To be shocked the librarian was so poorly read?

[bendmeoverbackwards]

In the library recently reserving some books for dd. Librarian had not heard of A Handmaid’s Tale and did not know that As you Like It was written by Shakespeare.

These are not exactly obscure books!

AIBU?

@UrAWizHarry

The "I can't believe someone didn't know about this book/play/music album" doesn't actually mean someone can't believe it. It means "I consider this to be a piece of knowledge others should have, and I'm going to take this opportunity to pat myself on the back and laugh at the person who knows less than me".

Yup.

@UrAWizHarry Not always actually. I don't claim to be particularly well read as can be evidenced by the A/The mistake. I haven't read the book, my daughter has and wanted to re-read it. But I've heard of the book many many times, seen articles about the author and so on. Maybe that's WHY I was so surprised (regarding the Shakespeare too) - that if someone such as me who is only moderately read has heard of this book and knows that AYLI was written by Shakespeare, then I would expect someone who works in a library to have too.

www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/2021/librarianship-ma-pg-certificate-pg-diploma?utm_source=findamasters&utm_campaign=courseid%5BINFT03%5D&utm_medium=courselisting&utm_content=textLink

This is what a degree in librianship entails, no where does it mention a requirement to have an in depth knowledge of Shakespeare or Margaret Atwood

And I apologise if I came across as 'smug' or a 'snob'. I certainly don't feel intellectually superior, as I have said I would have expected library staff to have a better knowledge than me.

But I've learnt a lot about libraries so thank you for the interesting posts. Such a shame they have changed so much and staffed by volunteers and minimum wage staff. But times do change and you've got to change with them (unfortunately!).

@Ted27 no-one is talking about in depth knowledge!

I've never read any Shakespeare but that doesn't mean that I haven't heard of all his plays. It's kind of ingrained in you.

What a depressing thread. It’s sad that libraries are now called “discovery centres” and library assistants “resource centre assistants”.

And it is miserable reading posts by people who clearly think the most rudimentary grasp of cultural knowledge is getting above yourself, and no need for that, thank you. Going through life with, as the Italians say, two pieces of salami slapped across your eyes is nothing to be proud of.

Echoing pps, one would think that working amongst books a person may have at least spotted a Margaret Atwood, if not many Shakespeares.

A small chink of hope is that dd has just got a job in a bookshop. They were hugely interested in what she read and grilled her on various authors (as well as her ability to bend down...).

Lucky girl *@IrmaFayLear that's dd's dream job! She's applied to various branches of Waterstones but no luck yet.

I’d rather a poorly read librarian than the utter cunts that work in my library.

Also to pp saying op is snobby for reading lowbrow novels

@IrmaFayLear

I feel your pain.

I went in a while ago and asked if they had All Quiet on the Western Front. Blank look. "When was it published?" asked the librarian. I wasn't sure, but said probably late 1920s. "Ohhhh, it's an old book - no, we don't have any old books."

Mind you, nothing was worse than dd's English teacher saying she hadn't heard of Rebecca

I’m an English teacher and everyone in my department reads a lot. However on Twitter I’m often amazed by the number of English teachers who don’t read. Only this morning someone admitted they’d not read anything outside the curriculum for 10 years! I also crossed swords with another teacher who was a Head of English and said she didn’t like reading m when I expressed surprise she got chippy and said she didn’t think it would make her a better teacher if she read more.

It’s bizarre. IMO a Librarian should know the names of Shakespeare plays and very well known novels.

Margaret Atwood is in the same vein as Phillip Pullman, Malory Blackman, George RR Martin, Stephanie Myer, Virginia Andrews.
As I. They're not as famous as Shakespeare. It's perfectly acceptable to have a different list of Shakespeare's plays to hand mentally. I doubt many people would be think of Anne Boleyn or Titus Andronicus but it doesn't mean they're culturally lacking.

How depressing that some on here would find it acceptable for an English teacher not to have heard of major literary figures just because they aren’t on the syllabus or in their specialism. If a teacher hasn’t heard of Chekhov, I’d be surprised, but if they were otherwise knowledgeable I’d chalk it up to being one of those gaps we all have. If they hadn’t heard of Chekhov or Hemingway or TS Eliot or Maya Angelou... well, it’s obvious they lack any real intellectual interest in their own subject.

I also don’t agree with this idea that there are completely separate banks of knowledge. I mean, I’m really interested in other countries and therefore know know more about where they’re located, capital cities, world languages, etc, than most people. I don’t pat myself on the back for knowing a lot about these topics because I’m well aware it’s a special interest, and someone else will have an equivalent bank of information built up about chess strategies or 18th century history. I would be shocked if someone couldn’t locate France on a map or name the capital city, though. There absolutely are basic things that it is shocking not to be aware of.

@YouShouldSeeMyNewHouse shocked? Really? You think it’s actually shocking?

@TinaYouFatLard

It’s THE Handmaid’s Tale.

I love it when someone out-smart-arses a smart-arse! Perhaps you should be a bit better read, OP!

@Lalliella if you actually read the thread you’ll see I’ve never claimed to be well read. But I’m not a librarian. Maybe that’s why the librarian assistant was confused, if I’d said ‘The’ she would have known exactly what book I meant right? 😂

This is getting to be cancel the cheque.

Not knowing the capital city, yes, shocked. Not being able to identify it on a map, perhaps less so, but I’d expect people to know roughly where it was. It’s not specialist knowledge, is it?

(This is assuming it’s someone of average intelligence, and for the map part, in the UK - appreciate there may be less awareness of France on another continent.)

I'm a librarian and although I like to read, I found it very difficult to recommend people books when I worked in a public library. I just don't have that encyclopaedic knowledge that some others do. That said, you do tend build up knowledge of titles, authors, new releases etc just via osmosis if you've been in the sector a while. I now work with non-fiction in another sector... Much more my speed!

That was to pp. I agree with you @bendmeoverbackwards - you, as the customer, did not have to know the correct title (although I’m sure you did!) but would expect a librarian to at least recognise the book.

But, sadly, we’ve been told on this thread that to know about anything is unnecessary and, in fact, old fashioned . In fact probably all books should be cancelled as they are a waste of space and lead to dangerous practices such as thinking.

When I went for a library assistant job (sent there by my temp agency) I was asked to give some very basic information about what I knew of the kind of books I'd be working with so it is required/desired in some library assistants role.
Not knowing about Handmaid's Tale (who cares if it's 'A' or 'The' Handmaid's Tale) suggests someone's been living under a rock rather than just not knowing about literature. It's very well known as a TV programme!

@IrmaFayLear I’m a writer and worked in bookshops for years (including managing one) and I think the OP and some PPs are being ridiculous. So your sarcastic comment doesn’t really hold up.

This is beginning to remind me of that thread where someone didn't know marmalade was made of oranges. She didn't eat it so didn't think it was a thing she should know, and was surprised when people thought she should know despite this.

@Ted27

www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/2021/librarianship-ma-pg-certificate-pg-diploma?utm_source=findamasters&utm_campaign=courseid%5BINFT03%5D&utm_medium=courselisting&utm_content=textLink

This is what a degree in librianship entails, no where does it mention a requirement to have an in depth knowledge of Shakespeare or Margaret Atwood

The requirements for a degree in librarianship are not the same thing as requirements for a job in a town library.

A general interest in books that the public like and basic general knowledge would probably be desirable in a town librarian or even a library assistant and OP wasn't expecting 'in depth' knowledge of Shakespeare or Atwood, was she?

@3totheright4totheleft

This is beginning to remind me of that thread where someone didn't know marmalade was made of oranges. She didn't eat it so didn't think it was a thing she should know, and was surprised when people thought she should know despite this.

I can understand this if she'd never seen the inside of a jar.

I worked in libraries for a long time before what i do now. Most librarians dont work at the front desk, so it was likely a library assistant you dealt with. For this role an interest in reading is required, there is no specific qualificstions for this aside school exams. A degree is preferred but not essential and can be any subject. At least that was the criteria when i was one. The handmaids tale was a fave of mine way before the series. But many of my colleagues hadn't heard of it as it was an older book by then and not required reading in school or anything so they hadnt really come across it. It also wasnt that popular in the general circulation. It.will all be different now though since the series but younger folk may not know it was ever a novel first.

But....that is my point about common knowledge. Surely there are some things that an adult should know? Now in this case, I wouldn't expect my in laws to have heard of those titles, but this person was employed by a library, among books. It's about context. And yes I've read the gazillion replies about it's not about books, it's about customer service, but I would still be raising an eyebrow.