I've been in a Potter mood as of late. Not sure why, however it may have something to do with a wonderful Hufflepuff t-shirt I purchased about a month back. I've been contemplating Hufflepuff values for some time in relation to my job. I know it might sound a bit weird to apply a set of values from a fictional house in a fictional school to my real world, but I've always said one of the whole points of reading is that it help you relate to other people and concepts. Even if they're not based in reality, you apply the reality to it. Get it? No, I'm waffling.
Madam Pince, the Librarian at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry is largely an unlikable character. The ability to do her job is never called into question, however her thin, vulture-esque description, coupled with her strictness paints an unappealing image. She is suspicious of Hermione when she attempts to get a book from the restricted section, despite her note from the teacher. She screeches at Harry and Ginny after catching them eating an Easter egg in the Library and bewitches their belongings to hit them on the head as they rush out. And her reaction to Harry's old, written-in copy of Advanced Potion Making? "...what have you been doing to that book you depraved boy? // Despoiled! Desecrated! Befouled!" It didn't even belong to the Library.
Movie Madam Pince [picture credit]
I don't think it's ever mentioned which house she hails from, assuming she attended Hogwarts herself. I think you might have gathered from this post so far, that I (yes, I realise it's not real) am a Hufflepuff. I joined Pottermore, was sorted and placed into Hufflepuff and thought that to be the best choice for me personally. I am a happy Huff.
But how does being a Hufflepuff tie in with my library work. Well I personally have decided that Library work is perfectly suited to me and my Huffly nature. Lets go through three reasons...
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
The key word here being patience. If you engage in Library work that has anything to do with other humans, you need to be patient. You need to show the 100th person in that day how to use the printer, even though you're sure at least half of them have been shown a million times before. You need to sit down with people and explain what might be to you a very basic thing, like saving a document to a memory stick and how to access that same document again afterwards. You need to patiently explain about reservations when people get annoyed that the book they need isn't available right this very second. Patience is definitely a virtue in this work.
The Sorting Hat rains praise on Huffs [picture credit]
I'll teach the lot and treat them just them same
Inclusion and equality. Big players in the Library sector. A misunderstanding about this line is that you don't have to have anything special about you to be in Huff. It's exactly the opposite. Huff doesn't care if there's anything special about you or not at face value. When you first come to the Library desk, my job is to assume nothing and give everything possible. I wouldn't turn anyone away until they give me a reason to. The library concept treats everyone equally (or tries to) by giving everyone access to free materials, allowing everyone to share the same space and applying the same rules to everyone using that space. Rich, poor, struggling student, honours student, it's all the same to us.
Much smiling [picture credit]
The Badger
The house emblem. Badgers dig their homes, they dig for food. They do make good finders, (I know the fact that Hufflepuffs are good finders is a running joke from A Very Potter Musical, but it applies here :D). Give a Librarian enough time and we'll try our utmost to find what you need. At library school you're equipped with your searching tools and tactics, just as a badger is equipped with it's nose and claws at birth to find what it needs to survive. Also, "A badger ... has loosely fitting skin which makes it difficult for an antagonist to get a firm grip of a badger in a fight" (badgertrust.org.uk). Libraries have been under fire from cutbacks for years and years, but we haven't lost the battle yet. To back this up it's said somewhere the J. K Rowling chose the Badger for Huff because it is often underestimated, but when provoked can fight off animals much bigger than itself. Libraries are quite often underestimated. You should give us a chance :) Also, have you ever heard of a badger character in a book that's been evil? I can't think of one. (Would love to be corrected here though!)
Beautiful Huff illustration by Skaralett [picture credit]
So there you have it. Three traits that I think Hufflepuffs and Librarian's share. I personally think Ravenclaws would make great Librarian's too! Scary Madam Pince was a funny, stereotypical character, but Librarians now are usually much friendlier! We'll also probably have snacks to share too.
Over and out.
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