Comments on: Twit ‘n Bitch

By: Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:47:40 +0000

Venting is fine. We all need to do that. It’s HOW you do it that’s the issue here. If you are a public employee and you vent your frustration publicly, you’re not necessarily a bad librarian, but you may be a liability to your library from a public relations standpoint. I was on a public desk yesterday with no backup and 3 patrons who came in and dumped their “bucket” on me. One had just broken up with her fiance and wanted me to comb thru her email inbox of 1058 (!) messages to find one from a company whose name she couldn’t recall. Annoying? You bet. A subject for a public rant. No way. But I agree–it takes a tough constitution to deal with this kind of behavior day after day.

By: ML

ML — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:38:20 +0000

Oh, please. Just because someone is annoyed by a particular person or incident, does not mean that they are a bad librarian, need to find another job, etc. etc. etc. Working with the public does not mean that we are doormats and have to take abuse. The touchy feelies here and elsewhere wouldn’t last 10 minutes if a front line public service job. If someone vents a little and gets on with it, so be it. It’s a lack of manners/common sense on the part of the patron in question, not the librarian. I mean, get a grip.

By: EM

EM — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:08:27 +0000

Or you know, you could just lock down your twitter stream and then no one would see it except your friends.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:49:46 +0000

I don’t know if it’s youth, inexperience, or lack of common sense and manners, but anyone who thinks that you can blog, tweet, or otherwise publicly put down the people who pay your salary needs to wake up and smell the paycheck. I can’t speak for the political realities of academic libraries, but if you work in a public or school library, you’d better understand that your behavior and attitude will definitely impact the way the folks who control your funding view your organization. Times are tough enough for libraries without annoying the hand that feeds you. We all have issues with patrons we’d rather not serve, but most of us are discreet and professional enough not to blog, tweet, or write a letter to the editor about them. Any library director is within their rights to discipline an employee that jeopardizes the ability of the library to maintain good relations with the community. If you feel your rights are being abridged, then you need to work for yourself and see if you like that boss any better.

By: madlibrarytwit

madlibrarytwit — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:37:34 +0000

I agree with Cella about the image of being scolded for an unflattering comment. In fact, I did get scolded because twit about a volunteer. It wasn’t even all that negative but I was warned not to twit such things in the future.

By: Mr. Kat

Mr. Kat — Wed, 06 May 2009 01:19:33 +0000

Here's ho wit works; You have the freedom to live and be ANYTHING you want. But when you Become something, you also assume the restrictions alongside the priveleges of belongong to that organization.

In otherwords, you have the right to not work there if you don't like how that place works...or if you don't like the patrons...Of if you wake up one day and realize you're practically PAYING THEM to work in THEIR PLACE!!

In America you have the right to be Exclusionary - just so long as it isn't racist, sexist, or any other "-ists."

This is the land of Corporate Feudalism ;)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:13:35 +0000

Print out an income tax filing extension form, hand it to the patron, and direct him to a post office that is open late for tax day.Patron isn’t late and come back some other date to file.

By: Cella

Cella — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:55:05 +0000

As a frequent Twitter user, I admit that I live in fear of being scolded by a goateed, MacBook-wielding d-bag every time I post something unflattering about the public, the people at the ALA conference, or pretty much anything else that isn’t sunshine, roses, and social networking tools. I imagine his ponytail bobbing up and down as he waves his finger back and forth…”

By: ZRX

ZRX — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:16:38 +0000

Remember, if you are an employee at will and have no union, you can be let go for no reason.

Let's be careful out there.

By: Post Postmodern Librarian

Post Postmodern Librarian — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:23:38 +0000

The question here is, does a librarian have the right and freedom to complain. They have the right? Last time I checked and that was in November this is a free country. Do they have the freedom? Thats a big NO. We know this from the book that got the librarian in MI fired. If you tweet about mofos then there is a good chance you will be hauled in front of the firing squad as a mofo. Do I like this? No, but it is a fact of life.