Here are the Library Specialties each MBTI type is likely to be found in based on interviews taken straight out of the MBTI Manual.
ISTJ – Cataloguer.
Enjoys:
- Deciding exact subject heading and classification of new works.
- Orderliness of the position.
- Working uninterruptedly in a quiet space.
ISFJ – Assistant Public Services Manager.
Enjoys:
- Planning and organizing events with the unofficial title of “project Queen”.
- Coordinating staffing needs and organizing training programs to meet those needs.
- Putting out a calendar of events.
- Bringing both heart and detail to their work.
INFJ – Reference Librarian.
Enjoys:
- Coming up with creative ways to meet customers needs “I can think of 50 ways to approach their need. I’ll make what I have here relate to their topic and show them how it does.”
- Seeing the patrons happy.
- Quiet activities such as paperwork tracking Library statistics.
INTJ – Collections and Acquisitions Head.
Enjoys:
- Developing and working with policies and procedures and identifying the need for new ones.
- Reviewing curriculum changes and their impact on the library.
- Monitoring the budget and moving money around to meet needs through paying attention to the big picture.
ISTP – Automation Specialist.
Enjoys:
- Keeping up with the latest equipment and Computer Applications.
- Using technology in their work.
- Teaching short courses on Computer Applications.
ISFP – Archivist.
Enjoys:
- Surrounding themselves with rare books and special documentations.
- Finding just what the patrons need to make them happy.
- Camaraderie with other staff.
INFP – Small Branch Library Manager.
Enjoys:
- Forming personal relationships with customers and enjoying their idiosyncrasies.
- Being part of the community and touching people’s lives.
- Building collaborations: “I see my library as not having any walls, both literally and figuratively.”
INTP – Acquisitions Specialist.
Enjoys:
- Analyzing what is needed in the library collection.
- Building high-quality collection through critiquing materials.
- Constantly searching for new knowledge.
- Having a quiet space in which to concentrate deeply.
ESTP – Technology Specialist.
Enjoys:
- Trying out and then adapting technologies to the library’s needs (as a “techno guinea pig”).
- Preparing and updating web pages.
- Teaching others how to use the technologies they have learned.
- Being away from their desk.
ESFP – Law Librarian.
Enjoys:
- Their colleagues and the friendships and teamwork they’ve developed.
- Variety of requests they get; “no two days are alike” and even the “law changes weekly.”
- Satisfaction of helping those lawyers find the information they need although “at times no answer exists and it’s hard to figure out when to stop!”
ENFP – Children’s Librarian.
Enjoys:
- Having a variety of duties and loving them all.
- Having freedom to move from area to area and learning something from each.
- Being creative such as developing Storytime kits for daycare providers.
ENTP – inter-Library loan Department Head.
Enjoys:
- Fielding whatever comes to them and seeing what people are wondering about.
- Determining what piece of the “library puzzle” fits a patrons needs.
- Having a variety of activities.
- Being on The “cutting edge” to better help customers.
ESTJ – Library Services Coordinator.
Enjoys:
- Planning how to provide services, thinking through various approaches and the consequences of decisions.
- Taking responsibility and efficiently following through.
- Keeping their technical skills and knowledge up-to-date so they can check the facts quickly.
ESFJ – Distance Learning Librarian.
Enjoys:
- Traveling on-site to teach others basic library skills including searching special indexes, evaluating information they find, and showing them how to order materials on their own.
- Helping students find needed resources using a personal touch.
- Providing whatever support faculty and students need.
ENFJ – Large Branch Library Manager.
Enjoys:
- Play a variety of roles such as “hostess, mother, social worker, promoter…”
- Encouraging the process of intellectual development in their patrons.
- Contributing to their staff’s own personal and professional development is including letting them make mistakes.
Entj – Library Director.
Enjoys:
- The information and systems aspects of their job: “Library work can be conceptualized as a flow, which can be done poorly or well, efficiently or inefficiently. It’s a series of events to be organized.
- Making decisions, especially about their own work.
- Staying on task, they are most bothered by personnel issues.
Source:
Myers, I. B. (2003). Mbti manual: a guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Mountain View, CA: CPP.
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Jetta Moon is an artist, writer and astrology blogger with a passion for creativity and psychology. He is also an enthusiast of MBTI theory and loves to research and write about what he learns. Jetta's background in creative writing has helped develop a unique and insightful perspective on the zodiac, which he shares with readers of this blog.
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