Guide to Librarian Jobs and Education

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Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

So you want to be a librarian? Then you're in the right place!

Welcome to the "Guide to Librarian Jobs and Education, summarized best as:

jdonz posted:

Are you fluent in both JavaScript and Klingon? If yes, you can be a librarian too!

Quick Answers to Questions People Always Ask

1. No, you don't need a library degree to work in library IT support. It helps if you know your client base though (as always).

2. Wanting to be a librarian because "you like to read" is a terrible reason to be a librarian. In a serious library job you probably end up reading LESS than you did before.

3. Yes it is a "three mint juleps a day MINIMUM" kind of job at times. People hate you for sucking up tax/tuition dollars and "peddling books." And the enemies of those people think that "everything is online" and that what you need is a hip Starbucks cafe and some Xbox Ones.

4. Yes there are jobs but it takes a lot of time, money, education, and commitment to break into the field. It's not nearly as bad as say... law.

5. No, it's not required you own a cat sweater.

Well, cut out that "I wanna be a librarian" and go get yourself into a career field where you'll be happier, wealthier, and far more content with your coworkers.

Just. Don't.

Let it be reiterated over and over that a lot of the jobs being filled now are by people who either have preexisting experience or have done their three to six years in entry level jobs already. If you have the passion to keep at it for that long and wait that long for a professional level job.... Well that's your choice.

The only exception to that rule is for someone who might have a truly unique skill set and would be considered an expert in their field INDEPENDENT of any library school education. Such as an experienced coder, multilingual archivist, etc etc. And if you're really one of those people then you can actually get in line and hopefully get a job!

Okay, you still want to be a librarian? Alright, well let's go down the checklist. Please note that while this is a US-centric guide a lot of the same advice applies to other countries as well.

1. Do you have a PhD or Master's degree?

If no, it's unlikely you'll find an academic librarian job. The job market is extremely limited and you'd be competing against people who have post-undergraduate research experience.

2. Are you currently working/volunteering/enslaved at a library and there's room for advancement?

If yes, then alright you have a good chance at moving up in the ranks since you have your foot in the door. This is especially true for public libraries (but is applicable to all library types) because people aren't retiring and if there's no job openings in your region then you're going to be going to library school for no reason..... and you can't even get a volunteer position.

3. Do you have a teaching degree or are otherwise a certified teacher?

If yes, congratulations, you have the qualifications to be a school librarian. Too bad that most of those jobs (and school libraries themselves) are being cut. But these jobs still exist so it's not IMPOSSIBLE to get hired as a school librarian.

4. Are you willing to go back to "graduate" school and get a Master's degree in Library Information "Science" and incur more debt?

This is important. The job market has a glut of candidates with LIS degrees from American Library Association accredited universities and without one of those fancy pants MLIS degrees, you're not going anywhere. Sure the degree itself is fluffy and rarely involves original research, but it's the "gatekeeper" to the profession.

5. Do you have a ton of technology proficiencies?

I can't emphasize how important this is because a lot of people think this means "Yeah I can handle Excel and MS Word" but this really means "Do you have at least an intermediate grasp of HTML, digital archiving, teaching digital literacy, etc. etc. etc." and the list goes on. If you're a halfway competent webmaster, coder, database admin, statistician, etc you will basically become a wolf among sheep in the library job market.

6. Or maybe a really good handle on foreign language skills?

The same goes for people who have high levels of proficiency in the "big" languages like Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and so on. It's literally the difference between "well, maybe we need someone to help check out books once a week" and "hey, you'd be a good candidate for assisting our local disadvantaged immigrant group" or "that's awesome, you can help manage our East Asian literature collection."

**********************************************

Well, if you've made it this far, then I guess you answered the questions above and you're still interested in the field. Alright, but it's harder to answer WHY you should be a librarian. It's nothing like the movies where you sit around and check out books and read a lot. So let us go over some of the basic librarian jobs.

REFERENCE LIBRARIAN

If you enjoy the idea of connecting people with information and find satisfaction in achieving that moment where someone goes "AHA!" and goes off to do great things with your help.... then hey maybe you'll fit in here as a reference librarian. This means that you need breadth of knowledge in the area you'll be working in and although you don't have to be an expert, you have to at least understand what's out there.

For example, if you're a public librarian you'll need to know your local history, what the schoolchildren are big on doing reports on, how to teach technology skills to people who have none, and even how to help people with their taxes and job applications!

In an academic library, this means it is required that you have a strong grasp of research skills in academia, the major publications of your subject field (whether math, science, psychology, history, etc), how to communicate on a scholarly level with professors, and maybe even publish in the field yourself! Not for the faint of heart.

However, please note that you can work at a customer hell desk without having to be a librarian and if you want to work in scholarly research you can just go to grad school for that field anyway!

I'll let VideoTapir's wise words speak for themselves on this career track:

VideoTapir posted:

Reference librarian is the ideal job for know-it-all types. There are niches for generalists and specialists (I've not met many who were in between). In public and school libraries you'll almost always feel like you're doing something important, as they're basically the emergency backup to our education systems.

They're also places where if you want it you can have a lot of contact with the public in a customer-service-type context except almost everyone you meet actually wants to be there.

Reference librarian (like at an actual, active reference desk, not my lovely job where they used that title as a rank) is pretty much the best job ever. Learn something new every day without even trying.

DIGITAL LIBRARIAN/ARCHIVIST and SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIAN

A lot of what librarians do can also involve preserving our past and archiving what's being actively published/printed/created/etc. in the present. There's a lot of work to be done in archives, whether in physical media or digital format. You'll have to collect materials, preserve them, perhaps digitize them, catalog them, make sure they're discoverable by the people who need to see them, manage people who bring drinks into your archive, and deal with the knowledge that if you screw this up that important things may be forever lost.

However, please note that you can be an archivist or museum professional without having to be a librarian.

Giant Metal Robot speaks a little on this career track:

Giant Metal Robot posted:

Speaking as a digital preservation person, you should want to be a librarian if you're interested in helping people make amazing things, and then trying to make those amazing things resilient to changes in technology, economics, usability, etc.

This came to my inbox today. http://robustlinks.mementoweb.org/spec/ Think of how much stuff we link to with the assumption that it will stay in the same place, but it won't (i.e. waffleimages). More than 30% of URL's cited in legal opinions/rulings are dead already. Encouraging the use of tools like this in ETD deposits, student legal journals, and other places starts a culture where information isn't as fragile as it is today.

TECH SERVICES LIBRARIAN

These are the people who keep the servers running, the library website up to date, run the front end of the library catalog, deciding which darn books (and all the other media types) get into the library and how you get them, cataloging said items, and running the integrated library system (ILS) which all look like they were made in the 90s and are basically always breaking down or somehow lack critical functionality.

This particular branch of librarianship can include people who work on:

Collection Development/Selection: People who pick the books
Acquisitions: Ferengi who buy the books and track the expenses because KNOWLEDGE EQUALS PROFIT
Cataloging/Organization: Librarians that organize the things from Selection and Acquisitions so people can find them.
Preparation/Mending: The folks that prepare (add barcodes, etc) to the items organized by the Cataloging people and eventually end up repairing them too
Learning/Education Technology: You make sure that the scanners, VHS players, Dreamcasts, and Wiimotes are working in the library.

So if yelling about "the 035 MARC fields are all wrong in this record" or doing a ton of paperwork appeal to you, this is the job for you! You're the one who gets to make sure things work behind the scenes so the reference librarians can do their job! You're also the person who runs the front and back end of all the technology in the library.

However, please note that you can be an IT person without having to be a librarian.

**********************************************

GOING TO LIBRARY SCHOOL

If all of that still appeals to you then all I can say is "for the love of God, go to an ALA accredited institution." The biggest mistake people do is go get some library degree/certificate from some school nobody has heard of and the hiring committee will toss your resume into the trash because there's a hundred applicants who do have ALA accredited degrees.

Feel free to browse through the official American Library Association list of accredited institutions: http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/directory

(Yes they all really are that expensive)

Also, it has been the experience of many librariangoons that the MLIS actually is a degree that rarely prepares you adequately for the jobs out there. The degree focuses a lot on the theoretical (often useless) topics and infrequently on the actual day to day skills required on the job. So still want to be a librarian?

So if I haven’t convinced you yet to not go to library school, we should also have a frank discussion about job prospects. Most MLIS graduates don’t get a library job in their immediate geographic area and even if you are willing to relocate, there’s an absolute glut of recent graduates out on the job market. And a lot of the jobs out there ask for obscenely qualified candidates for middling or low pay because…. well, they can because if you don’t take the job someone else will.

Also, some regions have a particular like or dislike of even ALA accredited schools. Ask around before you apply. As in ask actual professional librarians. The professors might hold the title of librarian but might be far removed from day to day work.

That being said, some ALA accredited schools have entirely online programs for a MLIS degree (yes an entirely online program for a Master's degree, accredited by THE professional organization for the industry) that don't even require you to leave your mom's basement. And yes this is as good as an in person program, both in terms of resume and skills learned.

And get as much experience as you can when you're in school:

Chairman Pow! posted:

After having been on a ton of hiring committees for an academic library, make sure you do internships/practicums while in school. Those are great places to learn actual practical skills and make great connections. I see a ton of applicants with no actual experience, so they really can make a difference in getting your resume extra consideration.

*********************************************

FINDING A LIBRARY JOB

Your basic professional librarian job will ask for:

-A MLIS Master’s degree from an ALA accredited institution
-Three to five years of prior related job experience
-A mix of quantifiable data/technology/coding/metadata/etc. skills

And academic/special library positions will ask on top of that:

-Additional Master’s or PhD in a related field
-Quantifiable research experience/publications

We aren’t joking about those qualifications. Feel free to browse the list of open positions via the ALA JobList: http://joblist.ala.org/

So how do you fill the three to five years of experience? And there are no entry level jobs?

1. Do grunt work as a paraprofessional/volunteer for laughable/low/no pay
2. Give up

But as an addendum, check if your region has a local library association. The only way to get an "in" is to be involved and to meet people and to have the connections to hear about jobs before the applicant pool gets stupid huge. Volunteer as underappreciated association officer/whatever and put that on your resume! And meet people at the association events you work at! Librarians are very aware of people that put forth the effort. And we've all been there. So do the work and suffering and maybe you'll meet one of us or someone else who you can network with! Yes I know that helping to host a local librarian knit-n-greet can be weird but that's just how it is in our industry.

There are also plenty of jobs posted on sites such as:

Special Libraries Association: http://careercenter.sla.org/jobs
“I Need a Library Job”: http://inalj.com/

klockwerk also posted a nice little guide on jobs:

klockwerk posted:

Subscribe/check up on the following for job postings:

INALJ (I Need A Library Job) - Go here, bookmark whatever. Some provincial pages are run better than others (The persons behind Saskatchewan are right on top of things, not sure how they do it. Meanwhile other pages suffer a terrible lack of updates - either because no job postings or lazy editors).

The Partnership Job Board - You can set up email alerts by registering. Most (90%?) librarian job postings will end up on here.

The Canadian Library Association also has this handy list. You may also want to consider joining just as a way to keep tabs on the library/librarian community. Consider individual provincial and other associations as well, here's a list.

A little more information on what exactly you're looking for, where you're from, and what your qualifications are might be a little more helpful in regards to helping you out. I can't tell if you're asking for job posting info (above), experience to have, resume advise, interview advise, or whatever.

Generally, based on my friends' experience (mostly recent Western graduates), it's a lot of cover-letter writing and resume submitting. Some went for months submitting hundreds of applications and very infrequently getting responses. However, their hard work eventually pays off (most of my former colleagues are now employed) Experience definitely helps - if you're still in school, try your best to get a co-op/internship. If you live in Ontario and have no experience, don't expect to get a job there; the saturation of applicants and stubborn Western/UofT grads who refuse to move away from home is staggering.

It's never too late to consider branching out from libraries into other information-related fields. Your skills are transferable to a variety of organizations.

I also wrote a long post a while ago about people looking for library jobs and the terrible narcissistic culture surrounding a lot of the younger graduates who have zero idea what the heck they're doing. Essentially "how to get a library job DESPITE what all the other people looking for library jobs might be doing" which is actually kind of sad:

Insane Totoro posted:

One of the MOST DANGEROUS things that I think library science folks push is this drive to market yourself. This endless marketing of the self just makes you look like a narcissistic douchebag and employers aren't dumb. Librarians who have a ton of experience aren't going to be fooled by your self marketing. I struggle to think of a serious librarian who has hiring/firing chops in the "library blogosphere" who advocates such behavior. And I bet a ton of those people who yammer on about social media and being a special fairy dust librarian are library science faculty.

They want to know what your actual skills are relative to THEIR needs. "I did a ton of stuff that was interesting" just makes employers go "welp, so did everyone else, why do I care?" And new whiz bang technogeek stuff that has no lasting impact but is flashy and gets you points from library social circles do jack diddly squat.

What you DO want to develop are marketable skills and to show you have adaptability to new things. If you say "I am good at metadata" yeah I know words are cheap. Be able to discuss what you did, why you did things the way you did, be able to argue the finer points and nuances of the job and why you have the chops to get it done. "Show don't tell" doesn't mean "here is what I did, be wowed." It also means "oh I know exactly what kind of things you want done in this position and here's why I can do those things because I have this type of education and experience."

The entire "market what you've done" library circlejerk is a bandage put on the larger wound of most MLS graduates. That wound being that most of them have zero unique skills or marketability. It's a giant lie perpetuated by folks who think that we need to "reinvent libraries" to be special places with new missions. No you dolts the mission has already changed (and it's not social justice or feel good blog posts). We need new hires who can juggle being accountant/collection developer/programmer/archivist/PR person/legal advice liaison/etc. (pick three or so) all at the same time.

Not once. Not one bloody time was I asked to actually pull out things and show projects I had done in the past (though a lack of it is a problem). In my experience employers have always been interested in what skills you have, why you can adapt your current knowledge to their unique situation, what makes you a good communicator, and whether or not you have the VISION to make things happen. It's the future that worries libraries. You have to emphasize that you're not just here for a job, you're not just someone who completes projects. You have to be the guy that conceptualizes that future and the projects that people haven't thought of or didn't even know they needed.

Remember what I said about hipster librarians earlier with narcissism? In a nutshell I'm saying distance yourself from that culture. The game changers in the field aren't those people. Don't feel like you have to show off or find ways to express how special you are. Be that reliable, well educated, driven visionary that will make employers go "drat, this guy will work for us for decades and he will make our lives better for it because he can conceptualize the future of our organization."

Don't be that Tumblr obsessed librarian who wants to make waves by replacing bibliographies with hash tags or introducing an Xbox Cat Knitting Club just to be different and edgy. Even if people in LIS school encourage you (remember they're far removed from actual jobs there).

But not to be without optimism....

Insane Totoro posted:

There ARE jobs but you'd better be able to articulate your talents and to apply to jobs effectively.

1. Get your resume and cover letter in order. And update it regularly. Hire someone to rework it for you if you suck at this. It'll be the best $100 you spend.
2. Do whatever you have to do to be involved in librarianship, whether unpaid, volunteer, or underpaid. Heck you don't have to be EMPLOYED to go to conferences, seminars, etc.
3. Professional organizations are important. Especially local ones. Probably the best $50-ish annual fee you could pay for. Also, beyond networking, librarians particularly like to hire the devil they know versus the one they don't
4. Apply early and apply often. Scour the job boards every day. Make it your second job to apply. And put in applications for the jobs no matter where you might have to relocate.
5. Do SOMETHING to improve your skill set regularly. Take classes in coding. Learn how to use Quicken. Consider ALA webinars: http://www.ala.org/alcts/confevents/upcoming/webinar

(yes I know some of the webinars are "eh" but there are some good ones and it's a good way to have a certificate in hand and a quantifiable "I learned to do this" after you're out of LIS school)

In conclusion: If you want to become a librarian because “you like to read” this is probably not the job for you. It’s a career track that involves additional school/debt, a glutted job market, often low pay, and you’re generally unappreciated by society.

A lot of prior discussion about the industry is in an older Ask/Tell thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3271251

To all the librarian goons out there, please feel free to suggest edits and improvements.

I finished writing that and I’m going to go open a bottle of port.

I also enjoy merlot and Madeira.

Did I also mention it can be a stressful job where few people appreciate it and even more people would rather blame you for things out of your control?

In any case, to paraphrase a line from working the library reference desk, there's no such thing as a dumb question so if you have a question about the library information science world, please ask away and I'm sure someone will be right with you.

*drinks from bottle of Old Crow from under the card catalog*

Insane Totoro fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Mar 5, 2015

# ? Feb 28, 2015 22:13

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# ? Apr 18, 2024 13:18

Not a Children: Oct 9, 2012; Don't need a holster if you never stop shooting.

Great effortpost, dude. I think it needs to be reiterated, though: There are no jobs. If you do not have connections or rare talents in language/history, do not pursue a MLIS.

# ? Mar 1, 2015 01:45

Kusaru: Dec 20, 2006; I'm a Bro-ny!

The only thing I can think of to add is that beyond making sure the program is ALA-accredited, no one really seems to care which school you went to (may differ for academic librarians). Some schools offer in-state tuition for online students, so check around.

# ? Mar 1, 2015 01:51

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

Both points noted. And added to the OP

# ? Mar 2, 2015 16:20

surc: Aug 17, 2004

This is something I looked into a few years ago, and am still interested in but scared of nojobs. I currently work in tech (part of my job involves customer support, and my boss is inept and angry all the time, so I am not worried about dumb questions or people blaming me for things I can't control), and deal with databases on the daily; I know JavaScript, HTML, CSS, PHP, and I have a decent knowledge of Java and a smattering of other programming languages. I have a B.S. in Animation and Visual Effects, and am currently studying Mandarin, with plans to continue to study languages, because languages are awesome. Would I have a decent shot at getting work if I went through and got an MLS, or would I still pretty much be looking at a wasteland?

surc fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Mar 2, 2015

# ? Mar 2, 2015 18:28

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

surc posted:

This is something I looked into a few years ago, and am still interested in but scared of nojobs. I currently work in tech (part of my job involves customer support, and my boss is inept and angry all the time, so I am not worried about dumb questions or people blaming me for things I can't control), and deal with databases on the daily; I know JavaScript, HTML, CSS, PHP, and I have a decent knowledge of Java and a smattering of other programming languages. I have a B.S. in Animation and Visual Effects, and am currently studying Mandarin, with plans to continue to study languages, because languages are awesome. Would I have a decent shot at getting work if I went through and got an MLS, or would I still pretty much be looking at a wasteland?

With that background, you have a fair shot at getting in on the technical services side of a library. I wouldn't bother with an MLS first unless you really want to pursue it as a career.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 18:49

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

I am not on the capital "T" technology side of library operations, but I don't think I've seen a job in either public or university library IT departments that require the MLS.

Basically, libraries need IT people who understand librarians. So if you have a decent grasp of the subject areas/missions that the library supports and "get" what librarians do, you'll be fine.

They don't necessarily need librarians who understand IT.

(Note: IT does not equal "Insane Totoro")

# ? Mar 2, 2015 18:52

Chairman Pow!: Apr 23, 2010

After having been on a ton of hiring committees for an academic library, make sure you do internships/practicums while in school. Those are great places to learn actual practical skills and make great connections. I see a ton of applicants with no actual experience, so they really can make a difference in getting your resume extra consideration.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 19:06

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

Chairman Pow! posted:

After having been on a ton of hiring committees for an academic library, make sure you do internships/practicums while in school. Those are great places to learn actual practical skills and make great connections. I see a ton of applicants with no actual experience, so they really can make a difference in getting your resume extra consideration.

Added this to the OP.

I also noted that just volunteering in the professional organizations can make a huge difference between having connections and having none at all.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 19:23

grnberet2b: Aug 12, 2008

Insane Totoro posted:

I also noted that just volunteering in the professional organizations can make a huge difference between having connections and having none at all.

I know that the HR department where I work as a para does not count volunteer experience as work experience so, while it may provide connections, it may not always provide "experience" when applying.

Yes, I know that this is a total crap policy, so does everyone else. Unfortunately, HR doesn't really care what everyone else thinks.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 19:40

klockwerk: Jun 30, 2007; dsch

I'll throw in a little more Canadian context here:

From what I've seen in online discussions, the job market in Canada is significantly better than in the USA, however this doesn't mean "Go do your MLIS because you'll definitely get a job!". A big issue up here is the enrolment numbers at various schools (especially U of T, UWO, in some part UBC) are really high. When I began the program at Western in 2012 there were about 140 new students coming in in the Fall. Another 80 or so started in the Winter, and another 30 in the Spring/Summer.

What this means is if you apply and you're not a complete idiot, you'll probably get accepted somewhere. However, once you're done the program, you're now competing with all of your colleagues for the significantly lower amount of library jobs relative to the number of MLIS graduates per year. It's a terrible system that needs to change, but it won't anytime soon since a lot of tuition dollars come in from these programs.

If you're really passionate about doing an MLIS, do one. I'd say the same for any other graduate degree. I got lucky - I was able to get a co-op in my final few semesters, which gave me the job experience I needed to get an academic (term) position. Without that co-op I'd probably still be searching for a job, since I have had no prior experience in libraries. However, I'm still in an unstable position since my term expires in June and whether or not the position will be renewed is up in the air.

As has been mentioned, careers in library IT services are a lot more plentiful than traditional roles. However, there's a few other areas of specialization that you can do that will likely get you a job sooner than later:

Sciences & Medicine - Most people enrolling in the MLIS have humanities (esp. English & History) backgrounds. If you have an undergraduate degree in a science of some sort, you're a rare breed and much more desirable for roles such as a liaison librarian for a science program.
Data & GIS - Somewhat of an emerging interdisciplinary area, many academic libraries are now hiring specialists in these areas. If you like maps, data and statistics, chances are you can get a foot in in this field and not have as much trouble finding work.
Records, Knowledge & Information Management - It's not called "Library School" for a reason. There are plenty of other career options available to you outside just libraries. If you are a little more business oriented, enjoy project management and the like, and want to actually make money, there are usually some good courses available that will funnel you this direction. Information Management is a field full of IT specialists & business consultants; people trained in information science are few and far between, but still desired due to the client-centred skills and perspective they bring to the table. I myself am considering starting my own small consulting firm providing IM/KM services.

Note to OP: should probably include something about paraprofessional options (library techs/assistants).

klockwerk fucked around with this message at 20:22 on Mar 2, 2015

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:19

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

I was thinking about para jobs but I was having trouble coming up with something other than "volunteer and pray for a para job" or "intern and pray for a para job." And something besides "compete against cat ladies for para jobs."

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:25

klockwerk: Jun 30, 2007; dsch

Also, if you do get accepted and are going to library school, don't be that library sciences student:

Wants to work in a public library
Would prefer not to work with other people. People are gross; books are totally cool.
Loves cats
Wears cardigans with cats on them
LOVES to read!
Has 3+ cats
Catseye style glasses
English or History major
"I love books!" (Really: Nobody. Cares.)

Not only are you perpetuating a stereotype, you'll also stand out as much as a snowman in a white-out blizzard.

I'll say this to the paraprofessional track:

You can certainly just get a diploma to be a library technician/assistant. You will never be paid as much as a librarian, but you can still find yourself in a decent career if you manage to secure a job. Managerial and supervisory roles are available even if you don't have an MLIS (at my institution, each branch library has branch supervisor who is a library assistant, not a librarian. They make more than a livable wage. You'd be doing a lot more of the hands-on and patron-centred work, but some people prefer that!

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:41

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

I tend to clash with public librarians.
I actually prefer people to books.
I love cats.
I wear sweater vests to work
I'm big on going outdoors
I'm ALLERGIC to cats
I wear fairly smart/trendy glasses from Asia

I'm a history major :ohdear:

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:44

Wonderslug: Apr 3, 2011; You don't say.; Fallen Rib

If you're specialized in a particular subject like law or medicine it's also worth checking out subject-specific library associations ~~in addition to~~ instead of ALA. They're smaller than ALA for obvious reasons, which means better networking chances among people who are likely to matter when you're looking for a job. The Music Library Association, for example, has its poo poo way the hell more together than ALA and has a much lower tolerance for Xbox-Starbucks-everything-is-online trendwhoring, and I would not be at all surprised if that were a general trend in specialist groups.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:56

Toph Bei Fong: Feb 29, 2008

I am a public librarian.
I hate people, but I hate computers and books more. I work with all three regardless.
I like German and California Rieslings, and Chianti.
I love my dog, but I also like cats.
I wear sweater vests under my coats with suede patches on the elbows. The sweater is a necessity, because the temperature controls are over at city hall and we have no way to alter them, no matter how many patrons complain.
I wear thick black framed glasses.
I majored in philosophy.
If you haunt conventions looking for more tote bags, I will want to slug you.

One of the things to bear in mind when job hunting is that it's a volume game, especially in academia. The metric I was told to think of as realistic was 100 applications to 10 interviews to 1 job. If this scares you, well, it probably should, because it sucks getting flown in, doing the song and dance, getting your hopes up, meeting people and seeing a nice library, and learning that you've come in 2nd place yet again because the other candidate had just a little bit more of XYZ and there's nothing you can do to change that.

If and when you get the job, get used to answering the same stupid loving questions over and over and over again, every single day, forever, even if there are signs posted right next to you with the answers on them. The interesting questions will be perhaps 5-10% of your output, on a good day. You will do a lot of work with the homeless, a lot of resume fixing, and a lot of school work help, depending on which department you chose to work in. These are either irritating as hell, or the best part of the job depending on your mental fortitude, views on social justice, and desire to help out your fellow humans. Sometimes they're both.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 21:10

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

klockwerk posted:

Also, if you do get accepted and are going to library school, don't be that library sciences student:

Wants to work in a public library

Would prefer not to work with other people. People are gross; books are totally cool.

Loves cats

Wears cardigans with cats on them

LOVES to read!

Has 3+ cats

Catseye style glasses

English or History major

"I love books!" (Really: Nobody. Cares.)

Not only are you perpetuating a stereotype, you'll also stand out as much as a snowman in a white-out blizzard.

I'll say this to the paraprofessional track:

You can certainly just get a diploma to be a library technician/assistant. You will never be paid as much as a librarian, but you can still find yourself in a decent career if you manage to secure a job. Managerial and supervisory roles are available even if you don't have an MLIS (at my institution, each branch library has branch supervisor who is a library assistant, not a librarian. They make more than a livable wage. You'd be doing a lot more of the hands-on and patron-centred work, but some people prefer that!

Speaking from experience as a para who got the job shortly after ignoring most of the advice in this thread, it's a good way to build contacts and professional library experience, particularly if you're more interested in the tech services side of things. It's not a long-term job by any means, but it's not bad for getting your nose in the door and building up your resume.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 21:33

nesbit37: Dec 12, 2003; Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

Insane Totoro posted:

DIGITAL LIBRARIAN/ARCHIVIST and SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIAN

A lot of what librarians do can also involve preserving our past and archiving what's being actively published/printed/created/etc. in the present. There's a lot of work to be done in archives, whether in physical media or digital format. You'll have to collect materials, preserve them, perhaps digitize them, catalog them, make sure they're discoverable by the people who need to see them, manage people who bring drinks into your archive, and deal with the knowledge that if you screw this up that important things may be forever lost.

However, please note that you can be an archivist or museum professional without having to be a librarian.

While it is true the archivist and librarian are cousins good luck getting a job as an archivist, project position or otherwise, without at least an MLS. Just wanted to make sure that was clear since that last sentence there seems a little misleading. The days of being an archivist with just a history or public history MA are pretty much over.

There is also a certified archivist exam people can take. I personally feel it isn't worth it and just another hoop to jump through but some places give it credence, so be aware of where you want to work.

Another great thing about being an archivist is realizing you are the profession that shapes the historic record, for good and bad. Historians and other researchers and scholars can't find things if you don't process and describe them. What survives and is available for study is often your responsibility. Its a pretty big deal. Its also weird in some sense. I am now so underwhelmed by things like correspondence from Ben Franklin due to working with that stuff regularly its both sad from bringing the thought of those kinds of materials down from their pedestal of historic grandeur and good by making those types of things more accessible to all.

Digital archiving is a big deal right now, but it is also very expensive to do correctly and no one has any money right now or at least pleads that they don't. This is one area that people who are more coders and technologists can break in with little or no MLS training, though be warned the approach archivists take to IT (ie. perpetuity or close to it) often conflicts with what modern corporate IT pushes so it can challenge the beliefs and learned behavior of many previously for profit technology staff that want to make a switch.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 21:37

klockwerk: Jun 30, 2007; dsch

I get the sense that archives and records management as a profession is trying to shift away from the MLIS program as a prerequisite, and are more looking to see people coming out of programs with an actual stated archives focus, such as a Masters of Archival Studies, or an MLIS program with a reputed archival focus stream.

Edit: If you want a job in archives, you should really go meet an archivist first and take a tour of a physical storage space. The work isn't what most people think it is.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 21:55

nesbit37: Dec 12, 2003; Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

That isn't exactly true with archives, at least not in the Philadelphia area. Those things will give you a leg up, but there are not enough programs like that I really see people coming from them applying for jobs. Most people demonstrate interest either by doing volunteer work or (like myself) also get an MA in history with the MLIS. There are some programs, including the one I graduated from, that allow you to concentrate in archival studies but that isn't exactly common.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 21:58

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

It was my impression that most non library (museum) archivist jobs pretty much required a specialized Master's or a PhD at this point. It's been a while since I've had a professional relationship with a museum though.

Basically what I was going for was "just get the PhD and forget the MLIS"

Is that unclear or subtly incorrect?

# ? Mar 2, 2015 22:20

nesbit37: Dec 12, 2003; Emperor of Rome
(500 BC - 500 AD)

That's just not correct. At least for archives. For museums (other than to work in a museum's archives) you need a museums studies degree.

To be an archivist, at a minimum you need an MLS and a demonstrated interest in history or archival science.
Having something like being a certified archivist (which is a separate certificate), concentration on archival studies (which I have) or a second masters in history (which I also have) helps a lot more.

I don't think i have ever seen someone apply for an archives position out here with a specific archival science masters degree though I know they exist. I have a seen a small number having passed the archives certification. I know a very tiny number of people with PhDs in archival science and they are all faculty in universities.

Since everyone else has put this down and it seems like a fun way to ID ourselves:

I am currently an academic librarian in digital humanities and a consultant for digital archives projects. I have been a department head for digital archives projects and archivist in the past.
I hate people, but love computers and books more
Home brewer and beekeeper
I love my dog and have a strong displeasure of cats.
business casual for me most of the time. What is a sweater?
glasses free
I majored in computer science and history for undergrad

# ? Mar 2, 2015 22:31

Chairman Pow!: Apr 23, 2010

Another bit of job seeking advice is to customize your cover letter for the job you are applying for. This is generally good advice for any field, but it is incredible how few people actually tailor their cover letters for the job we have posted. If you want a health sciences position, dont just have a generic reference/ information literacy cover letter. Pick out some key words from the job description and talk about how you meet or address those responsibilities.

Also learn a bit about the institution and maybe talk about this as well. Making it look like you really have done your homework and care about the position goes a long, long way.

When you get 100+ resumes for a single position, somethings as fundamental as these will basically put you into the next round.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 22:53

a friendly penguin: Feb 1, 2007; trolling for fish

Toph Bei Fong posted:

If you haunt conventions looking for more tote bags, I will want to slug you.

I once went to a dance party at my state library conference where the theme was "librarian stereotypes". I made a skirt of about 30 tote bags borrowed from coworkers hanging on a belt. As I was on the elevator going to the bar, two librarians asked me where I got them because they had been hunting all over for tote bags and only got the one upon registration.

But seriously, it's important to have something on the resume that stands out. Although so many people in library school said that it is all about who you know, all of my library jobs and interviews have come based on how my skills met the job qualifications.

Granted, I am a public librarian and none of my jobs have been in large metropolitan systems (which I hear are the hardest to get a foot in the door), but being able to make checkmarks based on the job ad is what really appeals to small to middling sized libraries.

And I am a public librarian who was an english major (by default really).
I do love cardigans and I knit.
Hate cats.
Wear a monocle.

And I have literally been asked in an interview what I do for fun. And when I left off reading, the interviewer was appalled.
"Don't you read? she accused.
Me: "Yes... I thought you meant besides reading."
That was a horror story of an interview.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 23:25

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

nesbit37 posted:

That's just not correct. At least for archives. For museums (other than to work in a museum's archives) you need a museums studies degree.

To be an archivist, at a minimum you need an MLS and a demonstrated interest in history or archival science.
Having something like being a certified archivist (which is a separate certificate), concentration on archival studies (which I have) or a second masters in history (which I also have) helps a lot more.

I don't think i have ever seen someone apply for an archives position out here with a specific archival science masters degree though I know they exist. I have a seen a small number having passed the archives certification. I know a very tiny number of people with PhDs in archival science and they are all faculty in universities.

Since everyone else has put this down and it seems like a fun way to ID ourselves:

I am currently an academic librarian in digital humanities and a consultant for digital archives projects. I have been a department head for digital archives projects and archivist in the past.
I hate people, but love computers and books more
Home brewer and beekeeper
I love my dog and have a strong displeasure of cats.
business casual for me most of the time. What is a sweater?
glasses free
I majored in computer science and history for undergrad

I stand corrected. To be fair I can't think of an archivist or museum person I know with an MLS but they're also all pretty up there in age and in pretty specialized areas.

"You don't need an MLS to work in an archives or a museum. But if you want to be a "Capital A" Archivist then you do."

Sounds right to everyone?

# ? Mar 2, 2015 23:32

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

To anyone looking for a library job here's a good story.

One time at a conference I was approached by a panhandler.

His friend yelled at him "Don't bother those people are librarians and don't have any money!" or something along those lines.

Don't do the job for the money, kids.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 23:37

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

nesbit37 posted:

Since everyone else has put this down and it seems like a fun way to ID ourselves:

I am currently an academic librarian in digital humanities and a consultant for digital archives projects. I have been a department head for digital archives projects and archivist in the past.
I hate people, but love computers and books more
Home brewer and beekeeper
I love my dog and have a strong displeasure of cats.
business casual for me most of the time. What is a sweater?
glasses free
I majored in computer science and history for undergrad

I'll put in my two cents worth:

I am a library paraprofessional in an academic library and have internship experience doing original cataloging in a public library.
I don't mind people, but like computers and books.
Does love cats, doesn't mind dogs as long as they go home with their owner.
Does not own a cardigan because I live in Florida. Business casual at work but can get away with jeans.
Does not own a cat because I live in Florida on a library paraprofessional's salary.
No glasses.
History major

Unfortunately, I'm probably going to start job searching again in the summer unless things really change at the library. It will be the start of my third year in this position, and I'm tired of working an erratic, mostly nights-and-weekends schedule doing very entry-level work for not much above minimum wage. I love the library itself and I love my coworkers, but there is zero foreseeable opportunity for internal advancement. A regular 9-5 M-F paraprofessional position did open up earlier this year (same position I'm in, just regular day hours and different specific responsibilities) that I applied and interviewed for, but in their infinite wisdom the bosses upstairs where all the titled librarians dwell decided to hire externally instead.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 23:38

klockwerk: Jun 30, 2007; dsch

I can try to get away with saying I'm one of the librarians out there that doesn't have a history or English degree by saying I have a music degree.

However, it's a music history degree so gently caress me.

Edit: And now I'm a health sciences librarian. Anything is possible. :v:

klockwerk fucked around with this message at 00:03 on Mar 3, 2015

# ? Mar 3, 2015 00:00

Toph Bei Fong: Feb 29, 2008

a friendly penguin posted:

I once went to a dance party at my state library conference where the theme was "librarian stereotypes". I made a skirt of about 30 tote bags borrowed from coworkers hanging on a belt. As I was on the elevator going to the bar, two librarians asked me where I got them because they had been hunting all over for tote bags and only got the one upon registration.

If you have pictures, I would love to see this :allears:

quote:

And I have literally been asked in an interview what I do for fun. And when I left off reading, the interviewer was appalled.
"Don't you read? she accused.
Me: "Yes... I thought you meant besides reading."
That was a horror story of an interview.

Ooh, can we trade bad interview stories?

In the first interview I had out of library school, they had only called me in the ask what the "President: War Games Club" was on my resume. The rest of the interview was incredibly cursory, but they were literally the first thing out of the lady's mouth after I'd sat down. (Our school's gaming club had an old and distinguished history, and had never updated its name since expanding from pushing tin soldiers around grassy fields.)

Another I had involved swapping many emails with a much older woman who thought that pink comic sans was appropriate for professional correspondence. In the phone interview, she was baffled at the idea that someone could read an old article for information, and in person, proceeded to dog every answer I gave to the point of contradicting herself. Everyone else on the hiring committee seemed to like me a lot, but this woman out right hated me from the moment we started speaking. After two phone interviews and being flown half-way across the country, I was rejected via the automated form letter that informed you that the position is closed. Hell is an old, very overweight black woman with way too many Unshelved strips taped to her office door demanding to know why you haven't published multiple peer reviewed articles or presented at several conferences, and then talking over your attempt to answer. (Because no one in public libraries really gives a poo poo about either of those things.)

# ? Mar 3, 2015 01:34

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Toph Bei Fong posted:

If you have pictures, I would love to see this

Ooh, can we trade bad interview stories?

In the first interview I had out of library school, they had only called me in the ask what the "President: War Games Club" was on my resume. The rest of the interview was incredibly cursory, but they were literally the first thing out of the lady's mouth after I'd sat down. (Our school's gaming club had an old and distinguished history, and had never updated its name since expanding from pushing tin soldiers around grassy fields.)

Another I had involved swapping many emails with a much older woman who thought that pink comic sans was appropriate for professional correspondence. In the phone interview, she was baffled at the idea that someone could read an old article for information, and in person, proceeded to dog every answer I gave to the point of contradicting herself. Everyone else on the hiring committee seemed to like me a lot, but this woman out right hated me from the moment we started speaking. After two phone interviews and being flown half-way across the country, I was rejected via the automated form letter that informed you that the position is closed. Hell is an old, very overweight black woman with way too many Unshelved strips taped to her office door demanding to know why you haven't published multiple peer reviewed articles or presented at several conferences, and then talking over your attempt to answer. (Because no one in public libraries really gives a poo poo about either of those things.)

I had a bad interview when I was scrambling for any library job during my final semester of working on my MLIS: a church librarian position at an Evangelical megachurch. Now, I'm Christian myself and know the song and dance the fundie-types like even though I'm politically liberal and hate fundamentalism, so it was far from ideal but any job in the library field seemed worth a shot.

Went to the church office and met the pastor (old white guy), children's minister (old white guy), and the current but retiring church librarian (tiny ancient white woman). First words out of the pastor's mouth were "So why do you want a woman's job?"

I was used to being the only guy in my MLIS classes, but yeesh.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 01:45

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

You know, I've been to a non denominational church a lot as a kid and I gotta say that's a whole new ball of wax from even a scrub tier public library

"Develop a children's collection in line with what is in the Pentateuch and add special spiritual metadata"

# ? Mar 3, 2015 01:55

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Insane Totoro posted:

You know, I've been to a non denominational church a lot as a kid and I gotta say that's a whole new ball of wax from even a scrub tier public library

"Develop a children's collection in line with what is in the Pentateuch and add special spiritual metadata"

The job didn't seem bad at all, aside from the pastor catching me off-guard. He made it very clear that this particular church considered education to be a woman's field: being a teacher, librarian, counselor, etc was considered unacceptable for men unless it's the kind of job where you're addressed as Doctor Such-and-such. The meat of the job, according to the retiring librarian, was basically running a small circulation desk of Christian literature for retirees in the congregation and Bible study groups. The collection was small enough that they simply didn't need to bother with a modern cataloging system.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 02:14

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

Completely off topic. Did anyone hear where or when next year's ER&L is going to be?

Actually did it just happen for this year?

# ? Mar 3, 2015 02:17

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

If you'll pardon a brief job rant...

Upstairs manager, there's really quite a simple reason why I'm falling behind on this "totally optional, no-rush, should-be-your-last-priority" project you gave me months ago. Namely, the endless loving deluge of shitwork projects you keep giving me because I'm apparently the only person in this goddamn library that simultaneously knows how to use Excel and loving proofread MS Word documents but doesn't have the pull to skip out of doing it. Not to mention now being saddled with all the gruntwork of the library because it's spring break, which means the student workers are gone, so I'm the only person in the entire library reshelving books and pulling stuff for ILL. Which I also then process and ship because ILL is ostensibly my main job.

And before you ask, we have a grand total of two volunteers in the library. One comes in every other Friday. The other is the upstairs manager in question's son, who is given "tasks suited to his level of education."

# ? Mar 3, 2015 15:51

Chicken McNobody: Aug 7, 2009

Hi all! I'm currently in IT (specifically, web services) at an academic library at a SEC university (FOOTBAWL); I have an MLIS and an MA in anthropology, I BELONG IN A MUSEUM, but here I am.

I love reading, cats, and totebags (hey, them shits are useful), I wear glasses, cardigans, buns, A-line skirts and Clarks shoes, and yet I hate capital-L "Librarians," those people who are On A Mission to convince everyone that We Are Relevant. I also hate people who come by my cube , IM me, or call to let me know they sent me an email. If you also hate that, the library is probably not for you!

I don't drink but I do play violent videogames to relieve all that stress.

Here are some things from my POV, if anyone cares!

Insane Totoro posted:

I am not on the capital "T" technology side of library operations, but I don't think I've seen a job in either public or university library IT departments that require the MLS.

Basically, libraries need IT people who understand librarians. So if you have a decent grasp of the subject areas/missions that the library supports and "get" what librarians do, you'll be fine.

They don't necessarily need librarians who understand IT.

My job description explicitly required an MLIS for exactly this reason - they wanted someone with the requisite skills who also "understood" librarians. It's my opinion that, at least at the time I was hired, you could really only have one or the other, not that it takes any special skill to "understand" librarians. I think I've gotten them to relax that restriction for new hires. But in time, assuming library schools intend to step up their tech training, they might eventually get that full package. And boy, do I hope library schools step up their tech training, because admin might not think they need librarians who understand IT, but they do. We break every vendor-supplied system we get trying to get it customized to their exact specs and still they don't understand why the catalog can't also wash their dishes and feed their cat.

I also wish library schools focused more on user experience. If you have UX experience or interests, you may find yourself increasingly in demand - years of complaints by people who can't use our ridiculous byzantine website finally broke through last year and they let me do studies - actually LISTENED to the data I and my colleagues gave them - let us redesign the whole website and build a new information architecture based on that data, and shock of shocks, people can now find what they need more easily and tell our staff so! There's still a long way to go, but it's refreshing to finally feel heard, I guess.

One thing I would like to mention, being in an out-of-the-way area and having served on several hiring committees recently...Please don't be afraid to spend a year or two here in the benighted South in the name of gaining experience. We have pretty high turnover because people do just that - apply, work for a year or two, peace out - but we also have a dearth of qualified applicants because who wants to come here? You don't have to stay, just get a year or two of experience and get out. We'll be better for it and you'll be one more step up on the job-experience ladder. I just applied for a position in scholarly communication and researcher support and they fairly begged me to take it (and offered more money!) because there just weren't any other qualified applicants.

Cythereal posted:

Upstairs manager, there's really quite a simple reason why I'm falling behind on this "totally optional, no-rush, should-be-your-last-priority" project you gave me months ago. Namely, the endless loving deluge of shitwork projects you keep giving me

Oh hey, I know that feel. *side-eyes ridiculous project list*

# ? Mar 3, 2015 17:12

U-DO Burger: Nov 12, 2007

Sure I'll play along:

I'm a paraprofessional at an academic library. ILL is my main job.
I prefer people over books.
Cats are okay. Now that I've got kids I don't care as much for cats.
No glasses.
Majored in Cultural Anthropology, and I'm currently getting a degree in Public Administration because I figured that I should have a degree that's worth something. I've discovered that I love the topic of government finance, specifically taxes and budgeting.
Hoping to get the gently caress out of libraries once I've got my degree.

My worst interview experience comes from being on a hiring committee. We were holding interviews for a management position, and one of the people we interviewed was a squirrelly guy who mumbled a lot, seemed unsure of every answer he gave, didn't make much eye contact, and generally sent off a bunch of other red flags that told me "this man would not make a good leader". Somehow he catapulted head-and-shoulders above the competition in everyone else's minds, in no small part because everyone else was friends with him. It was hard to push back because I was the lowest ranking member on the committee, and telling them that their friend sucks wasn't going to get me far. They ruled out my favorite candidate because she had no academic library experience (she said as much on her resume, why did you even interview her then?), and when I kept pushing my second favorite candidate, they decided to be "objective" by listing a set of biased criteria and showing how their candidate scored so much better than my candidate. Their candidate got hired, and lo and behold he was just as terrible as I thought he'd be, and after failing to do anything useful for a couple years, and having gotten literally every single one of his employees pissed off at him for being so incompetent, he retired and moved out. Yaaaay.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 18:39

Insane Totoro: Dec 5, 2005; Take cover!!!
That Totoro has an AR-15!

Just to be clear, posting job search horror stories and "on the job tales of terror" are perfectly fine as long as they're representative of things that can and do happen in the industry!

On the other side of things, please also post GOOD stories about how things went WELL in your job.

Our industry is somewhere in between "Oh god no jobs, die alone with cats and tote bags" and "All these MLS grads are TOTALLY getting jobs."

# ? Mar 3, 2015 22:51

Chicken McNobody: Aug 7, 2009

One hiring committee I was on, the only halfway viable candidate made a big deal in her resume and letter about her membership in the local Republican women's organization and called the dean every few days to check on the progress of her application. She got hired too, largely because no one else was bothered to apply.

My spouse worked here years ago doing digitization, and after a few years' hiatus to finish his Master's program, he applied for a new position doing pretty much the same thing, with the same collection even. He didn't get hired basically because he was too honest in his interview--they asked him why he wanted to work there and he said he needed the money. (There are several couples working here who were couples before one or both applied so that wasn't the issue.) Instead they hired a guy who was retiring from the campus TV center and was thus legally required to work no more than 20 hours a week or he'd lose his benefits. He stayed, what, 3 days I think, before he ran off. Fun times!

# ? Mar 3, 2015 22:53

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Insane Totoro posted:

Just to be clear, posting job search horror stories and "on the job tales of terror" are perfectly fine as long as they're representative of things that can and do happen in the industry!

On the other side of things, please also post GOOD stories about how things went WELL in your job.

Our industry is somewhere in between "Oh god no jobs, die alone with cats and tote bags" and "All these MLS grads are TOTALLY getting jobs."

I agree, and I for one do like my job in most respects. It's a terrific group of people at this university library on the paraprofessional side (we outright call ourselves the Customer Services department), but upstairs management - the actual titled Librarians with a capital L and library management - tend to be remarkably clueless about actually interacting with the student body, arrogant professors we can't push back at, and the like.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 22:55

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# ? Apr 18, 2024 13:18

Toph Bei Fong: Feb 29, 2008

Insane Totoro posted:

Just to be clear, posting job search horror stories and "on the job tales of terror" are perfectly fine as long as they're representative of things that can and do happen in the industry!

On the other side of things, please also post GOOD stories about how things went WELL in your job.

Our industry is somewhere in between "Oh god no jobs, die alone with cats and tote bags" and "All these MLS grads are TOTALLY getting jobs."

What it's like working in a public library:

"Idealistically, I thought that, after my year{s} of library training, I was launched on a career dedicated to the so-called university of the people. I quickly discovered that, to the patrons, the library was actually more of a trade school. While I was prepared to answer questions regarding the origins of abstract expressionism, what people wanted was a manual on how to fix a broken toilet." --Will Manley

The good:

On multiple occasions, I have had people come in to tell me that they've gotten interviews or jobs because I helped them with applications or resumes :3:

I got to give a retiree a copy of 1984 for the first time, which he'd always been meaning to read. He'd asked for 1884, "or something like that. The real famous book." Because now that he was retired, he finally had time to read it.

I spent a lot of time cataloging graphic novels the other day, and of course to properly catalog a book, you need to have the proper subject headings, and therefore you need to read the book in its entirety to make sure you don't mislabel it or accidentally put an adult book in the YA or youth department...

I taught two older people how to use computers today in the class I teach. The one, six weeks ago, was utterly terrified of her laptop. Now she's using email like a pro. The other, a newcomer, wasn't actually doing anything wrong and just needed a boost of confidence along with a refresher. They left happy.

Another regular of mine has worked his way from homelessness to having a steady job and an apartment. I helped him get his email account unlocked so he didn't lose the draft of his memoirs, which he's been working on for quite some time now.

I helped a non-traditional student whose been trying to go to college to get a degree in small business administration with his FAFSA, because the local college financial aid office was just lousy to him. It took a day or two to get ironed out, but he's now attending classes just fine.

On the other hand...

I had a fellow come in looking for his son, who he hadn't had any contact with in about fifteen years. The only record I could find of him was on a sex offender's registry.

I called an ambulance for a homeless fellow who was passed out and unresponsive in front of the library. I'd tried tapping his face, yelling, etc. Nothing. Flies were clustering on the guy. He's breathing, but shallowly. I'm worried he might be in a diabetic coma, based on what some of the other people are saying. The EMTs are able to revive him immediately, and he ends up hauled off in a police squad car for lying to the cops about having an ID on him (he did). I just thought the guy was hurt and needed help... :smith:

The many, many ~~ephebophiles~~ pedophiles we've had to chase off and ban for talking inappropriately (or worse) to young women.

The people who are like slow motion train wrecks, and keep coming in with the exact same problems year after year after year. Yes, I'm sure that it's the women in the HR department that are the problem, not your attitudes towards women in the work place that are causing you to be unable to find work. Really, every single female boss you've had is a stupid bitch who doesn't know what she's doing? No kidding.

The people who call every day, asking the exact same questions. Sure, the phone number to the White House is... Didn't I give this to you yesterday? Oh, you lost the paper it was on. Gotcha.

Toph Bei Fong fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Mar 4, 2015

# ? Mar 4, 2015 06:19

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Guide to Librarian Jobs and Education

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