Why are so many librarians such condescending, humourless, dour and unhelpful pe

Question: Why are so many librarians such condescending, humourless, dour and unhelpful people!?

Not all of them of course, but the majority of the ones in my local library (and it's a very large library, so even more surly librarians) are extremely unhelpful and tend to get annouyed if you ever ask them anything!.

They may be good at record keeping but they should also brush up on their customer and people skills - without the public going in to borrow the books they'd become obsolete!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I couldn't agree with you more!. The librarians at my local library are extremely rude and unhelpful!. I don't even ask them for help anymore when I'm in the library!. They have a bad attitude, and one day I may just tell them that!.
If it's because they don't like their job, well!.!.!. they should get a different one!. I don't understand why they have to get so mad!.
If I bring a book that is one day late, they tend to say in a rude manner "This shouldn't be late," and a few other things!.
I'm glad you see how rude they can be too!.
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Any job in which you deal with the public can have a souring effect on your disposition!. I used to work in the children's room -- we would sometimes have people come to us for help simply because they didn't like the treatment they were getting in the adult room!. I think we stayed happy because of the kids!

If you mean the people who check out books, in many libraries they can't help you -- may not even be allowed to help you -- with book choice; they have to send you to a librarian!.

I don't hold with being rude to the public, or even being short with them, but there is -some- excuse when the public seems to blame you personally for every library rule or every book that's not there!.

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Having spent the last 12 years before my retirement cleaning people's computer equipment in as many as 30 different offices per week, I have come to the conclusion that the people working in any given office [and library] are an exact match [clone] of the personnel officer or HR manager who interviewed them for the job in the first place!.

In many offices you quite often find that everyone working there have very similar mannerisms and characteristics as each other including the HR manager etc!. Weird or what!?

So, to sum up, you will probably find that the person responsible for recruiting these surly and indifferent library staff, is probably very much the same kind of person - surly and indifferent!.

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H ha you must mean my old work colleague Ally who is a total pain in the neck a librarian with definite attitude!. Most certainly condescending and arrogant with an attitude that makes Gordon Brown seem amiable!.

I have to say though that the other librarians that work in my local library are spot on and are lovely people to talk to!.

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Probably because of their high levels of intelligence (hopefully) they get irritated when you disturb their thinking processes!. XD No doubt showing person after person how to use to the photocopier and following up on all the lost and overdue books can wear away at their social skills!. Especially in big library's with lots of people visiting!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because most of them have degrees, and have had lots of training!.!.!.!. just to sit in a library all day, showing people how to use the net and stamping books!.

EDIT - thanks for telling me that, but i really don't care where they work!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because they have pledged their allegiances to the public and are on a go slow to slow everyone down!. Either that or people just lay on their lorrals when they have it to easy in life and become narcissistic!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Perhaps that kind of person gravitates towards that job!.

Remind them that you pay their salaries!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Forget them, remember the poor bastards are there all day every day, so you have the last laugh every time you leave!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There are no such staff at my library but the public can be very irritating asking the same questions one after another sometimes after a person thats just been told the same answerWww@QuestionHome@Com

I have travelled extensivelly all over this world and every one of them I would like to have shot!.Thank you for this chance!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They do the same job every day, finding books for people, checking them out, dealing with a lost book!.!.!. it deteriorates their social abilities! =/Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's in the training manual!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because they`ve consumed too many bookworms !!Www@QuestionHome@Com

You should try the deli staff at my local Sainsburys, much much worse!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The one's around here are all VERY helpful!. Although I have seen them be obstructive, sometimes they just deal like for like!. Or perhaps you catch them ALL on a bad day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You should read The Library Cop by Stephen King!. He'll tell you why!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

because they think they're better than you and refuse to work somewhere normal people would work!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You should make a pass at one of them and see how they handle it!. that would be good for a laugh!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

shhhhhhhhh, im thinking lolWww@QuestionHome@Com

I guess they got so bored with their work that they just go through with it as though it were nothing at all!. I've met the type you know, but once, I tried smiling although I was exasperated and that worked!. The librarian actually smiled back!. Then I got to greeting him everytime and wishing him a good day when I left and that really surprised him so much that the first time I did that he did not answer but only stared at me!. I did not give up and the next time i went to the library he was the first to greet me and ask how I did!.

To cut short all these stories, I believe sometimes that it is the attitude of the people who come to the library that frustrates them!. If you see well, out of ten people seven or eight treat them as though they were nothing, simply dirt, which is why they get hardened to their job!. A smile or a greeting, in which one puts one's heart is sure to toush them for they are after all, human!. They are doing good work so why not show our appreciation!. We are quick to criticize when they miss something or something goes wrong!.

Sometimes we may not realise it but not all people have the leisure and possibility of doing a jod they like!. It might be the case for these librarians as well!. Their work is simply a way of earning their bread, something they are forced to do!. There are many however who are very nice and always smiling and more willing to help you than you are to ask them!.

It might also be that in a rapidly technological world they fell undervalued!. There is not much demand for librarians on the market!. Everybody looks for computer analysts and programmers and so on!. Books are in general devalued, so why should this not extend to people who deal with books too!?

In spite of all this I love going to the library!. I have struck up a relationship with almost all the librarians!. It's probably due to the fact that I go there very regularly, about two to three times weekly!. Since I never go on the same day or at a specific time, I get to meet all of them because they work on a shift system!.

I'm not being personal, but I believe that if the librarians should work on their public image, so should we!. There should be a mutual give and take!.

Hope this helps!Www@QuestionHome@Com