LIBRARIANSHIP ACCOMMODATES EVERY PERSONALITY TYPE

Librarianship Accommodates Every Personality Type. Regardless of Your Traits, We Have a Department in the Library that Suits You

There are several personality trait theories, and one of the most prominent is the Big Five theory, also referred to as the Five Factor Model. It categorises human personality traits into five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Additionally, a more general traits categorisation includes introverts, extraverts, and those in-between. In librarianship, none of these traits is a waste or a threat.

The library is broadly categorised into technical services and reader services departments. The subsections in the technical services include acquisition, cataloguing and classification, reprographic unit, serial section, among others, depending on the focus and size of the library.

The technical services department involves behind-the-scenes activities where librarians rarely interact with library users. Many patrons are not familiar with the librarians working in this section. Therefore, introverted individuals can find this section ideal, making significant contributions in processing, describing, analysing, repairing, evaluating, and classifying information resources for end users.

Furthermore, the reader services department creates a tripart connection among librarians, information resources, and library users. The subsections in this department include the circulation section, reference section (user education, library advocacy, research assistance, etc.), electronic library, among others.

Vibrant, socially exposed, friendly, cheerful, welcoming people—those generally referred to as extraverts—are most suitable for this section. They are the face of the library, the image makers. They converse and interact with library users daily. Their level of altruism determines the library's reputation. Users see them as the embodiment of the library.

So, your personality trait is a blessing to the profession. You are not an outcast. It only depends on library heads to place the right person in the right role. Many libraries face the challenge of human resource misplacement, preventing librarians from performing at their optimum. This is an appeal for library heads to identify their colleagues' personality types and maximise their full potential. Librarianship welcomes all personalities, helping them achieve self-actualisation according to Maslow's theory. Librarianship is a blessing to the world.