Friday, June 30, 2006

Diplomas, Displaying

[Note: The humble editors of A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette seek your opinion by presenting a rare reader's poll... Thanks in advance for your participation.]


Is it pretentious for a librarian to hang the framed MLS diploma in his/her office or work space?
Yes
No

Polling provided by Pollhost.com

Posted by J at 12:52 PM

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

And a little sad.

1:27 PM
Anonymous said...

Althought I graduated, I never got my diploma. Something about library fines.

2:03 PM
Anonymous said...

If I ever get an office, I am certainly hanging mine. Like Jenn said, for academia, you almost have to. I am hanging my MLS and my other graduate degree. And at least Dorothea gets a cubie. I just get a desk in the middle of a cramped office wasteland where I on display like a goldfish.

2:45 PM
Anonymous said...

It is not at all pretentious displaying your diplomas in your office. If you are high enough on the food chain to merit real walls, you can display whatever the hell you want. If you are pinning it up with push pins on the walls of your cube, then that is a little sad.

I also agree with the others that academic librarians have to because by nature of their pretentious faculty patrons. If the average educational level of your public library patrons are less than GED, however, you're coming across as a snob.

3:29 PM
The Squeaky Cyclist said...

Is it pretentious of me to display my fake MLS diploma? Or something?

I also have my (real) "Custodian Helper" certificate from elementary school framed and hanging.

7:32 PM
Anonymous said...

I apologize, but I'm having a hard time understading why it's pretentious to be proud of your education. I see nothing wrong in displaying the piece of paper you may have spent a lot of time and money to earn. I wouldn't recommend pointing it out to everyone who walks past your desk/office, but simply having it there to remind you of your own accomplishments shouldn't be anything more than that. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

1:53 PM
Anonymous said...

I wish I had one to display (or leave ignored in a pile of crap). I took out a small emergency loan right before I graduated, so they didn't wouldn't give me my diploma until I paid it off. When I paid it off (in a relatively timely fashion), I assumed they'd graciously send my my diploma. Not so....maybe my diploma is hanging in someone else's office.

9:27 AM
Anonymous said...

I posted my loan payoff letters. The lawyers at work are a lot more jealous.

10:09 AM
Anonymous said...

It isn't pretentious if no one cares.

I never even picked up my diploma and I got my MLS 4 years ago.

11:34 AM
Anonymous said...

I agree with Rose wholeheartedly. I don't give a damn what others may think about it or me for displaying it. I worked for that degree--no it wasn't really hard work, but it was two years of my life I won't get back. I enjoyed the work for what it was.

10:12 AM
Anonymous said...

I'm not a librarian, but a 32 y/o man who graduated just last year after going back to college later in life. Having a fresh and somewhat unique perspective as a result, I say that it is not at all pretentious to display your certifications/diplomas/awards, whether it be at home or in an office.

WHY NOT be proud of the tribulations you went through to earn that diploma? In my opinion, if others think that is pretentious, most likely they are just jealous that they don't have the fortitude, willpower, and determination it took to earn that or any other degree.

In short, display it and be proud of it==you earned it.

12:42 PM
Anonymous said...

I do not think it is pretentious. Medical doctors have theirs hanging in the room where you sit another 30 minutes after waiting in the lobby. Whenever I graduate, I am going to have one hanging at home and in my library. I worked hard for it!!!

10:48 PM

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