You will notice that the librarians who you work with at Seattle Central dress, speak, and engage with students very differently. Each of our perspectives on “professionalism” is different, though all of us strive to construct a professional identity that makes us approachable to students. You are encouraged to engage in a discussion on professionalism with each of your mentors to get a sense of how this functions for them, as you decide who and how you will be on the reference desk and in the classroom.
This may sound abstract, so here are a few basic and practical guidelines to think about professional expectations at our library:
- Library workers are expected to keep their personal phones tucked away while at public service points, except to log into college online systems, as looking down at personal devices is likely to discourage students from asking for help.
- Library workers are expected to be respectful, welcoming, and friendly to all patrons and staff of the library.
- That being said, if a patron is making you feel uncomfortable for any reason, you are encouraged to excuse yourself from the situation and ask the librarian on the desk for assistance (even if the librarian is helping someone else). Inappropriate advances from patrons have been a problem at the desk, so please speak with a librarian and/or your mentor to talk about strategies for how to handle that if it comes up. For more thoughts on this, see this article on sexual harassment in libraries
- The students of Seattle Central College are expected to be your first priority when you are working, therefore it is not appropriate to do your own school work or personal email when you’re on the desk.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion
Definitions of professionalism vary widely by librarian and workplace. Please read the In the Library with the Lead Pipe article below and discuss some of the power dynamics that operate in the way one’s professional persona is perceived in the library world. This will be helpful preparation for your work within our library (where patron identities vary widely), and for interviews and positions in the future.
http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2015/soliciting-performance-hiding-bias-whiteness-and-librarianship/Links to an external site.
This article was published in 2015. Have you come across anything else interesting that might shed light on power dynamics in the academic library, or broadened your perspective?
