Keeping It To Yourself

It’s been a while, but there’s be a lot going on. Outside of my library, a couple of things have happened lately that make me reflect on the anonymity and utility of this blog. I get many library related feeds, and unsubscribed from one blog because the author seemed a bit full of him/herself. A few months after I unsubscribed, another blogger linked to the original blog with a cautionary tale about putting too much info online. In a nutshell, the blogger talked about how frustrated she/he was when his/her boss recommended that she/he NOT apply for a supervisory position. This blogger is named, with a photograph of him/herself and the name of her/his workplace is predominantly placed and name-dropped nearly every post. While I understand his/her disappointment, I think she/he made a big mistake posting the details of the conversation.

Here’s why.

When I recently hired someone, one of the first things I did was “google” the candidates I thought interesting. If I was to “yahoo” the aforementioned blogger, I’d see the blog, and realize that she/he is probably not the candidate for me. Discretion is necessary; professionalism is key. While he/she wasn’t whining, per se, it was clear that he/she didn’t absorb the lessons his/her boss tried to teach.

In another situation, someone I know of in a supervisory position has made some serious mistakes in speaking and acting before thinking. It’s one thing to vent with friends, it’s a very different thing to vent with staff. Or to share negative opinions about staff with staff. Or to be a brat about a staff member moving on. While I’d love to hang out with my new staff (they’re all fantastic and fun people) there must be some line between me and them, if only to protect myself (and themselves) if a supervisory issue arises.

Also, I think it is vital for new/inexperienced/unpracticed/etc librarians to recognize that Library Land is a very small world, and that a reputation of being indiscreet or irrational will haunt one’s career. I constantly have to remind myself of this when I go to meetings because I have a blabber mouth, and because my career is important to me.