“Are you kidding Andrew? Read it all again…First she was all “Blah Blah Blah Im right, Meridith is wrong yada yada yada” and then Meridith posted a reply, then some other people did as well, and then she was all “Im retracting my statement and wishing Meridith all the luck and love in the world blah blah blah yada yada yada”…”

When what the AL actually did was restate her position (stated earlier in the article itself) that she thinks the young hipster librarian in question is good at self-promotion. Again, nowhere does she retract anything she said before or back down from the position that substance > style.

You might know APA backwards and forwards, but reading comprehension obviously isn’t one of your strong suits.

If you think the comments here and from AL have been mean-spirited and hurtful, maybe working with teens (or the public in general) isn’t for you. I’ve been a teen librarian, and while it does have its rewards, it also has a lot of bad days when you get cussed out, yelled at, harassed, or just plain ignored. Speaking as someone who has fought the thin-skinned battle myself, get tough or don’t try it. Teens are not always a warm and fuzzy bunch. They also can spot a phony at a half mile, so whatever you are, be yourself. I’ve seen excellent 60-year-old teen librarians as well as thirtysomethings, and it’s just about being real.

I also agree with the comments above about publicly decrying your local library’s hiring practice. I’ve sat through (and been rejected by) those “pool” interviews myself and they are awful, but they are what you have. Be prepared, do what they ask, show your experience, and be polite. It’s the only way to get hired. There’s a ton of competition out there and they will find someone who will. Be yourself, but be the self who is ready with the answers, the modesty, and doesn’t contribute to information overload by answering questions that weren’t asked. Showing you are excited by the profession, but also willing to start at the bottom and learn from those with more experience will help you get your foot in the door in the right place.

But no, I have no fear of or attraction to Ms. Myers. I’m a married man and father, and she’s simply not my type, no offense to her. I’m admittedly not all that impressed by what I’ve seen of her, but I am certain there is more to her than is displayed in her website and blog. I’m with AL insofar that I don’t think her web presence displays enough substance to make her a potentially great hire for a library, and I sincerely hope she rethinks her strategy to make herself a more attractive candidate. I wish her, and you, well. Now, back to my cheeseburgers.

Yes, I do teach IL courses, and I was voted the best in my state, thank you very much.
I know the “APA Style Guide” backwards and forth, so no need to send…

Are you scared of people like Meredith because they are young and sexy? And you can’t get with them? So you mock them and all that they do?

I got a feeling thats this real “issue” here…

Epic! The Annoyed Librarian gets served! And succumbs to the pressure of it all!!! Yes!!!!

“Barbara, you’re obviously quite worked up by now, to judge by your declining grammar, so I’ll let you rest easy. I’m sure no one who read my blog would hire me, except perhaps the Library Journal.

And I can say with all honesty that I hope that all the new readers she has brought to my meager blog will help her get a job. Really, I do. She’s obviously smart, and has a sense of humor and a knack for promotion that will serve some library well, as I noted before. If she focuses on what she can bring to the library besides hipness, she will no doubt do well.”

That’s not admitting defeat. That’s reiterating the positive points the AL mentioned in her original post. And still no one has answered the question as to whether or not hipness helps in the hiring process.

I have never seen the Annoyed Librarian eat her words like I did with this blog…And I think it’s great that you admitted you crossed the line.

I read Meridith’s blog, and the girl is brilliant, actually…

So 1 for Meridith, 0 for Annoyed Librarian.

Congrats Meridith!!!