Friday, January 19, 2007

I profess

Dr. Weathers is a very personable, kind man, a dedicated professor, and best of all very amusing. I can't say how much I appreciate personability in the world of professors. I myself plan on being a terrifying professor, the kind who gets her house egged after finals week. It may seem unpleasant now, but that is simply what I'll have to do to distinguish myself. It is unlikely that I could ever be as popular or grandiose as Bill Rankin, my vocabulary is far too small to be Dr. Weathers (although I suppose that is ammendable), and I'm just too one dimensional to be Dr. Morris.
At Simmons I had a magnificent professor for Postcolonial literature named Dr. Pamela Bromberg. She is brilliant in her field, tenacious as hell, and I have heard talented in music and gardening. She brought wine, apples, and Irish cheddar cheese to our last day of class. She scared us all to death with this piercing stare and mock-encouraging smile, and yet I call her magnificent. Thus she is my personal professorial image.
In all seriousness, I think ACU has far more than its share of caring, personable professors. I really miss them and will always consider myself fortunate to have been taught by them.
All this talk of professors almost made me forget to write what I intended to upon beginning. I'm thinking of going to library school. My biggest fear (not really but sort of) has been that I would become "the librarian." The female librarian in my perception of our culture's image is spinsterly, poorly dressed, and of a somewhat sour disposition. Yesterday I checked out a book called "A Lion in the Library" which features just such a librarian. She is dressed in grey, and wears a bun, glasses, and a very stern expression.
But lately, from where I stand at the circulation desk, these very odd older women are so powerful! Anytime we circulation staff don't know something we send patrons "to Reference." All circulation does is push books around and maintain patron accounts. Reference has a world of information at their fingertips! A whole world I tell you!
I've started searching for items on my own rather than sending people to reference and they treat you so much better when they think that you know more than they do. It's a really good feeling.!!! (:
Still, I see these people during lunch breaks. They eat cottage cheese and pickled vegetables. They don't really talk to each other. They are so very peculiar. Do I want that kind of life? Do I want to be the family "librarian?" Zach's family would always think I was weird and hopelessly nerdy. Even my mom said that being a librarian sounds endlessly boring. Even my very literary sister doesn't like libraries.
Sigh. My sole comfort in facing my possible destiny is Julie's description of librarians in red dresses and aprons. Maybe I can be that kind. Oh, and also the fact that Zach calls my librarian-like demeanor sexy.

3 comments:

Julie said...

Think of how much you would stand out being the zesty librarian with cool glasses and a talent for witty banter! That's you! And you could eat delectable French desserts and share them, or bring exotic Thai food instead of cottage cheese, and then not only would you know more than anyone else, but you would be cooler than everyone else, too! :-)

And you KNOW I think librarians are sexy, even if they don't wear aprons...but that's because someday I hope to be one, too. Are my biases showing?

Walking by Walden said...

Thanks Julie! I have a friend here in Boston attending library science school. It makes it so much more appealing to know that some really cool people are doing MLSs. Maybe someday I'll be in an old lady librarian club with you and my friend Stephanie. I've heard that if you have some experience in libraries, online degrees aren't looked down upon because its mostly the paper you need. What have you found?

Katie said...

Sarah, I agree with Julie...you would be such a cool librarian! And think of all that knowledge. Besides, you could totally change the stereotype by being a librarian and being mysteriously cool and fascinating. :)