Comments for Free Range Librarian

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Rita

Rita — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:50:54 +0000

Thanks Karen – I needed this.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Meredith

Meredith — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:51:29 +0000

Fantastic post! I’ve kept this as unread in my Google Reader as it makes me smile every time I look at it. There are great librarians (and terrible librarians) who never get wider recognition. There are terrible librarians (and great librarians) who do. Worrying about being in on the cool “in joke” or getting recognized by Library Journal or some other group just isn’t productive. None of it should be seen as a true reflection of how awesome (or not) someone is. I’m far more proud of some things I’ve done that haven’t received recognition than some I have (creating a wiki? really??? This isn’t rocket science). I know it’s hard not to let stuff like that define our sense of self-worth, but it’s really a bad measure, says the girl without the banana slicer (who also happens to be allergic to bananas).

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Dorothea

Dorothea — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:26:49 +0000

I’m actually totally okay with being a doofus. It means I don’t have to get into body-part-measuring contests; I just concede them and move on. It means I can recognize and respect people who are better at stuff than I am — or, perhaps more tellingly, people who are objectively more successful than I am — without it turning into a horrible ego hit. It means I can even MAKE people more successful than I am — and I have done! — and it’s a win for me, not a loss.

Being a doofus is aight. I recommend it.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:23:23 +0000

As a Librarian who’s been too busy adapting to her new leadership postion and working on her PhD research (and having a Real Life) to blog much about how busy she is, this was a lovely bit of reassurance. You have to write your tune before you can toot your horn, and that’s what I’m focused on at the moment. Nice to be reminded that’s OK.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by K.G. Schneider

K.G. Schneider — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:29:47 +0000

24 years old and no banana slicer? LIFE IS OVER. GIVE UP NOW! But seriously… focus on learning your job extremely well.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by K.G. Schneider

K.G. Schneider — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:28:40 +0000

Lauren, you seem to have ambivalence about promoting yourself. Let go of that! And as for the Pissy People, let go of them too. I got catty comments after a (non-library) award and you know, it’s the cost of doing business.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Jean Armour Polly

Jean Armour Polly — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:41:23 +0000

Lol, you and I were movers and shakers long before they thought of anointing any! Plus, I keep a tiara in my office just in case youth services throws a princess party.

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by K.G. Schneider

K.G. Schneider — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:57:38 +0000

You are doofus-proof!

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Daniel Ransom

Daniel Ransom — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:46:47 +0000

It’s true, the banana slicer is hard to clean. I was amused that I ended up one of the Some People, but now it sits idly in a drawer taking up space…

Comment on Life sans banana slicer by Lauren Comito

Lauren Comito — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:39:44 +0000

Awards are weird. I’ve gotten a few, and I’ll say I think I’ve always gotten them for both working my tush off, and shamelessly promoting said work. And the thing is, I’d never just do any of it to promote myself, but I guess it kinda comes off that way. I do it to promote my organization(s). Because I believe in what we are trying to do, and frankly, if no one notices a not for profit, how do you even fund it? Now none of that means that everyone else should try to do what I’m doing (just ask my husband) and none of the awards that I’ve gotten mean that other people’s work isn’t important and awesome, and worth noticing. Of course it is! I just wish that when I got one, I didn’t have to be told I didn’t deserve it, or that someone else deserved it more, or that I should feel guilty about it. That hurts a lot. (And yes I know that’s not what this blog post is saying, I just felt the need to say it)