The DeGen Librarian Ethos

Through out time great questions have been asked of mankind? What is the meaning of life? Who wrote the book of love? Where can I go to get good tacos in Nova Scotia? What exactly is a DeGen Librarian? What does one have to do to become a Degen Librarian? Where can one become a Degen Librarian? While I can tell you the meaning of life can likely be summed up by the number 42, and tacos can be found anywhere in Nova Scotia, but good one might be hard to come by, the others are harder to nail down. I'll try anyway. After a brief history. 

My most of my last year teaching, as a side job, I helped run a website similar to, and predating by a smidge, the popular site Chive. We called ourselves DEGENERATIONATION and I was the brain of the bunch. Instead of the low hanging fruit of fantasy baseball and girls in yoga pants, I wrote about books, politics,  and records. Things smart people wanted to read about. And it, to some degree, worked. I created this blog as an off shoot and to fulfill a requirement of a MLIS class I was taking at the time. If you are a glutton for punishment, and you likely are since you're reading this, you'll see the early articles take on a drastically academic tone. 

Fast forward to today, and you'll see that most of my articles are opinion based and consist of comments on current and former employers, observations on libraries in real time, and reviews of books I'm reading, along with the occasional reflection on a scholarly article I've read. But the time has come for me to expand. The need to rustle up some hardy souls to help keep this page moving, and to form a crusty corps of DeGen Librarians out there breaking necks, melting faces, and warping minds with their library skills. 

What is a DeGen Librarian

* A ready willingness to give the occasional middle finger to anything or anyone they deem worthy

* A consumer of libraries, in any form, willing to talk about those libraries with no holds barred.

* The ability stop relying on traditional library ways and customs for the sake of the future of libraries

* Lacking the timidity of the stereotypical librarian and fearlessness to speak their mind

* Mental suppleness to engage opinions different than their own without flinching 

* Intestinal fortitude to have their opinions challenged by all comers.

These are not the only characteristics of a DeGen Librarian but are a good foundation for membership.

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