Attire, On What to Wear When Interviewing Candidates For a Job

If you are a manager, make sure you dress yourself like a peasant when you interview prospective candidates for a job in your library. While the guy you're interviewing is dressed in a sharp suit that obviously costs more than your whole wardrobe, make sure you put out the wrong impression by dressing like a slob and send a message that this interview isn't that important to you. You only represent the entire department, you lousy dresser you. Bonus points for reeking like raw sewage.

Technologies, Co-opting new

Keep up to date with new technologies that you can co-opt for library use. So what if no one will ever listen to the pod casts of your bibliographic instruction lectures, subscribe to the RSS feeds from your library's blog, send your reference librarian instant messages, or view your library's profile on facebook.com? At least you did your part to make all these cool technologies a little bit lamer.

Browsers, Being evangelical about

Make all of your coworkers aware of which browser you endorse. Bring it up often in case people forget. Frame every discussion in terms of your preferred browser: "But have you looked at the online catalog through Netscape?" Realize that other people may not appreciate your browser like you do and that it is your responsibility to enlighten them. Go forth and spread the gospel. And while you're at it, launch an aggressive campaign to make all the library's public workstations reflect your browser preference too.

Editor's note: This post created with Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7.

Fragrances, Wearing

Make yourself more attractive to patrons, coworkers, and potential mates by regularly dousing yourself with cologne or perfume. Nothing hides the unpleasant olfactory combination of musty books and coffee breath like a splash of your favorite bottled fragrance.

Food, Stinking up the whole damn library with your

Occasionally you may need to eat lunch in your office. Close your door so the smell doesn't choke everyone in the library. And PLEASE... take your leftovers, food wrappers, and other smelly trash to an outdoor trash can. There is no reason anyone else in the library should have to smell your microwavable corndogs, Lean Cuisine linguine, or leftover fried fish.

And don't pop microwave popcorn unless you make enough for everyone. Mmm, popcorn smells so good.

Staffing

When filling a vacancy for a staff position in the library, make sure to hire the first bozo who walks through the door, qualified or not. This will make your short-term crisis of having to hire someone easier, though long-term effects might not manifest themselves for years. God forbid you embrace common management techniques like calling references and holding multiple rounds of interviews. And when you find out that your prized employee(s) have been doing the work wrong for years, you'll be able to take credit for that, you overcompensated moron, you.

Food in the library, Policing

Put your master's degree to good use by chasing undergraduates through the library for their blatant disregard of your food policy.

As coffee shops are becoming the norm in today's libraries, many institutions are rethinking those food policies. Be sure to keep some restrictions on food and drinks so that you'll still have something to be annoying about.

"No lid on your coffee cup, young man?!"

"Is that a spillproof container?!"

"Is that thermos ALA-approved!?"