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?

I worked in a bookshop - would be shocked if none of my colleagues had known these books. They are both GCSE texts and studied everywhere so are highly likely to be borrowed. Not only that, they are general knowledge and popular books - always restocked in the bookshop I worked in. They are popular classics, not remotely niche. People who don't recognise them are just showing their own ignorance, which is fine if you don't work with books - but in the same way I would expect someone in a shoe shop to have heard of a 'trainer' I'd expect someone in a library to have heard of these.

@CemetryGates

I worked in a bookshop - would be shocked if none of my colleagues had known these books. They are both GCSE texts and studied everywhere so are highly likely to be borrowed. Not only that, they are general knowledge and popular books - always restocked in the bookshop I worked in. They are popular classics, not remotely niche. People who don't recognise them are just showing their own ignorance, which is fine if you don't work with books - but in the same way I would expect someone in a shoe shop to have heard of a 'trainer' I'd expect someone in a library to have heard of these.

Yes!

When I was at uni in an English Literature seminar we were discussing a novel by someone or other. Another student suggested to the lecturer that the style of the novelist was a bit like Thomas Hardy's.
'I wouldn't know' said the fully qualified lecturer, 'I've never read any Hardy.'

Oops.

I will never forget being in a classroom with a H of D in English who said to the class ‘We all know Shakespeare is boring don’t we but we have to study him unfortunately.’

Now that IS depressing. And no doubt a self-fulfilling prophecy. Shame on them.

@mermaidsariel

I will never forget being in a classroom with a H of D in English who said to the class ‘We all know Shakespeare is boring don’t we but we have to study him unfortunately.’ My heart missed a beat.

Would agree with them to be honest and fairly sure my English teacher said something similar. Thankfully we only studied 2.

Wouldn't life be boring if we all liked the same things?

They don't choose people for jobs based on their experience or knowledge anymore, just whether they are friends or relatives. It's cronyism, just like the government.

We can’t expect them to be in possession of a decent education. Too much course assessment and pampering in schools. This results in Librarians not being well read.

@Arthur2shedsJackson

When I was at uni in an English Literature seminar we were discussing a novel by someone or other. Another student suggested to the lecturer that the style of the novelist was a bit like Thomas Hardy's. 'I wouldn't know' said the fully qualified lecturer, 'I've never read any Hardy.' Oops.

Christ that is depressing.

I will never forget being in a classroom with a H of D in English who said to the class ‘We all know Shakespeare is boring don’t we but we have to study him unfortunately.’ My heart missed a beat
Now THAT is depressing.

I've shared with students that I like some of the GCSE poetry anthology more than others, and taken full advantage of the unseen section to share poems I love that aren't on the syllabus, but nobody should be doing what that HoD did.
Students don't expect us to lie and pretend to love everything, and in my experience think staff are bullshitting when they claim to love everything, but there's still merit in studying texts even if the teacher thinks the text is dull.

Get over it

Its what happens when people vote for governments that cut funding to public services, which then lay off their experienced staff and either hire cheaper ones, outsource or get volunteers in to run things.

If Shakespeare is so canon people will have no problems listing the histories without googling.

Tee hee hee

What's a 'H of D' ?

@Babygotblueyes

Its what happens when people vote for governments that cut funding to public services, which then lay off their experienced staff and either hire cheaper ones, outsource or get volunteers in to run things.

Yup.

@Ilovemaisie

What's a 'H of D' ?

Head of Department

The fact that people accuse you of being 'snobby' in a very nasty way, just because you know about books/authors, partly answers the question here. These days, it seems more important to think it's clever to belittle people, rather than have a basic general education. I'm totally saddened that people come out of school with absolutely no idea of the 'classics'. I'm no snob, just someone grateful for a good education and a family who taught kindness by example.

Thanks mermaid.

I'm surprised anyone wants to work with the public with such snotty attitudes. Literally anyone can be slated.

YABU to expect someone working in a library has a love of books particularly. From what I see they catalog books, put them on shelves, order them in, read to kids, and general admin

@TinaYouFatLard

It’s THE Handmaid’s Tale.

🤣😂🤣

If Shakespeare is so canon people will have no problems listing the histories without googling.

The OP didn't expect the person to be able to 'list' any Shakespeare, just to know that he is the author of As you Like It.

@karalou2

The fact that people accuse you of being 'snobby' in a very nasty way, just because you know about books/authors, partly answers the question here. These days, it seems more important to think it's clever to belittle people, rather than have a basic general education. I'm totally saddened that people come out of school with absolutely no idea of the 'classics'. I'm no snob, just someone grateful for a good education and a family who taught kindness by example.

Couldn't the same be said for these saying things like "can't believe (insert person here) didn't know x book.... said in a way that is supposed to encourage others to be shocked at said persons lack of so called knowledge? Is that not belittling?

@LolaSmiles - yes, I think we do agree on a lot. Certainly we agree that mocking others or making them feel bad for lack of knowledge is something that does deserve judgement.

@karalou2

The fact that people accuse you of being 'snobby' in a very nasty way, just because you know about books/authors, partly answers the question here. These days, it seems more important to think it's clever to belittle people, rather than have a basic general education. I'm totally saddened that people come out of school with absolutely no idea of the 'classics'. I'm no snob, just someone grateful for a good education and a family who taught kindness by example.

Perhaps you'll like to teach kindness to the OP.

Nobody is accusing the OP of being a snob for knowing about books. She's being accused of being a snob for expecting the poor person working at the library to know about the books the OP "knows about" (and hasn't even read).