A librarian should always spare non-librarians from hearing their actual job titles. No one cares that you are the "Coordinator for Interlibrary Loan, Resource Sharing, and Document Delivery Services." Saying "librarian" will be sufficiently boring.
Ask the readers: Share your unusually long (yet official) job title in the comments section below.
Monday, May 07, 2007
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95 comments:
I'm the super saturday, family movie night, home day care, chess for all ages, youth services library assistant II
CEO of the Circulation Desk?
Master Referencerian?
Grand Page of the Order of Shelving?
Assistant Collections and Scholarly Communications Librarian
Notice I didn't use an ampersand.
Non-library-folk at our institution thought the "Head of Technical Services" was in charge of setting up slide projectors and installing computer software, so the job was re-titled "Head of Collection Information Services". Us library folk can never remember the new title, so he's "The artist formerly known as Head of Tech Services".
Library technology project support specialist.
When I was promoted to Director of Technical and Collection Development Services a friend thought the collection part had something to do with collecting money!
Integrated Library Systems Administrator
lorem ipsum, you crack me up. Who would have thought a librarian could have such a well-developed sense of humor. Usually they're just full of themselves. Okay, maybe that's a gross generalization, but the two librarians I have the dubious distinction of being personally familiar with are condescending, whiny, negative know-it-alls who are in their 40's and still rely on their parents to help pay the rent. They also get together with other nerds to play D & D. Maybe that's colored my perception of librarians in general. I may have to revise my thinking after stumbling upon this quirky, but funny, blog.
I have been a Knowledge Based Practice Facilitator, or KBPF for short. Or, for even shorter - Librarian.
"Referencerian" is great! I don't really have a job title except librarian, but I used to call myself a "cybrarian". A friend of mine is "library vice director" - I like that, because "vice" has two meanings.
There was a great "job title generator" for LIS professionals at http://lamar.colostate.edu/~mach/jobtitles/realjobs.html#Z, but it is no longer online. If you know where it moved to, please tell me.
Service Development Manager, electronic services and design
But not for much longer,times are hard in the UK - it will soon be just E-services Librarian and at a more lowly grade :o(
Clinical Outreach Services Librarian. It won't fit on my business card.
I'm "Your Mom's Librarian"...boo-yah"
I'm also "Watch online tv-brarian"
Team Librarian (Job share)
Very boring :(
I am the Electronic and Educational Resources Librarian. EER for short.... :)
I am an Information and Records Analyst, currently working in an Information and Records Centre.
Philippa said...
I have been a Knowledge Based Practice Facilitator, or KBPF for short.
You have GOT to be fucking kidding.
I prefer "Empress of Time and Space," but I can't get them to approve it for my business cards.
In my current job, my job title is merely librarian. However, I used to be Coordinator of Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery...although I used to drop the document delivery part.
Reference and Instructional Services Librarian
At one point in my life I was the Assistant Director: Reference and Information Services.
(That was at an institute on an academic campus, but not immediately related to the school. And you know how a dissertation has to have a colon in its title before it it's accepted? I think that's why I had the colon. I always wanted to replace that colon in the middle with an "of" or "for" or something. I look at it now as a kind of spastic colon.)
---Kurt
I was once Chief Librarian, Public Services. The joke was that I was the only librarian in public services.
All purpose reference librarian and email librarian will do quite well, thank you.
Electronic Resources and Serials Cataloging Librarian. Oh, and Team Leader of the unit.
I'm serious (anali, no ampersand here either). Can anyone suggest an appropriate acronym or some way to shorten it? Half the time I can't remember it myself.
Assistant Librarian, Document Delivery and Audio-Visual Services. Really, that's what it said on the library structure and my appraisal forms. My boss had the title "Sub-Librarian, Document Delivery and Audio-Visual Services, Staff Library". No ampersand, and no apology for having the prefix 'sub' in her job title. I don't work there anymore...
Job Title Generator for library and information science professionals
http://www.michellemach.com/jobtitles/
Ye olde officialness says I'm the
Systems & Electronic Resources / Web Librarian
One LibQual+ respondent referred to me as "the guy with the jingly keys"
/me says I'm the Making-it-up-as-I-go-along La-La-La Librarian
You be the judge
At one time I was Senior Information Development Worker, which sounded (and felt) like I was responsible for shuffling the bus timetable leaflets in a twilight home. Then I moved into my present job. Which is just like being responsible for shuffling the bus timetables in a twilight home... sigh.
Electronic Resources and Serials Cataloging Librarian
=
e-rascal
Technical Services Librarian and Acquisitions Coordinator
"Electronic Resources and Serials Cataloging Librarian. Oh, and Team Leader of the unit."
How about (sound this out with me)
"The Ers-cal Team Leader" (Like erstwhile, only more mysterious and current...)
Young Adult Assistant Librarian... I could never remember it myself, so I had to ask my co-worker what the job title was everytime I had to fill out a job application.
Well, I'm ALMOST a librarian... and in the meantime, I'm the "Director of First Impressions." I used to be the "Systems and Communications Coordinator" for one person in our office, but then they decided they all needed me, so now I'm at the front desk. It all means "secretary."
I have high hopes of soon becoming an actual librarian, with a title and all...
I'm a Knowledge Navigator. I have a sign on my desk saying: 'The Doctor is in' (or 'out' when I'm away). Often feel misunderstood when clients treat me as if I was their therapist, just because I lead them to answers to their questions.
Does the work of librarians overlap with that of therapists, I ask you?
As for your blog: "O" for Awesome.
Our reference department upgraded their titles to:
The Exhalted Queen of Reference
The Most High Vizier to the Exhalted Queen of Reference
and
Princess in Waiting
I usually just use Librarian. But officially it's Adult Services Librarian. But, I also catalog, do PR, update the website, and make our graphics. At one point I made business cards that said Reference, Cataloger, Pr, & Grapics Librarian. However, in the next couple years I'm supposed to do Marketing full-time so I made up new business cards that just say Marketing Librarian on them, hoping to make the transition faster.
Children's/Young Adult Librarian
Officially I'm a Curriculum Learning Resource Specialist.
My secret identity is 'Librarian'
Reference and Government Documents Librarian
how about Associate Director for Faculty, Research and Instructional Services--is that verbose enough for ya?
Public Services Librarian
All these titles are quite short. Until recently I was:
Romance Languages Cataloguer/Bibliographic Database Specialist
and
Acting Coordinator, Original Cataloguing, Authorities and Database Enhancement Services.
The unit is known as OCADES for short.
I am not joking at all.
Librarian II
Reference Librarian and Liaison to the Schools of Psychology and Human Services
Do I win? There's two more words that should be there, but it would say where I work.
Assistant Professor of Library Services and Reference Librarian
Early Literacy Outreach Coordinator
I'm Senior Information Adviser, Virtual Learning Centre team ... I mean - what's that all about?
Library Media Specialist and Technology Teacher
Information Resources Assistant Intermediate...this title covers dozens of other employees at the library I work for across diverse job responsibilities
I supervise someone whose title is "Special Collections Librarian/Assistant Manager, Reference Services"
We call her the genealogy librarian.
I worked for a woman in college who was promoted to Library Director, or, as she declared, Queen of the Library. QotL for short.
I've just become the Technical Services Librarian for the Lamont Unit of Cataloging Support Services.
I need a postcard-sized business card...
Youth Services Lead Librarian
Learning Resources Tutor. The joke was were you full time employed & therefore "fully a LRT" or part time and therefore only "half a LRT"
anonymous:
Librarian/Office helper/ secretary/guide/nurse/cataloger/book filer/ mother/ listener/ host/ fixer/ book buyer/and many other. Who doesn't wear many different hats. Especial librarian. Some more then other,but we all have patron to look after.
I'm the e-Resources Librarian. It was going to be Virtual Librarian, but the appointments panel thought it sounded too much like the postholder would do "virtually" no work, or some such nonsense.
Assistant Bitch?
Adult Services Librarian--which isn't long, but has vaguely dirty connotations that amuse me...
I try to correct those who call me a librarian to let them know just because you work in a library, doesn't mean you're a librarian. I'm actually flattered when I get called a librarian. :D But my official title is "Circulation Services Assistant" which normally gets shortened to "circ asst."
I am called the "Senior Informationist." I am a solo librarian so there are no Junior Informationists...maybe the Senior part of the title refers to my age.
Media Specialist/Media Services Department Head
Digital Content Specialist. It sounds like p0rn. *sigh*
Librarian III
I think that you guys might enjoy this comic. It is about making up your own job titles. :)
Now "dinosaur herder" can really mean the person who coordinates interlibrary loan.
http://www.thadguy.com/comic/titles/118/
Brand new job title: Reference and Information Literacy Librarian and Access Services Coordinator. Seriously.
Assistant Director/Regional Campus Librarian and Assistant Librarian
Research and Electronic Content Librarian
At my former post my unofficial title was:
Interlibrary Loan Work-study Extraordinaire in Charge of Menial Tasks As Well As Pulling and Mailing Materials
am i too late?
book pimp and cyber whore
My title used to be Director for Scientific Affairs.
Of course, I had nothing to do with scientific affairs
I'm particularly fond of what members of the general public *hear* when I *say* that I'm an archivist. A listing provided below. True story!
Activist
Alchemist
Anarchist
Architect
Organist
I've considered telling people that I'm a phrenologist.
Ha! Laura, that cracks me up. I get the archivist/architect thing all the time.
Haven't been called an alchemist yet, but I think I'm just going to start telling people that's what I do. :)
My full title is Archivist, Digital Asset Manager and Quality Specialist. (I do QA/proofing in addition to my archiving duties.) One of my coworkers joked I should just put "I know where stuff is" on my cards.
Someone at MPOW has the title: ACTING ASSOCIATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN FOR RESEARCH AND INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES and ASSOCIATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN FOR FACILITIES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT.
That's one person. Honest, you cannot make this shit up.
It's fun to reorder the words into even more meaningless combinations.
I was Advisor, Information Management Systems.
My actual work? Sole charge librarian in a small govt agency with around 60 staff. I did exactly what any other OPL would do.
Reference, Instruction, and Curatorial Assistant. It won't fit into the "Job Title" space on most forms.
The ironic thing is that "Curatorial Assistant" does not actually mean that I flounce around dusting rare items. It means that I order books that my boss selects, and keep track of our funds. I should really try to get a new title approved before the next person who has that job tries to fit it on her business card.
Client Services Officer / Agent du service à la clientèle
Vague enough for you?
Electronic Services Librarian
I've watched the eyes of many non-librarians glaze over when I give them my full title. I almost feel the need to apologize for sounding pretentious, like what I do is so much more complicated than what they do for a living. I usually stick to "librarian" and if they ask what I do, then I figure it's their own fault for asking.
Library Information Systems Coordinator.
Do I work in Reference or IT? The answer is yes, but more time in meetings than either of those.
The corporate librarian crowd always wants to disguise their "librarian" affiliation to the head honchos in order to avoid discovery and elimination from the overhead costs. In this spirit or misdirection our "Corporate & Technical Information Center" basic job titles were "Information Analyst", with Senior or Principal as a prefix for "promotion" purposes.
Reference Support Assistant
A fancy way of saying "person who gets things for people and does things for people".
When we were re-writing job titles, one manager suggested that we rename the library assistants to be "associates". You know, like Starbucks. They remain assistants.
Plus, how many library head honchos had their CEO titles bumped back down to Director or Chief Librarian??
I wanted to put Library Evangelist at one point on my library cards (my actual title is Outreach Librarian). These days though I am favoring "Disinformation Agent" hehe.
My actual title is Assistant Professor of Bibliography and Librarian of Humanities. Or possibly Librarian for Humanities, I can't remember.
My official title is "Engineering Librarian for Outreach, Instruction, and Electronic Resources." It barely fits on my business card.
librarybeth, I used to be Head of Reference Services/Coordinator of Evening and Weekend Public Services.
I am super serial.
Jack of all trades librarian, master of none...
It's not a long job title, but it's an often confusing job title:
Adult Services Librarian
Yeah. It's great when I have "Adult Movie Day!"
Well as they won't let me put Super Genius on my business cards, I just go with Library Director. However, I did tell my Page to put Assistant IT Director on his resume, and another assistant to put Summer Reading Coordinator,Talent Scout and Handler on hers. 'Cause that's what they did/do!
I'm a Librarian in Training but my current title (longest ever) is Arts and Sciences Academic Resource Center Student Support Services Coordinator of Academic Assessment and Data...yeah. I just go by Data Manager.
Technical Services/Systems Librarian, or as I pronounce it, Technical Services Slash Systems Librarian. Whether you interpret Slash as a verb or an adjective, it does add a certain je ne sais quoi.
Youth Services/Literacy Librarian
I particularly like the "/"
@Laura, Anarchist? I love that!
Technically, my title is "Acquisitions and Processing Archivist." I usually just go with Archivist, since that inevitably needs explanation and by then, no one is interested in the nuances of my job description. *sigh*
These are hilarious-I am trying to come up with a new title for my Reference Head who now has to handle all of the Security issues. My husband suggested Darth Vadar. jb
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