Pirates, Librarians, and Standards Development
“With the right motivation, even I will write a blog post on a dare. And the dare I got today was to write a post about what librarians and pirate captains have in common, and why it matters for standards development.”
(If you can’t have fun when writing, what’s the point?)
I’m sure you all want to know what on earth THAT conversation was about. It started with the desire to assign vanity titles to friends. One friend was assigned “Intrepid bass-playing sailor cyber warrior” (though that one is possibly still a work in progress). So, of course, I had to ask what my title would be.
She thought something pirate-based. I thought maybe mob boss was more appropriate. But, no: “Nah, you don’t rule through fear. You set rules, and then people come to learn that obeying the rules brings progress while disobeying the rules brings a walk down the plank. Very impersonal, no bloodshed, just terminal disapproval.” Which I read not so much as Pirate as Librarian, and in either case, reminds both of us of what the standards development process is like.
In a way, this builds on a post I wrote a few weeks ago about needing all kinds of people and skills to develop good standards.
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Librarians and pirates: unlikely comparisons
On the surface, librarians and pirates couldn’t be more different. One rules a quiet, organized room full of catalogues and classification systems. The other shouts orders across a storm-tossed deck, treasure map in hand.
But scratch at the stereotypes, and the similarities pop up:
- Both guard treasure — knowledge or gold.
- Both rely on codes that aren’t strictly laws, but that everyone learns to respect.
- Both lead crews (or patrons) who don’t always agree but who need to move in the same direction.
- And both know that without discipline, the whole ship — or library — quickly sinks.
Standards development, in its own way, needs a bit of both. Librarians bring order, taxonomies, metadata, and interoperability. Pirates bring the consequences: if you won’t play along with the standard, good luck finding allies or charting your course without a map.
Leadership characteristics
So what’s actually useful, whether you’re wrangling sailors, cataloguing a collection, or chairing a standards meeting?
- Ability to engage people so they pay attention. Whether it’s a weary deckhand, a confused student, or a standards group at the two-hour mark, keeping attention is half the battle.
- Ability to raise one eyebrow sternly. Every ship, library, or working group needs That Person. The person who has one eyebrow that says: “Are you sure you want to keep going down that path?” Sometimes it’s more effective than three paragraphs of meeting minutes.
- Ability to lead people to their own conclusions. Neither pirate captains nor librarians hand you the final answer. The captain points at the map and lets you realize the treasure’s yours to dig up. The librarian nudges you toward the right catalogue entry. In standards, this is the art of facilitation — nudging until consensus emerges.
What doesn’t work
- Leading purely through fear. Fear doesn’t build commitment — it drives people away. Pirates who rule by terror end up facing mutiny, and librarians who inspire only dread will find books mysteriously mis-shelved out of spite (I hate it when that happens). In standards, disengagement is fatal: if people only show up to avoid backlash, the work stalls and the draft sinks.
- Letting others set the tone of fear. A crew ruled by grudges goes nowhere, and a library ruled by petty turf wars becomes unusable. The same is true in standards: if flame wars and side agendas become scarier than the actual process, people stop showing up; without participation, no standard survives.
Romance, intrigue, and life
Obviously, this is a very romanticized version of a pirate (and of a librarian, for that matter). Real librarians don’t spend their time swashbuckling, and real pirates were often violent criminals (also without the swashbuckling). But when I’m not writing, editing, researching, or running meetings, I’m reading trashy romance novels. Romanticized life in my spare time is my idea of entertainment.
And maybe that’s the point: we bring our own metaphors and stories to how we think about leadership and collaboration. Whether you fancy yourself the stern-eyebrowed librarian or the captain with a plank, the truth is that standards need both. Someone to keep the ship steady, someone to keep the records straight, and all of us learning when to raise an eyebrow at just the right time.
Hopefully, this post made you smile. And if it didn’t, I have a Very Stern Look at the ready for you.
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Transcript
Introduction
00:00:31 Hello and welcome back to A Digital Identity Digest.
00:00:35 Today’s episode comes from a dare. And honestly, if you know me, you’ll understand that’s a very dangerous way to start anything.
The dare was simple: write a post about what librarians and pirate captains have in common and why that matters to standards.
How could I say no to that?
00:00:52 Because let’s be honest—if you can’t have fun with your writing, what’s the point?
Pirates and Librarians: Not So Different
00:00:57 At first glance, pirates and librarians couldn’t be more different.
- Pirates live on the high seas, sword in hand, shouting orders across storm-tossed decks.
- Librarians work in hushed halls, surrounded by catalogs and metadata, raising an eyebrow when needed.
And yet, if you look closely, there’s surprising overlap.
00:01:25 This all started with a conversation about vanity titles—those fun, unofficial roles we give each other.
- A friend was dubbed the Intrepid Bass-Playing Cyber Sailor Warrior.
- Mine was harder: pirate? mob boss? librarian?
00:02:06 The final suggestion landed: I don’t rule through fear—I set rules. And when followed, they bring progress. Ignore them, and… well, it’s a walk down the plank.
That sounded far less like a pirate and far more like a librarian—which is fitting, since I have a degree in library science.
Shared Treasures and Shared Codes
00:02:24 So, what do pirates and librarians actually do?
- Pirates guard treasure: gold, jewels, captured loot.
- Librarians guard knowledge: books, archives, collections, and digital resources.
00:02:42 Both operate according to a code.
- Pirates had their Pirate Code—rules about dividing loot, settling disputes, and running the ship.
- Librarians have cataloging standards, metadata schemas, and classification systems.
00:03:08 Neither set of rules carries the weight of law, but ignoring them leads to chaos.
00:03:19 And both depend on their crews. Pirates don’t sail alone; librarians don’t run libraries without staff, volunteers, and community support.
This is the essence of standards development:
- Gathering crews
- Establishing codes
- Protecting shared treasure (protocols, specifications, best practices)
Ignore the structure, and everything sinks fast.
The Keys to Leadership
00:03:39 So, what makes leadership work—whether on a ship, in a library, or in a standards group?
00:03:53 First: the ability to engage people.
- Pirates had to keep their crews motivated.
- Librarians help people navigate information overload.
- Standards leaders cut through noise and keep focus.
00:04:02 Second: the power of the raised eyebrow.
Every community has that one look that says: “Are you sure you want to go down that path?” Subtle signals can be powerful leadership tools.
00:04:22 Third: leading people to their own conclusions.
- Pirates pointed to treasure maps.
- Librarians point to catalogs and shelves.
- Standards leaders facilitate consensus rather than forcing agreement.
What Doesn’t Work
00:04:41 Now, let’s talk about what doesn’t work.
- Leading through fear. Fear breeds disengagement.
- Pirates who ruled by terror faced mutiny.
- Librarians who ruled by dread found books deliberately mis-shelved.
- In standards, disengagement kills progress.
- Letting others set the tone of fear.
- If grudges rule the ship, it goes nowhere.
- If turf wars rule a library, the whole community suffers.
- If flame wars dominate standards groups, the work halts.
Leaders must set the tone. If fear takes over, participation drops—and without participation, nothing survives.
Romanticizing the Metaphor
00:05:43 If you’ve stayed with me this long, you’re probably either giggling or dismayed.
Yes, this is a romanticized version of pirates and librarians.
- Real pirates were often violent criminals.
- Real librarians are not criminals—and do far more than raise their eyebrows.
00:06:13 But that’s exactly what makes the metaphor fun. We all bring our own stories into how we think about leadership and collaboration.
The Balance We Need
00:06:24 Whether you see yourself as a pirate captain, a librarian, or something in between, the truth is: standards need both.
- Someone to keep the ship steady.
- Someone to keep the record straight.
- And all of us knowing when to raise that well-timed eyebrow.
00:06:41 This episode was short—part reflection, part fun—but with a reminder: standards are made by people. People with quirks, with stories, and sometimes with pirate hats or card catalogs.
Closing Thoughts
00:06:56 Thanks for listening to A Digital Identity Digest.
If you enjoyed this episode:
- Subscribe and share it with someone who needs to know that standards don’t have to be boring.
- Connect with me on LinkedIn at @hlflanagan.
- Leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
00:07:14 You can also find the written post at sphericalcowconsulting.com.
Stay curious, stay engaged, and let’s keep these conversations going.
