Nothing stings like having someone call you by your given name as they ask you for directions to the toilet.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Given names, Eschewing
Never let anyone at your library call you by your first name. It is demeaning. You are a librarian and you command respect from both patrons and colleagues. You are a Mr. or a Ms. You should demand that your library’s plastic name tags reflect it.
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7 comments:
Even worse when you're in a school library, then they have to ask you for permission to use the restroom- that and requests for kleenex are our most frequent questions- oh the excitement.
My first professional job - after finishing one master's and most of a second - was working under a guy who insisted we all call him "Dr. _____" because he sure was proud of that honorary doctorate.
My name badge at one of my two library jobs says "STAFF" and I have so many people trying to read it in order to use my first name. I even have fellow staff members ask me what my name is while they look at the badge. I've told more then one that it is STAFF.
Of course, my other library job the name tags just have first names, unless you are in management. For some reason managers get to have both their first and last names on their badges.
My name tag has my first and last name on it. I thought that by getting a Master's degree I was going to be able to avoid jobs where I would have to wear a name tag.
Lindsey, do you want fries with that book?
Until just before my joining the staff the convention was that women were referred to always by their first name and men always as Mr. whatever. It lingered for ages and always threw me because I couldn't recognise myself as "Mr. Musgrove."
My old library gave us a choice: first initial, last name; first name, last initial; or entire name. I chose first initial, last name, as my last name is common, and my first name is often mispronounced. Every time someone asked what the J stood for, I simply said, "Miss." That shut 'em up.
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