I almost put an exclamation point in the title, but that just wouldn't have been me. Still, I have to admit it, blogging is fun. Sometimes I consider quitting the AL. After all, I don't get any professional benefit from it, which I might be able to do if I blogged under my own name. Of course, if I blogged under my own name I couldn't be so sarcastic, and I might also feel compelled to actually say what I think instead of playing devil's advocate all the time. And if I said what I really think, it would be a lot more boring than what I say here, since - how shall I put this - the writer of the AL is a bit more balanced than the AL. Nevertheless, I keep it up, hoping someday to become a cult entertainer.
It's especially fun when I provoke people, as apparently I've been doing lately, and even more fun when I provoke people into thoughtful responses, rather than ad hominem attacks (such as Snipey Fellow Traveling Dude is prone to make). My recent twopointopia posts have annoyed Karen Schneider, Jessamyn West, and David Lee King, among others. The great thing about annoying higher profile bloggers is that they respond to me and my Technorati ranking goes up. Annoying them isn't enjoyable in the same way as annoying John Berry, since I have absolutely no respect for Berry, but still, it's fun. They've all either responded in the comments or on their own blogs and raised interesting questions. I don't think I'll be mixing it up with them, because I think I've pushed the anti-2.0 rhetoric to an extreme, and I just don't think I could push it any further. If I engaged in rational debate, I might have to pull back on some of my assertions, and that wouldn't be fun at all.
My favorite response is not any of the criticisms, but this note at the beginning of King's post: "{Coolness - I made the Annoyed Librarian blog! I must be doing something right!}" Ha, that's very good. Perhaps I'm a cult entertainer after all.
About Me
- AL
- The Annoyed Librarian is possibly the most successful, respected, and desirable librarian of her generation. She has no other interest than to bring her wit and wisdom to the huddled librarian masses yearning to breathe free. The Annoyed Librarian is a free spirit and you are lucky to have her.
35 comments:
All the more reason NOT to read Karen Schneider, Jessamyn West, and David Lee King. Boring and pompous. I'd rather eat dirt. Or light my shorts on fire.
I always thought you were a cult entertainer. You've always made me laugh. Plus you're a very good gadfly. Who said you could tell a person's worth by the quality of their enemies? Can't remember, but you're proving your worth every day, baby! Keep it up.
And, david, I don't know if I agree with you. If you don't read them, it isn't as much fun to see them torn apart.
I love you, AL. You add a much-needed balance to the sometimes rah-rah and herd mentality of other bloggers. And you make me laugh out loud at work. Thank you!
RCN, Reference Librarian
I know you hate affirmation, AL, but I have to say you are really *on* this week. You, my dear, are a phenomenon.
It is exciting. How often does the same person get mentioned on Free Range Librarian, David Lee King, Librarian.net, Library Stuff, and Information Wants to be Free, all on the same day? I feel like I'm making the round of Sunday talk shows or something.
All this talk about Islam and 2.0 (I am an advocate) is boring me to tears this week...
Let's ask a real question, like:
When will the Annoyed Librarian MasterCard (with this creepy cat as a background logo) become available?
And will the Annoyed Librarian Ninja Action figure come out in time for the Xmas market? I've promised my niece one if she's good.
Alas, no. But I might have a new tee shirt out if I can ever get around to making some new images.
Frankly, AL, I'm all for you keeping yourself anonymous. I think the non-anonymous bloggers just like to see their name in print. Keep up the good work.
AL: As always, your posts are daring and always well written. I applaud your efforts.
And of course I mentioned your on Library Stuff. You have the guts to blog what tired me out a few years ago and made me have to pop a few Klonopin before bed for a week. :-)
Keep up the anonymous blogging. As I wrote on my blog today, I think anti-establishment library bloggers have to be, especially these days.
Thanks!!
AL:
Do you write these posts standing up at the reference desk, or do you write them at your desk in some secluded office? And if so, so you ever find yourself typing away on your work computer(you obviously write the majority during the work day)...when a co-worker walks in and shouts, "OMG, I just walked in on the Annoyed Librarian!"
the title is you being sarcastic right?...methinks the attacks may be getting to you. If that's the case, you might considering quitting this blog because I can't imagine what you could gain from constantly dissing a field you *chose* to be in.I would think it could get old after awhile.While I find some entries humorous, I also find your tone spiteful and annoying. Well I guess that is why you are the "annoyed librarian". cheers!
AL- Perhaps you should write a blog post about all these politicians that are raping libraries with all these budget cuts. Some people are literally going out of business.
I don't see how AL's posts can be considered "daring". She remains anonymous and hides behind a blog!
To anon@4:14 and Steven, thanks for the encouragement. To anon@4:41, almost all my substantial writing is done at home, some of it days in advance, because I certainly wouldn't want anyone walking in on the annoyed librarian.
To anon@4:45, I get the satisfaction of having put the frustrations of a lot of librarians out before the public, plus I often enjoy interacting with my readers, and if you think I'm constantly "dissing a profession" I chose to be in, you might not be reading me correctly. Because I chose to be in the profession, does that mean I should accept uncritically everything every librarian says? Librarianship, love it or leave it? Is that it?
To anon@4:54, I've considered that subject, or something like it, but it's very depressing, and would require a lot of research.
To anon@4:57, that's pseudonymous, thank you very much!
One more thing on satisfaction. I get some satisfaction from writing a blog that I would actually read, even if I didn't write it. I read a lot of good blogs, including some by my critics, and I read a lot of mediocre blogs (mostly to get material), and I've glanced at scores of terrible and boring blogs. In my opinion, the AL is a good library blog, and I'd match the writing on average against just about any other blog. As for the tone and subject matter and even the attempts at humor, well, that's a bit more subjective, but I do try to make it interesting.
Re: Shade's comments that I (David) should read those boring blogs.
yeah, I guess I should. But...
I don't wanna. More interesting stuff to read. Like AL, or Overheard in New York, etc.
Blogging can be fun, 'tho one still has to be careful about it getting out of hand, either in arguing or coming back on your real life job and activities, hence the reason I remain anonymoose. That and I'm proud to say I don't blog. I realize I'm not that interesting, nor are my thoughts that profound.
The AL blog has helped me in seeing that I wasn't the only one getting frustrated (Yes, I'm a Frusty!) at the eternal job search and the library field's willingness to bury it's collective head in the 2.0 sand.
I have given up on library jobs, and for now I am happily venting YEARS of pent up disgust with libraries. I'm glad AL is there for that. No longer do I have to worry about whether or not getting some regressive's approval decides if I have a career.
And now for my rant--Free Range Librarian? What the? There really is a blog called.....oh my goodness. To us on the outside that's like saying "Free Range Chihuahua".
What IS it with librarians and the silly names for their blogs? Annoyed Librarian is to the point, but I've seen the Sassy Librarian, Lipstick Librarian,and I'm sure there's a Rock-n-Roll Librarian or a Sci-Fi Librarian out there somewhere.
People truly showing they can stand in front of the entire world and say they're dynamic, bright and kewl. Whether the rest of the world agrees or even notices is another matter.
I read AL solely for the quality of the writing and the wit. I oddly find certain (non-library) topics engaging since they peripherally glance my world, yet the discourse and give and take is the same. Plus AL is funny, does not suffer fools, drinks classic cocktails and makes subltle references to Irish bottoms. She's a veritable and virtual Dorothy Parker!
--Taupey
Taupey, you're sweet. I aspire to be the Dorothy Parker of librarianship, but it's a tall order.
And just to let you know, I had an outstanding martini before dinner today, made by a friend who knows how to mix 'em well. I'm almost starting to like those gigantic olives with the pimentos in them.
Great series of posts, especially the Anti-Manifesto.
I might try my own version at some point -- given enough time (and beer).
At last I shall reveal the secret recipe for the world's best martini, passed down to me from a librarian, unfortunately now deceased. Ruth also aspired to be the Dorothy Parker of librarianship, and could have been the AL of her day, had the Internet been in existence then. Here goes: get a bottle of the best 100 proof gin you can afford. Keep it in the freezer. Pour slowly into two chilled martini glasses. No other ingredients or garnishes needed. Sip slowly in the company of a friend or lover. Ruth would have liked you, AL. Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Sorry anon, we've (AL and her minions) been over this before. Drinking stright shots of gin, no matter how well-crafted, is simply not a martini. You'd never say that the "ultimate choclate milkshake" involves pouring Hershey's Syrup down your gullet--would you?
--Taupey
Ha, yes, this ground has been covered. For any new readers, this is how I make a martini: 4 or 5 parts gin (usually Bombay or Tanqueray), 1 part dry vermouth (usually Noilly Prat), shaken very hard with cracked ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass with a single pitted olive resting in the bottom. I appreciate the freezing of the gin, because a martini has to be COLD, but one needs a little vermouth and some water from the ice to mix it up properly.
Of course, I don't want to be a fanatic on this.
Could it be I have found the Tucker Max of librarians? Oh you genius self promoter. May the rewards of new fans be enough to keep you blogging and/or sarcastically warring in the virtual world.
Well, I'm not sure about that, esp since I had to look up Tucker Max to see who he was. The problem is, I always write the same kind of stuff, but I never know what people will pick up on. I've been as surprised by this twopointopia controversy as anyone.
Just to let you know that I chose your blog as one of my five choices for this year's Blog Day.
Best, and keep on blogging.
Thanks, Angel. I'm hesitant about putting up blogs I like on blog day, first because I don't want people to think I'm making fun of them (considering what I usually do on the blog), and second because some people wouldn't like being associated with the AL. But maybe I will.
Blog Day - how delightfully 2.0 !
Hey, when you retire can I take on the AL persona?
I'll find another unemployed librarian to take my online persona.
We're building institutions for future annoyed and unemployed librarians who will follow in our footsteps.... unless we convince them not to become librarians in the first place.
Sadly, institutions for future annoyed and unemployed librarians are called public libraries.
"Sadly, institutions for future annoyed and unemployed librarians are called public libraries."
...and how sad is that? Too bad there isn't a blog to deal with that sorry conclusion...
There is a blog to deal with that sorry conclusion:
http://librarian-shortage.blogspot.com
All the more reason NOT to read Karen Schneider, Jessamyn West, and David Lee King.
Sorry, I disagree about Jessamyn; I've been reading various permutations of her blog/website since 1998 and am very impressed with the fact she is trying to address the problem of the digital divide in rural libraries. Someone needs to bring this issue to the forefront and it might as well be her.
As someone who just left a woefully underfunded library for greener pastures, I understand and appreciate the work she does.
The others, well...
Gee, I thought I was the only one who found "Free Range Librarian" pompous. A few days ago, she took Roy Tennant to task for giving AL "street cred", as in:
AL posts anonymously, and buys into that passive-aggressive behavior of referring to people without referring to people--a practice I wish you and T. Scott would not condone.
Does Free Range actually believe that she can tell Roy Tenant and others what to do? Seems to fit in nicely with her notion that evangelizing and hectoring are the best ways to change things for the better. If I had the same gall, I'd tell her to tone down on the self-righteousness, and to give skeptics fair consideration. Just because Free Range may have dealt with obstinate skeptics in the past doesn't mean that she has to villify skeptics [and pragmatists(?)] as enemies of progress. Such an approach makes her little better than them, other than her alliance with what she views as progress.
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