The Revenge of the Geeks vs. the Nerds
Over at Library Juice, Rory Litwin recently posted “Geeks and Nerds Battle for the Soul of Librarianship.”
Really? We’re seriously doing this?
Maybe next week we can invite the jocks and the burnouts to join us…
Nicole Engard points out that she shares qualities from both lists. Good librarians tend to. I know I couldn’t fit myself comfortably into either of these categories, as outlined here. (Do I really read too much science fiction to be a good librarian?)
And yes, Rory’s trying to make a larger point about the place of technology in librarianship, which he’s mentioned before — and more eloquently. But do we have to stuff ourselves into antagonistic boxes to have this conversation? Do we have to imply that “geeks” are anti-intellectual, or that “nerds” represent librarianship at its purest?
The best geeks around share a commitment to using technology to serve the goals of their institutions, firmly settled on the foundations and principles of librarianship. I don’t see how you can read Michael Stephens talking about the importance of avoiding technolust or Michael Casey on Library 2.0 or Lori Bell and crew on Second Life Library 2.0 and come to any other conclusion.
Rory tells us:
“I think that the current advance by the geek front within librarianship is succeeding in replacing an important intellectual knowledge base – that is, a store of bibliographic knowledge combined with knowledge of the principles of librarianship – with a technical knowledge base that is already quite well-established by other professional groups, namely web designers and programmers. Thus, it seems to me that the success of the geek army in the battle against the nerds may end up being a losing battle for the profession of librarianship as a whole, once the bodies are counted, the damage assessed, and the spoils taken.”
Librarianship has always taken from and overlapped with other fields. Setting technology apart in this way makes as much sense as saying we lose the soul of our profession when we market our programs, since that knowledge base is established by marketers and PR departments… or saying that we are losing the battle for our profession when we involve ourselves in literacy programs or intellectual freedom battles or having programs for teens — because, after all, other fields are doing all of these things, and often doing them quite well.
Rather than setting up this artificial geek/nerd distinction, which only feeds into the divide Rory perceives, perhaps we can embrace both. Perhaps we can get excited about technology that allows us to serve patrons better. Perhaps we can get excited about having “geeks” on our side rather than being dependent on outside groups who aren’t necessarily building on the same knowledge base or principles.
joshua m. neff:
I suddenly have this urge to watch The Breakfast Club.
24 April 2006, 5:14 pmSailorAlphaCentauri:
I was put off by Rory’s entry simply because I felt as if I had to choose a side — something that I feel is very devisive and doesn’t build towards using the best of both worlds to take libraries into the future and beyond.
24 April 2006, 5:20 pmAs a library science student, I don’t have the experience yet to have seen the divide of which he speaks, but I hope that I can use my experiences from both “sides” to be productive in the library profession.
Steve:
I agree that Litwin’s earlier post on technology in the biblioblogosphere was more thought-provoking. This one, with questions in the comments of where ones “final loyalties” lie, feels more like outright trolling. How about the ninja/pirate or dwarf/elf divide in libraries?
Litwin has a new post today with citations to articles that he says articulate his point of view better. I think I’ll take a look at those and ignore the “geek v. nerd” posting.
24 April 2006, 5:39 pmlukethelibrarian:
No kidding, Joshua. I’ve said it before on my own blog but I’ll say it again: just because we spend all day in the library, doesn’t mean we have to start acting like the freakin’ Breakfast Club.
24 April 2006, 5:51 pmBob Watson:
Please forgive the historical note … but in my view the “geek” mindset has been prominent since 1900 or so.
Its original domain was cataloging.
The nerds who were actually interested in what books contain gravitated to public services and/or administration.
24 April 2006, 6:52 pmAnonymous:
“But do we have to stuff ourselves into antagonistic boxes to have this conversation? Do we have to imply that ‘geeks’ are anti-intellectual, or that ‘nerds’ represent librarianship at its purest?” No, we don’t. kgs
24 April 2006, 7:13 pmwalt:
I initially found Rory Litwin’s post bemusing for several reasons, but possible fodder for a forthcoming “finding balance in libraries/librarians” piece. Then I read the string of comments. And sighed.
Then I read the post about Rick Anderson (whose stances I’m not that fond of)…and actually read the three articles that Rory referred Anderson to. And sighed more.
I find that none of it makes much sense to me. Maybe I’m insufficiently Progressive. (Maybe I’m too much of a non-Librarian, but I don’t think that’s it.) I’m certain that it’s not that I’m too much a “geek”–although maybe by Litwin’s standards I am. Perhaps I fail through an inability to recognize all capitalist structures for tools of the devil (although I’m as passionate as anyone about disliking attempts to privatize or trivialize/”virtualize” libraries).
If something is happening here that’s worth pursuing, I sure don’t know what it is. Is it possible that I’m too much of a centrist to even see the conflict at work?
[Why this comment is here rather than on Library Juice or as a post in my own geekish anti-intellectual blog: I feel the need to say something but don't have the desire to encourage this pseudo-conflict.]
24 April 2006, 9:40 pmMohamed Taher:
Congrats.
30 April 2006, 7:17 amI like your final paragraph that accommodates (live and let live approach).
I wish you all the best. Hope your audience will find more food-for-thought in a webliography that I compiled:Librarians and Techies – A NEXUS
Cool Librarian:
Hmmmm, while I definitely possess qualitites from both lists, I would like to say, no, SCREAM, that I am an amazing (and most bootyliscious) dancer, and very athletic, thank you very much.
4 May 2006, 9:41 pm