What is LRTSjerk? Complete Information

The name is a play on “librarianship” and the internet slang term “circlejerk,” referring to an echo chamber of inside jokes and self-congratulation. 

Origins

LRTSjerk started as a spinoff from the more serious /r/librarians subreddit on Reddit. A few members began making tongue-in-cheek jokes about some of the profession’s quirks and tropes. Realizing there was an appetite for lighter, humorous content about the field, they created the LRTSjerk community in 2021 to consolidate that type of commentary.

The Founding Principles

The founding principles of LRTSjerk are:

– Self-awareness about the field’s flaws and contradictions

– Using humor to build camaraderie and cope with workplace stress

– Providing a judgment-free space for insiders to vent and bond over shared experiences

Common Topics and Themes

Many of the most popular topics on LRTSjerk represent long-running jokes and pain points within librarianship, archives, museums, and related fields. These include:

– Debates over MLS/MLIS degree requirements

– Low salaries compared to qualifications 

– Unrealistic public perceptions about the work 

– Lack of diversity and representation

– Struggles to balance patron needs with internal policies

– Championing information access and intellectual freedom

– Navigating archaic cataloging and classification systems

– Coping with tight budgets and limited resources  

– Defending the relevance of libraries and archives

– Passionate fans of library sciences and history 

While satirically presented topics, they touch on real issues that information professionals grapple with. The humor and hyperbole allow members to connect over the shared laughs and frustrations. 

Who Joined the Community?

Based on usernames and flairs, the founding and most active members of LRTSjerk are early to mid-career librarians and archivists working in public, academic, school, and special libraries in the United States and Canada. However, information specialists from other countries and career stages also participate. 

Few students or new library school graduates appear to be involved, possibly due to some of the “inside baseball” jokes requiring familiarity with the field. Seasoned professionals likewise seem underrepresented compared to the demographic bulge of millennials. But overall, the community reflects a slice of younger, tech-savvy members eager to modernize certain aspects of library cultures.

Notable Aspects and In-Jokes

Like any niche community, LRTSjerk has developed its lore and running gags. These help distinguish insiders from outsiders and allow members to play off each other’s creativity. Some highlights include:

– Copy cataloger jokes (classification systems such as hieroglyphics, unfamiliar formats, etc.)

– MLIS vs. MLS wars and “What even IS information science?” debates

– Tall tales of outrageous patron requests and behaviors  

– Passive-aggressive policy suggestion notes

– Lurking archivist memes

– Librarian fantasy bracket battles (shushing sweet sixteen, book cart race to the finals, etc.)

– Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame nominations

– Hashtag awareness campaigns (#dustyourselfoff, #maliciouscompliance, etc.)

– Old guard vs. new guard generational conflicts

– Core value irony (neutrality vs. social justice, access vs. quality control, etc.)

– Petty bureaucratic power struggles

– Gentle roasting of prominent organizations (ALA, SAA, etc.) 

– Fanfiction-esque depictions of historical figures

This mix of user-generated content allows members to play with stereotypes and share cathartic laughs. It also reveals the creative talents hiding within the ranks of information organizations.  

Impact and Reception

LRTSjerk provides a fun outlet from their day-to-day workplace environments for most members. It builds solidarity and gives space to discuss topics that might otherwise seem improper. Some see the satirical tone as unprofessional and at odds with the fields’ ethics. Others argue it perpetuates stereotypes that hurt public perceptions and discourage newcomers. However, most critiques center on specific posts rather than the community’s existence.

LRTSjerk is unlikely to impact policy or public opinion as a niche subreddit. However, it reveals the underlying questions, tensions, and transitions across libraries, archives, and museums. In that sense, it could inspire self-reflection and evolution within the field.

The Future

For now, LRTSjerk remains a small but lively corner of the information profession. Its continued growth likely depends on the founders’ and moderators’ abilities between playful satire and meanspiritedness. Maintaining a supportive, constructive culture will help the community avoid the downfalls of so many popular subreddits.

However, LRTSjerk seems poised to thrive for years as a cathartic space for information specialists. Passionate workers will likely continue seeking humor and camaraderie around the peculiarities of this essential, evolving field.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, LRTSjerk is a subreddit that arose in 2021 as a spinoff from more serious library science communities on Reddit. It brings together information specialists to bond over lighthearted satire and commiseration around ordinary experiences in libraries, archives, museums, and related fields.

While not everyone approves of its approach, supporters see the community as a creative morale booster that allows professionals to vent about workplace frustrations. Through over-the-top humor and sly cultural commentary, members unpack real tensions around issues like MLS degrees, salaries, public perceptions, diversity, policy conflicts, tight budgets, and proving relevancy in the digital age.

The subreddit seems dominated by younger but established librarians and archivists in the US and Canada. Their inside jokes and running gags reveal a slice of the passion and anxieties confronting the future of these fields. Even if its direct impact is minimal, LRTSjerk could inspire constructive self-reflection about the premises underlying this indispensable but oft-misunderstood profession.

FAQs

Here are some potential frequently asked questions about LRTSjerk:

What does LRTS stand for?

LRTS stands for “Library, Records, and Technical Services.” It’s often used as shorthand to refer to librarianship and related fields.

Is LRTSjerk making fun of libraries and librarians?

Yes and no. The community pokes fun at factual tendencies within librarianship in a satirical way. But most members have passion for and commitment to the field. The humor comes from a place of familiarity more than scorn.

Who can join and participate in LRTSjerk? 

Anyone with a Reddit account can view and subscribe to the LRTSjerk subreddit. However, active posting seems concentrated among working professionals in libraries, archives, museums, etc. Students and outsiders may not connect with the inside jokes.

Is this kind of satire unprofessional for people in these serious fields?

Reasonable minds can disagree. Some see LRTSjerk as a harmless morale booster, while others view it as undermining norms of appropriateness. There are merits to both perspectives around the boundaries between personal and professional identities.

Does LRTSjerk impact anything in the real world?

Probably very little directly. A niche subreddit is unlikely to drive policy or public opinion. However, it could inspire self-reflection within the field about the topics members feel compelled to satirize and joke about. In that sense, it may reveal areas ripe for growth.