Symbols, sagas, rites, and rituals

摘要

Whether as a fresh graduate of library school or a seasoned librarian, starting a job at a new library can be a daunting challenge. Besides having to learn the basics of a new job, the new librarian must learn the ins and outs of the organization. While the profession of librarianship shares many values and modes of behavior, individual libraries, whether academic, public, or special, can vary greatly in how they expect those within the organization to relate to one another. This can be most blatantly seen when, after a particularly egregious faux pas, a new librarian is pulled aside and told, "We do not do that in this library."