Random statistics

[listersgirl]

As of today, I have met, however briefly, 30% of my friends list. Okay, I knew 9 of the 26 people pre-internet life, but still, that feels like quite a lot. And so far, not one of you has turned out to be a serial killer. Score!

Also in the department of random statistics about me: 63% of my friends list are paid users. Considering only 1.6% of LJ users as a whole are paid, that's quite substantial. I'm not sure exactly what that says about us, but I'm sure it says something.

I'm pretty sure, too, that many, many of you are librarians or work in libraries. This is not deliberate on my part -- I don't think I've ever added someone just because they are a librarian -- but I think more a case of librarians automatically gravitating together when they're anywhere near each other.


[Poll #443580]

Comments

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

Funny you should make this poll today. I just dropped in the mail my transcripts requests and recommendation forms.

[listersgirl]

I saw that! Good for you. I always find the recommendations to be the worst part of any application.

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

They are. I hate having to think of whom to ask and actually doing it? It almost feels like begging to me.

[listersgirl]

I know. If I could give one word of advice to people starting university it would be talk to your professors so that they know who you are! Because the need for recommendations NEVER GOES AWAY.

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It never does. Everywhere you turn you need them. I'm just glad I had two professors who remember me. I just wish I had talked to more professors when I had the chance.

[protoainsley.livejournal.com]

Grr. One of the many ways in which I'm fucked is recommendations. And I talked to my profs!

Case in point: met my friend Nico because he was a visiting scholar for a term, brought over by Prof. S, who thought very highly of him (highly enough to arrange for the guy to study free at UNC for a semester, and let him stay in his spare bedroom). Summer 2002 I take a class with Prof. S, going to office hours frequently, participating in every class, and telling him that I was great friends with Nico (he knew Nico had a mysterious friend in Greenville; it was fun to out myself as said friend). Earned an A in the class.

Sunday, I was at Prof. S's condo, visiting Nico, who made a comment about us having met before. Prof. S said, 'We've met?'

Good to know that being an A student, going to office hours, and being the most active participant in class get you remembered not at all. Like I'd not sat right in front of the guy five days a week for two hours, for five weeks.

I'm glad I never told Prof. S I'd been to his place when he was in Singapore. :P I can tell you all about the basement in his old townhouse.

For the grad program I hope to start in the fall, I'm asking the two profs from the class I had to take twice (once in spring 2001, when I failed, and once in fall 2004, when I retook it and graduated). They both remember me, and if you're going to talk about overcoming challenges, why not ask the prof from the only class you failed? Plus, she made a point of introducing herself to my mom at graduation, and has offered connections when job-hunting, so I think she likes me despite the F.

[protoainsley.livejournal.com]

I exaggerated slightly in the 'not been in a library in years', but it's the closest to the truth. Until recently I'd not used one in years for books, just as sources for internet access while on campus.

I did not know until recently that people who worked in libraries were not necessarily librarians. I thought that is what they all were.

Basically, I like libraries for obscure research, but...I really want to own my books.

[listersgirl]

See, and I was such a library user as a kid that until recently I couldn't understand why anyone bought books.

[protoainsley.livejournal.com]

I used the library a lot as a kid, but never developed a strong affinity for it. For one thing, card catalogs were evil. It was too hard to find stuff in them. Also, it's too hard to browse in a library. It's a lot harder to stumble upon random stuff, because you don't have the description on the book, and things are much more closely organized in the non-fiction section.

Plus, I'm an inveterate rereader, and hate to read on a schedule. I buy books I want, and then read them when they leap out at me. With a library, I have to go ahead and read them, which means I get less from them because the vibrations may not be right. (It's no wonder reading is so mystical for me, when I depend on vibrations to tell me what to read.)

I like to own the knowledge, too, which is why I still have my texts from uni and look at them!

I can see where others would feel exactly the opposite of me. I can see it, but totally don't feel it. :)

[goovie.livejournal.com]

i used to work in a bookstore. but now i'm an aspiring jungle gym for two-year-olds--i mean, preschool teacher. but you knew that. :)

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

you got the job and didn't tell me??? That is serious neglect on your part. :P kidding.

[goovie.livejournal.com]

the word is "aspiring," dear. :) i should know by eod tomorrow.

[caffeinediary.livejournal.com]

oooooooooh, ok. Well, then, I send you good wishes sprinkles your way. :)

[borrowedwings.livejournal.com]

I worked in my college's library for a while as part of the school's mandatory student work program. Does that count?

[listersgirl]

It was a library, you were working (or at least pretending to be working), it definitely counts. :)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I've volunteered in a library before, but never actually worked in one. When I was 11, the only way to get extra tickets was to volunteer in the school library, so that's what my breaktimes were. And for Year 10 work experience I went to the Schools Library Service. It was excellent. I got to go in the book mobile, select books for schools, sticker a school library with dewey decimal stickers and best of all, hide in the rolling stacks and read.

I was 22 before I had a job that didn't involve books - after five that did in some way.

[listersgirl]

I was very much in the minority when I went to do my MLIS - I'd never worked or volunteered in a library. Honestly, I didn't even have much idea what librarians did.

I wish we had stickers. The closest I can get is little red and orange dots that plaster themselves all over me when I'm not looking.

[minervacat.livejournal.com]

i was a research assistant in the carleton archives, too, which is only sort of part of a library, but still. well. you know what i mean. that's my academic experience.

[listersgirl]

My archivist friend can talk for hours about whether or not archives count as libraries. :D

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

not one of you has turned out to be a serial killer

THAT YOU KNOW OF.

[listersgirl]

I'm still alive, aren't I?

Or maybe I'm a zombie. I'm certainly moving slow enough for one.

obligatory

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

BRAAAAINS.

Re: obligatory

[listersgirl]

GRAAAAAAAINS.

Re: obligatory

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

*falls over*

[globetrotter1.livejournal.com]

You haven't met me! *evil cackle*

Ahem.

[listersgirl]

So what you're saying is that if I get to meet you one day, I should tidy my affairs first? :D

[globetrotter1.livejournal.com]

Something like that.

[blue-lotus.livejournal.com]

I go to the library several times a week as I'm always researching stuff.

[listersgirl]

I'm a little embarassed by how old I was before I realized that libraries had more than fiction in them.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

I work the circ desk at the public library every couple of weekends. I'm fully on paid library staff as a part-time worker. I am often referred to as "the librarian" by patrons.

I don't know why I don't see myself as one? But I'm just... I don't know. The girl who works the circ desk in the library, not the LIBRARIAN.

Mine is a fascinating mind.

[listersgirl]

It's a pretty accurate mind, too, since generally "librarian" refers to the professionals with library degrees. Although not everywhere. There were constant discussions about this while I was in library school.

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

I've noticed this weird affinity on my friends list too, but since I am one of your 37% without a paid account, I can't do my own poll. I also wonder how many of the people on my friends list are involved in libraries in some way AND are addicted to BPAL. Hee.

[listersgirl]

The crossover rate is probably pretty high.

Did you see that there was an update today? New scents!

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

I know! And me with no money! I have a rule for myself - no new orders until the old one is received, and I have Spooky coming.

Plus, I've had a pretty high success rate at swapping/paying for decants of LE. I use so little of a scent that 5 mL is too much!

Still... Chaste Moon and The Living Flame certainly look lovely....

[tinkerer.livejournal.com]

Ah, library work... my first real power-trip. :)

They even wrote graffiti at the school (and as this was a school for nerds and geeks, graffiti was not all that common) in my honour, as I wouldn't let the hooligans play computer games and steal people's passwords...

[listersgirl]

Heeeee.

Oh, the power.

Got to thinking

[sh1mm3r.livejournal.com]

Springsea and I have been trying to figure out where to go on a road trip over one of the Spring Break weekends....

:) :) :)

You live in Toronto, right? Always wanted to see Toronto.

Hee.

Re: Got to thinking

[listersgirl]

Dude, if you make it up here, we'll definitely have to get together!

By then I might even have a couch to offer you. Maybe. :)

[emiline.livejournal.com]

My friend, who is almost done his MLS, recently asked me why I hadn't decided to do one myself. We had so much fun working together at our university library. I like librarians.

[anglaisepaon.livejournal.com]

I work for a publishing company as the head of the department that sells to libraries. There's a little button on our website that says "Ask a Librarian." Those go to me. So I'm a pseudo-librarian.

I start my MLS this summer, so I'll be less of a sham librarian then.

[listersgirl]

I didn't know you were starting your MLS! That's exciting.