Nerdfighters, Assemble!

Image obtained from Hannah Lindgren’s documentary website.

Being a librarian is, in my mind, all about making the world a better place, one book recommendation, reference question, or computer assist at a time. Our professional honor society, Beta Phi Mu, takes as its motto the Latin phrase Aliis inserviendo consumor, or, “consumed in the service of others.” I take that pretty darned seriously, in an exuberantly joyful way, and it feels good to go home at night knowing that I did my bit to improve the general quality of the universe, as opposed to, say, pumping a lot of chemicals into the environment or making cheap plastic doodads that will end up in a landfill.

This is why I love Nerdfighters. A group of people from all over the world, dedicated to the overall improvement of things, inspired by the joyful zaniness of the VlogBrothers, John and Hank Green, united by the magical internet, and unabashedly nerdy to boot? What’s not to love?

Here’s a more comprehensive explanation of Nerdfighters, courtesy of the Green brothers themselves:

If you’re smiling now, you won’t want to miss the Pittsburgh screening of the Nerdfighters documentary, A Film to Decrease Worldsuck, a documentary in which self-proclaimed “Nerdfighters” explore what and who a Nerdfighter is, where Nerdfighters came from and what they do. Produced, directed and edited by Hannah Lindgren as her senior honors thesis, this film is comprised of convention footage gathered by two primary videographers as well as crowd-sourced interviews and video from dozens of Nerdfighters.

When and where? Sunday August 18th, 5-8 p.m., in the Carnegie Museum of Art Theatre (use the museum entrance in the Main Library/museum parking lot). The Pittsburgh Area Nerdfighters group will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, so rummage around in your pantry and pack a bag for them (feed people, starve worldsuck). If you go, you’ll also be treated to the sound stylings of Lauren Fairweather and Matt Maggiacomo, plus Tonks and the Aurors. You’ll even have a chance to show off your trivia chops after the film, possibly netting yourself a copy of its poster with your mad skills. French the llama*, it’s going to be exciting!

And if you can’t make it? Please, spread this post around on Facebook or Twitter, using the hashtag #nerdfighterdocPGH. Prefer something more personal? Compose a sea shanty and sing about the film on your next Port Authority jaunt. Do an interpretive dance while holding up a sign in Schenley Plaza. Write the information in pen on your forehead and go make some new friends in a coffee shop. Or, you know, make up something that suits your own particular nerdy idiom. Heck, do all those things even if you can make it (but remember — pics, or it didn’t happen).

DFTBA,

Leigh Anne

*If that phrase gave you pause, you clearly skipped the video. I agree with John that it should become a thing.