Librarians get pompous

Librarians are never happier than when they are defending some lofty privilege or "right." It's to show everyone how important and professional we are. When we look at our shabby paychecks and the lack of respect from university officials and local politicians (collectively the scum of the earth) it gives us a warm feeling inside to know that we hold high the torch of liberty.

Meanwhile the government has never invoked the Patriot Act to obtain a library's records. Never, in almost four years. Does this reasonable statement of fact calm our fears? Of course not. We prefer the high road of principle over rationality.

That's why our professional organization, the American Library Association, will defend to the death the right of anyone, any time, to access porn on library internet computers. Never mind the miserable working conditions and lousy hours of librarians in the field or our (shockingly low) pay scale.

According to the librarian quoted by Tinkerty Tonk,

I try to explain to people why I stay in a state with difficult technology access and a lot of teeny tiny libraries that don’t pay very well [and only a few that do]. One of the main reasons is that all three of my national-level representatives are not disagreeable to me. Today Bernie Sanders managed to pass legislation in the House which would amend section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and prohibit government agents from using FISA warrants to obtain records from libraries and bookstores. My two senators are trying to pass similar legislation in the Senate. Of course keep in mind that one of the reasons, according to Alberto Gonzales, that the Department of Justice hasn’t had to use the USAPA more is because they have been getting “voluntary co-operation from librarians” which is a different sort of problem.

Low salary, lousy libraries, never mind. I'm above all that. I'm too high-minded. Bring on the Internet porn.