster-librarian-an-oxymoron/)
I found this post both humorous and relevant,
as it is addressing a current social trend, and how libraries fit in to that
topic. I also really appreciated the post on “Busybodies @ Your Library”, as it
really struck a familiar chord with me. We have that same type of person on our
Friends board, and their “beliefs” often clash with the mission of the library.
Overall, I like the Annoyed
Librarian because I can relate to their point of view. S/he may be discussing
heavy topics in an off-the-cuff sort of way, but s/he does it in such a way
that you feel like you are shooting the breeze with an old colleague over
coffee, complaining about work with another like-minded individual.
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