There are many factors that might steer you into librarianship as a career. A love of learning and knowledge; a mind that likes to dig out the useful information hidden in a pile of nonsense; ruthless organisational skills; an ability to strip out extraneous information and get to the core of a question; a memory for random snippets of information and facts that turn out to be useful later on…
And then there’s the factor that’s beyond your control. Something that you might not realise you have until one day, all the little moments add up together into an moment of glorious, and disturbing understanding.
You have Librarian Face.
It’s the face that makes people want to ask you random questions. It’s the face that makes strangers think that you have memorised the intricacies of the local bus system, and can therefore give excellent advice on this topic. The face that implies an in-depth knowledge of the stock of local shops, and therefore exactly which ones will be able to supply the person asking with peacock feathers (tall, not short). It’s the face that means that, to tourists in Edinburgh for the Festival, you’re apparently just a walking information booth and map reading service.
And you know what? You’re stuck with it.
So, you might as well become a librarian – it is….your destiny.
Dumpling in a Hanky 
Little do the poor fools who fall for my librarian face realise that I have a horrendous sense of direction. I once failed to correctly point people to a building I a) knew well and b) was standing in front of.
And yes, I get asked frequently – even abroad. I guess librarian face transcends all boundaries!
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Librarian face is a blessing and a curse. Whilst I enjoy being friendly and helpful, I have to carry spare maps (terrible sense of direction as well) and memorise where all the information points and public toilets are.
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