With Liberty and Justice for All, except Me
In what has become an increasingly difficult, frustrating search for employment in the library field, which I imagine is akin to looking for the Holy Grail or the Lost Ark, I was greeted with an email that read as follows: (Note: all names have been deleted and changed to protect, namely, me.)

Hello Kingmob.

I have received your application for the law reference librarian position. I
am at a conference in Richmond, so I may not be able to respond too quickly
until next week.

I would like to arrange to talk with you over the telephone next week about
the position. What time would be good for you next week?

I look forward to talking with you.

Mr. X
Information & Technology Librarian
Liberty University School of Law

Sounds promising, right? Well, think again. In what amounted to a misguided attempt at applying for a job that, on the outside, sounds incredibly interesting, challenging, and right up my alley, I took myself out of contention for the position mentioned above for various reasons, which I will document below.

First off, to provide some context, the ad for the position appeared in my inbox courtesy of a list-serv I subscribe to that is devoted to law libraries, both private and academic. The ad, which is rather long, read as follows:

Reference Librarian
Liberty University School of Law Library
Lynchburg, Virginia

The Law Library at Liberty University School of Law is seeking a Reference
Librarian. LU School of Law is a new law school committed to academic and
professional excellence in the context of the Christian intellectual
tradition. The inaugural class will begin orientation on August 19, 2004 and
classes will begin August 25, 2004. The Reference Librarian will join a
growing staff of five, which currently includes three professional
librarians. This position reports to the Director of the Law Library.

Responsibilities: This is a new position in a new law library at a new law
school. The Reference Librarian will have a unique opportunity to establish
and significantly direct all public services offered by the Law Library. The
Reference Librarian will have primary responsibility for provision of
extensive reference and research services in a technologically advanced
environment.

The Reference Librarian will provide legal research instruction in the
Center for Lawyering Skills, and conduct research workshops, advanced
research classes and instruction in other forums. The Reference Librarian
will author research guides and other instructional and promotional
materials in print and electronic formats, participate in collection
development, assist in developing library policies and procedures, and may
participate in developing the Law Library Web presence.

Qualifications and Experience: Candidates must have a mastery of legal
research sources and techniques using both print and electronic materials,
database and Internet searching expertise, and knowledge of current
information delivery methods and publishing formats. The successful
candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills, a
strong service orientation, a commitment to continuous improvement and
innovation, and the ability to work in a collegial and cooperative
environment. Candidates must be flexible and interested in assisting with a
wide range of duties necessary to open a new law library. Experience in an
academic law library environment is highly desirable. An MLS from an
ALA-accredited institution is required; JD strongly preferred.

Salary and Benefits: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and
experience. Liberty University offers a competitive benefits package.

Available: August 1, 2004.

To apply: Send a letter expressing your interest in the position along with
a current resume and the names of three references to (Deleted)

Liberty University School of Law, as a new school, is neither fully nor
provisionally approved by the American Bar Association. The Dean is fully
informed as to the Standards and Rules of Procedure for the Approval of Law
Schools by the American Bar Association. The Administration and the Dean are
determined to devote all necessary resources and in other respects to take
all necessary steps to present a program of legal education that will
qualify for approval by the American Bar Association. The law school makes
no representation to any applicant that it will be approved by the American
Bar Association prior to the graduation of any matriculating student. The
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia granted approval to Liberty
University to confer the Juris Doctor degree.

Liberty University School of Law recognizes the image of God inherent in all
people and thus the dignity of all members of the human family. The law
school prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, or status as a veteran. The law school is open
to all persons whose conduct does not undermine its historic Christian
character and who respect and abide by the mission, goals, and policies of
the school of law.

Having read this ad, I was struck, as I'm sure most everyone else was, by the terms "Christian Intellectual Tradition" and the entire last paragraph. Apparently, everyone subscribing to the list-serv was struck by the last paragraph as well, and took it to be an offensive, racially intimidating, and, in some instances, illegal set of requirements that, if read correctly, provided the university the right to refuse applicants for consideration. Some replies stated that they assumed that anyone who may be, for instance, Jewish, homosexual, or any other trait, wouldn't be welcome in applying for the position. This, to me, sounded like a rather off-the-cuff reaction that served as a way to generate controversy and discussion rather than an actual concern for the legality of the way in which the ad was worded and how the position itself would most likely be filled. On a sidenote, this entire episode is an example of how conversations via email or any other discussion forum can spiral out of control. It's a phenomenon that I've witnessed many times before, and I assume this won't be the last time.

As for the former term, "Christian Intellectual Tradition" and its counterpart "Christian Legal Tradition," it seems to assert, from what I could glean from their site, that the courses offered at this university are framed within the context of Christian Doctrine and that the law itself derives not from man himself but originates in God, Who in turn bestows this knowledge upon us. Fine, this is something that I don't necessarily agree with or see as being relevant, but I'm sure some people few deconstruction or any of the literary premises that I subscribe to in much the same way. All in all, this sounds like a curriculum that I could live with being surrounded by; I might not like it or agree with it, but I don't know that it would actually be that uncomfortable for me to have to work in that type of environment.

After the discussion snowballed into its inevitable conclusion, Mr. X posted a reply to the list encouraging those interested in the school to look at their website for the Liberty University School of Law. Also, he pointed out that the ad was placed on this list-serv because it is a public list that encourages job postings. As one would expect, the conversation died quickly after that since their was little or no ammunition left to generate offense and outrage. So, with all this in mind, I figured I would apply just to see what would happen. I sent my materials via email and waited for a response. As posted above, I received one.

Before I sent a reply, I sought the counsel of several of my superiors. I received several differing opinions regarding the school itself, the controversy surrounding the ad, and the true meaning of the ad and the intent of the school. One piece of advice that didn't differ, however, was that I should at least talk to the gentleman to see what I could find out. Well, before I had a chance to send a reply, my phone rang. The proceeding conversation was one of the most disjointed exchanges I've ever had over the phone.

It started off innocently with the question about why I applied and what interested me in the job. As anyone in my position will tell you, their immediate response might be to shoot back, "I just need a job." I didn't do this, but what I did tell the man was that I was intrigued by the possibility of working in a new library supporting a new law school. This was where I erred immediately. This was not the type of answer I was supposed to give regarding the job, and I could tell immediately by the change in tone. What followed was a back and forth exchange that provided me with little or no information that clarified any of my questions regarding the requirements of the position and how "religiously tainted" my advice would have to be to perform my task as a reference librarian. I know the expectations of a reference librarian in an academic law library, but this, I assumed, would be different due to the ever present "Christian Legal Tradition." Mr. X seemed to feel that he was providing me with answers in a roundabout way, but the uncertainty in his voice betrayed his confidence in his answers. Any time someone concludes by saying, "Does that help or make things more confusing?" you know you're not receiving clear-cut information that will educate you. I wouldn't go so far as to label this "doublespeak," but it was much more confusing in nature than one would assume that someone whose main task is to provide concise answers to complex questions could and should provide.

The main sticking point regarding the position's requirements dealt with the issue of professing one's faith and demonstrating one's ability to quote Scripture, neither activity of which I would be able to pull off convincingly had I wanted. In this, I found that best course of action would be to end the conversation right there by making it clear to him that, in no uncertain terms, that I would not be able to provide the "right" answers regarding these and other religiously oriented questioning. Thus, I took myself out of contention and hung up the phone.

What irks me the most about this is that I've had so little success in applying for jobs that when one does reply it has to be connected to an organization that is affiliated with a man who I feel is offensive, intolerant, and downright morally reprehensible, Jerry Falwell. Falwell just happens to be the founder and chancellor of this fine university. Short of being contacted by a group adhering to the basic tenants of fascism or the Nazi party, I couldn't think of a more intolerant individual to work for or be responsible to in any way, shape or form. I can say that I didn't lose anything, money or time, by applying to this position, but I wish that I would appeal to someone other than a fanatically religious university that indoctrinates their students in ways that are beyond my ability to comprehend.