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RocknRollaAyatollah posted:For those out there that are having problems finding a job, things will get better. Though the market is bad now, the economy failing has only shown people the importance of libraries and their continuing role within society. I think if the economy hadn't tanked, we would still be seeing the same problems or worse. I disagree somewhat. I'm a technologist, and from my perspective, a lot of what librarians do is being automated. While some hiring pickup may occur, I don't think staffing levels are ever going to be what they were before the Internet really took off, and salaries are simply not going to be at the same level they were - most of the jobs will be entry level clerking and shelving positions. You will not get paid 60 grand a year to human information dispenser. On the other hand, if you can do SQL, Web Design (HTML/CSS), and light programming you're probably golden. maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Nov 17, 2010 |
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Nov 17, 2010 17:53
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RocknRollaAyatollah posted:For those out there that are having problems finding a job, things will get better. Though the market is bad now, the economy failing has only shown people the importance of libraries and their continuing role within society. I think if the economy hadn't tanked, we would still be seeing the same problems or worse. There is a woman who calls the branch at which I volunteer, frequently. She wants some question answered related to some right-wing propaganda she heard on the radio. At the same time she'll drop spoon-fed anti-government sentiments, and one time she was nice enough that, when I was having trouble understanding what it was she wanted me to find out for her, said something along the lines of "I get it, you work for the government, so you can't help me, I understand," and hung up. To mention nothing about the hordes of old people coming in to get their O'Reilly and Beck (or Rand) fixes, rambling on and on about their anti-government, anti-tax propaganda without a hint of awareness of the irony of it. Will it get better in the near-term? Maybe. But maybe not, because some of the heaviest users of library services (and simultaneously, the most consistent voters) don't loving get it. It will get better in the long term because most of these people are very old. (edit: I'm assuming that those...ideologies...don't replenish their ranks, which could happen  )
VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Nov 17, 2010 |
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Nov 17, 2010 17:56
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GregNorc posted:I disagree somewhat. I'm a technologist, and from my perspective, a lot of what librarians do is being automated. While some hiring pickup may occur, I don't think staffing levels are ever going to be what they were before the Internet really took off, and salaries are simply not going to be at the same level they were - most of the jobs will be entry level clerking and shelving positions. You will not get paid 60 grand a year to human information dispenser. I agree with you on some level about reference services, but there are many other things librarians and related professions do that are not being, or cannot currently be, automated.
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Nov 17, 2010 18:24
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GregNorc posted:I disagree somewhat. I'm a technologist, and from my perspective, a lot of what librarians do is being automated. While some hiring pickup may occur, I don't think staffing levels are ever going to be what they were before the Internet really took off, and salaries are simply not going to be at the same level they were - most of the jobs will be entry level clerking and shelving positions. You will not get paid 60 grand a year to human information dispenser. Could not agree with you less. I'm an academic librarian, and the job has changed to match the times. Teaching information literacy skills has became essential. Thousands of undergrads come into my school each year with terrible information evaluation skills, thinking that google and wikipedia is all you need to do university-level research. In most institutions it falls to the librarians to teach them how to do research, to use complex research databases and advanced sources (particularly statistical and business sources at my school), to evaluate the sources they find, and the like. More automation and technology only means that having someone guide them through the sources is all the more important, and the profs certainly aren't doing that. Beyond that we have things like digitization projects and institutional repositories, and while traditional reference assistance is down somewhat, virtual reference has skyrocketed. More automation might result in less grunt-work behind the scenes for non-professionals (library staff). I could see cataloguing and acquisitions departments shrink as more information sources become electronic. But having professionals, trained in finding and evaluating information sources and passing those skills on to their users (i.e. traditional librarian roles), is needed more than ever. I won't make any grand pronouncements about whether the profession will grow or shrink in the future, but right now it is rolling along fine. I can't really speak for public libraries, but my impression is that they are used more than ever but, unfortunately, are still not really valued by the greater community for all that they do. DentArthurDent fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Nov 17, 2010 |
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Nov 17, 2010 19:40
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Waiting to hear if I can go back for a 2nd Bachelors degree with the GI Bill right now. Got my ILS Bachelors this past June, and seriously there is nothing around here hiring, unless you have a masters and 10+ years of experience. So, screw it. I'll go back to school, get a computer science bachelors to go along with my ILS degree, and get paid to do it. I figure if nothing else it would help me get into the technical side of librarianship.
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Nov 17, 2010 21:19
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DentArthurDent posted:I can't really speak for public libraries, but my impression is that they are used more than ever but, unfortunately, are still not really valued by the greater community for all that they do. I don't see why we even have libraries when you can have a computer and internet connection and a kindle at home. Books? Isn't that what we have bookstores for? What? There are people who can't afford that? Maybe they should get jobs. What do you mean they don't have Internet access so they can't get jobs? There's free wifi all over the place! What I'm trying to get at here is gently caress the poor. kombatMedik posted:Waiting to hear if I can go back for a 2nd Bachelors degree with the GI Bill right now. Got my ILS Bachelors this past June, and seriously there is nothing around here hiring, unless you have a masters and 10+ years of experience. So, screw it. I'll go back to school, get a computer science bachelors to go along with my ILS degree, and get paid to do it. I figure if nothing else it would help me get into the technical side of librarianship. In case you weren't aware, about 2/3 of publicly posted federal library jobs, at least for the last few months, are only open to "status candidates," which includes most veterans. VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Nov 17, 2010 |
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Nov 17, 2010 21:47
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VideoTapir posted:
Indeed. Even with that, I've been turned down by 20 jobs in the past 5 months.
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Nov 17, 2010 22:14
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kombatMedik posted:Indeed. Even with that, I've been turned down by 20 jobs in the past 5 months. Lightweight.
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Nov 17, 2010 23:58
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VideoTapir posted:Lightweight. I know 
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Nov 18, 2010 00:12
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I just want to stipulate that I'm not suggesting there will be a grand golden age of libraries or some bullshit. Just that a few years from now the economy will improve, at least in the US, and libraries will actually be able to hire replacements for retirees and new positions. Increased automation and a decrease in the amount of employees needed to maintain a facility is a fact of life in every industry. You just have to work harder to get a job when they become available. EDIT: Also, library funding is based on statistics. Thankfully rascal driving tea partiers have no say on the allocation of library funding. RocknRollaAyatollah fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Nov 19, 2010 |
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Nov 19, 2010 04:18
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RocknRollaAyatollah posted:EDIT: Also, library funding is based on statistics. Thankfully rascal driving tea partiers have no say on the allocation of library funding. Yeah, good point. The more times Atlas Shrugged gets checked out, the more important the public library looks.
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Nov 19, 2010 05:22
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Well, I finally got my first email informing me that I wasn't being considered for the job I applied for. It can only go up from there. 
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Nov 24, 2010 22:36
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I kept a notebook with locations and job titles and closing dates. Every time I got one of those, I crossed it off the list. My last big wave of rejections ended about a week ago.
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Nov 24, 2010 23:31
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RocknRollaAyatollah posted:EDIT: Also, library funding is based on statistics. Thankfully rascal driving tea partiers have no say on the allocation of library funding. Where I come from, library funding (for a population of 800,000) is dependent on the whims of five rich old white people who are sucking up to those rascal driving tea partiers like there is no tomorrow.
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Nov 25, 2010 06:18
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Mary Annette posted:Where I come from, library funding (for a population of 800,000) is dependent on the whims of five rich old white people who are sucking up to those rascal driving tea partiers like there is no tomorrow. Why does the library need so much money? Why doesn't the library have more copies of Pinheads and Patriots?
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Nov 25, 2010 06:26
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We have people arguing against a new branch being built (well, a building to replace an existing one that is falling apart), arguing that the funds should be spent on education (I guess libraries aren't part of education but I digress) instead. 1) The funds for such a project come entirely from the dedicated library millage tax, and therefore aren't transferable to non-library spending, and 2) these are the same people who argue in favor of things like school vouchers. So first we should take the money away from public schools, and then we should give it back from somewhere else? 
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Nov 25, 2010 07:09
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I wish I lived in a country where retarded conservatives didn't have so much power.
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Nov 25, 2010 15:06
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Well, I still haven't found any luck in getting entry level work. I'm thinking of moving near my school's campus next year and going for a TA so that at least I won't have to pay tuition for my last year. I thought being a distant student would make the search for work easier, but it turns out that UTK only has about 15 or so on-campus students enter each semester, while the 50 to 60 other students are distant. Does anyone have experience working in their school's library while being a student in a LIS program, and is there a preference for LIS students for jobs in the library over other students?
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Dec 15, 2010 20:40
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Lee Harvey Oswald posted:Well, I still haven't found any luck in getting entry level work. I'm thinking of moving near my school's campus next year and going for a TA so that at least I won't have to pay tuition for my last year. I thought being a distant student would make the search for work easier, but it turns out that UTK only has about 15 or so on-campus students enter each semester, while the 50 to 60 other students are distant. Does anyone have experience working in their school's library while being a student in a LIS program, and is there a preference for LIS students for jobs in the library over other students? I don't work in one of my University's libraries, but have many peers who do. At least at my school (University of Illinois, so a large Library program), there is definitely a preference for MLS students. Most of the library positions are actually Graduate Assistant positions, which are usually open only to MLS students.
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Dec 16, 2010 01:43
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Doc Faustus posted:I don't work in one of my University's libraries, but have many peers who do. At least at my school (University of Illinois, so a large Library program), there is definitely a preference for MLS students. Most of the library positions are actually Graduate Assistant positions, which are usually open only to MLS students. This is true at my school (LSU) as well. Good luck!
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Dec 16, 2010 02:52
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There are several positions where you only get to do the "fun" stuff if you're a library student. And lots of librarians prefer to have an underling who knows the jargon.
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Dec 16, 2010 03:55
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Doc Faustus posted:I don't work in one of my University's libraries, but have many peers who do. At least at my school (University of Illinois, so a large Library program), there is definitely a preference for MLS students. Most of the library positions are actually Graduate Assistant positions, which are usually open only to MLS students. This was my experience at Indiana University as well. Go for it!
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Dec 16, 2010 04:38
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Mary Annette posted:This was my experience at Indiana University as well. Go for it! Sup Hoosier bud. (Gal?) Applying this year for MIS. What did you think about the program? Edit: There are a poo poo ton of IU people on this forum.
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Dec 16, 2010 06:06
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Dishwasher posted:Sup Hoosier bud. (Gal?) Applying this year for MIS. What did you think about the program? The office staff at SLIS are all super-helpful, but your faculty advisor is guaranteed to be useless. I went MLS, and it was total cake. That doesn't bother me, I knew it would be cake going in. The fact that SLIS has no thesis requirement, plus in-state tuition, pretty much sealed my career path. Lucked into a graduate assistantship a month into my first semester, and with the help of summer courses and good planning, finished my degree in 18 months. If there is any space in your schedule, take at least one course in the Lilly library, even if you don't plan on going into archive or museum work. I don't know what's more amazing, the incredibly rare stuff in their collection, or the fact that they let everyone handle it.
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Dec 17, 2010 05:10
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Why do librarians love Delicious.com?
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Dec 17, 2010 15:11
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Insane Totoro posted:Why do librarians love Delicious.com? Social Web 2.0 Mashup Online! Folksonomy! User tagging!  I never figured out why anyone would use delicious, and now that it's dead I don't have to!
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Dec 17, 2010 17:01
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Mary Annette posted:The office staff at SLIS are all super-helpful, but your faculty advisor is guaranteed to be useless. I went MLS, and it was total cake. That doesn't bother me, I knew it would be cake going in. The fact that SLIS has no thesis requirement, plus in-state tuition, pretty much sealed my career path. Thanks. Where are you working or planning on working since you're done? And what kind of luck are the Information Science people having with finding jobs? I know that's the more technical major they offer. Last, how hard was it to get in? I have decent GRE scores and a good GPA but the program don't require submitting a GRE if you're GPA is above a 3.0.
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Dec 17, 2010 17:23
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Dishwasher posted:Thanks. Where are you working or planning on working since you're done? And what kind of luck are the Information Science people having with finding jobs? I know that's the more technical major they offer. Last, how hard was it to get in? I have decent GRE scores and a good GPA but the program don't require submitting a GRE if you're GPA is above a 3.0. It was easy to get in, but make sure your paperwork is in order. I was four years out of undergrad, and my work references were all in a foreign country, so getting the required letters of recommendation was a bit dicey. If I had to do it again, I would definitely go MIS. Programming, information architecture, and web design skills can be effectively utilized in almost any position, and there's nothing that stopping you from taking any 'traditional' courses you are interested in. Don't know anything about the job market now beyond 'everything sucks'. I knew right from the start that public librarianship was for me because I found the research, teaching, and publishing requirements for tenure-track academic positions completely asinine.
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Dec 17, 2010 23:32
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Mary Annette posted:It was easy to get in, but make sure your paperwork is in order. I was four years out of undergrad, and my work references were all in a foreign country, so getting the required letters of recommendation was a bit dicey. I applied to their PhD program in informatics (seperate dept, more of a focus on applied research... not the biggest program but they have people who study the tiny niche I do research in. I'd love to hear from anyone who knows about the dept (or just has heard things about it). maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Dec 18, 2010 |
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Dec 18, 2010 02:25
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I've been volunteering at a local library since May, and am thinking of asking the librarian about paid positions. Is it common for volunteers to be hired in the libraries they work, and would it be considered kosher for a volunteer to ask about paid positions? I guess I'm the stereotypical timid librarian personality.  And I don't want to brag, but I think I'm the fastest shelver they have. 
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Dec 28, 2010 22:42
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Lee Harvey Oswald posted:I've been volunteering at a local library since May, and am thinking of asking the librarian about paid positions. Is it common for volunteers to be hired in the libraries they work, Yes. quote:and would it be considered kosher for a volunteer to ask about paid positions? I guess I'm the stereotypical timid librarian personality. Probably varies from place to place somewhat, depending on local and state laws, and how corrupt and/or nepotistic the local government is and how involved the library is in that. But around here, the only advantage you can get as an insider is knowing about the position before the application period opens. (And even then, it's never certain the position will materialize until they start advertising it.) The new hire at the branch at which I volunteer was also volunteer at some point. I don't think everyone was, but it really can't hurt. (Unless they hate you but can't say no to free labor.)
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Dec 28, 2010 23:50
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Doc Faustus posted:Social Web 2.0 Mashup Online! Folksonomy! User tagging! I blame Meredith Farkas. PS - Greetings to my fellow Simmons
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Jan 2, 2011 04:06
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Well, I had an interview with the library I volunteer with for a minimum wage part-time page job, and didn't get it. I'm just about ready to give up on this profession and use my masters for something technical, because I'm getting tired of this bullshit.
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Jan 8, 2011 21:46
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Lee Harvey Oswald posted:Well, I had an interview with the library I volunteer with for a minimum wage part-time page job, and didn't get it. What places have you seen hiring for technical positions that list an MLIS as an educational option?
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Jan 8, 2011 23:23
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Lee Harvey Oswald posted:Well, I had an interview with the library I volunteer with for a minimum wage part-time page job, and didn't get it. Overqualified. Why, they'll lose you when the first good opportunity comes along! That will surely be a short while from now.
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Jan 9, 2011 03:14
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The unfortunate path of my undergraduate career has pigeon-holed me into a biology education major. It is basically the same curriculum as a BS in biological with the addition of education courses and a semester of teaching in a public county school. I live and go to school near what has been stated to be the best library school in the US, UNC-Chapel Hill (go Tarheels!  ). I am currently working in the archives section of my university's library, processing, cataloging, and shelving architectural collections for the past six months. I have talked a great deal about LIS with my supervisor who graduated from UNC. She says that in addition to not being a "job hungry English major," having my current experience in archiving (plus Archivist Toolkit) increases my chances of getting in as well as supplementing my competitiveness in the job market.I am at a quandary in deciding what to do post-grad: teach or library school? I am more attracted to more school, even if it means putting off paying my exorbitant financial aid loans and accruing more debt, because I am apprehensive about teaching biology to a classroom of possibly unruly brats. One pro about LIS at UNC is that I get a $20k stipend while I am at school for working in a library while obtaining my MLIS degree. I ultimately desire to work within a progressive university when I am done "growing-up" for which LIS looks like the best path. However this thread is discouraging me further. The job market and pay in both education and LIS looks like poo poo (LIS even more so than teaching). tl;dr?: LIS or teach high school? Which sucks less? Also, would taking some online LIS coursework before applying to UNC further my chances of getting in?
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Jan 9, 2011 11:42
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IMO LIS sucks less. But it also might pay less (depending of course on the teaching salary and the LIS position you get and what it pays). In the public library system where I work, a whole lot of people are former teachers, because they didn't like it and they got out. The reasons they didn't like it range from stress (often induced by standardized test scores), despair at the education system and students' home lives, constant conflict with students and/or administration, one's entire life being consumed by the job (during the school year, anyway), etc. That said, the job is not all bad. There is usually at least one kid in each class that keeps you motivated. And I came to like and care for nearly all of my students (as people if not as students). My most important contribution for the year I did it was not that I'd tried to teach them Spanish (very little of which they actually learned), but that I was a positive (male) role model. The kids where I was teaching needed it. So, while teaching is much more demanding than LIS, many would say it is also more fulfilling. It's all about what you want out of your job/career/life. Personally, the most important difference between the two is that the librarian gets to go home at the end of the day, while the teacher takes all kinds of work/baggage home and never stops thinking about it. (This was my experience, anyway; YMMV.) This made me miserable, so that's why I didn't keep doing it. edit: And FWIW, public librarians where I work get paid about $5K less to start than teachers. But school librarians get paid more (because they are considered like teachers with additional expertise). I don't know what other types of librarians around here make. By the way, my impression of school librarianship is that it's a really sweet job--you get paid more than a teacher, with less responsibility/work to do, and you get teachers' holidays (e.g. summer). manguero fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Jan 9, 2011 |
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Jan 9, 2011 18:54
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gently caress, gently caress, gently caress. Now I see UTK bursar's office has instituted a distance education maintenance fee, which seems to double my tuition for the semester. This better be an error because the bursar's office explicitly states that the distance fee is only $46 per hour. Of course I find out about this the day before fees are due, and my classes will be canceled unless I pay the difference, which I don't have because I can't find a loving library job in the first place. Those cocksucks better not cancel tomorrow because of snow, or they better extend the deadline for payment or I'll be hosed. Maybe this is a sign to get out of this bullshit. I'm getting really tired of academia.
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Jan 11, 2011 00:06
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As promised, heads up on a posted position at my uni:UBC Library posted:
Check the careers page if you're interested, the full posting should be up later today. Also since you'd be my immediate boss you will probably have to buy me some chocolates or something. Also there's a job there for a Chinese Language archivist, but it's temporary. Edit: actual job posting Edit2: Another posting, e-Resource and Access Librarian. What recession? Tad Naff fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Jan 14, 2011 |
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Jan 13, 2011 20:20
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Out of curiosity, does anyone here know the history of the Cutter-Sanborn table? I work with it all day and can't help wondering how the creators knew how to assign which letter combinations to which numbers. Did they work with the current (i.e., 1969) LC catalog, or with census data, or what? Like, in the Ts...Tulloch is split into two numbers: "Tulloch" is 919 and "Tulloch M" is 921. Where did the creators get the data to tell them that there were so many Tullochs that two numbers were needed? Why does "Theveni" have its own number (417) and "Theveno" have its own number (418), while at the same time the table jumps from "Tro" (843) to "Trog" (844)? How did they know there weren't enough "Trob"s, "Trod"s, etc. to warrant their own numbers? These are the questions that nag at me while I catalog. 
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Jan 19, 2011 16:31
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