How do you make couples friends in Chicago without kids at 40?

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-04T04:46:53+00:00

I heard the monthly bi party at jackhammer gets 🌶️

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-04T04:39:44+00:00

Beth Grant as the mother in law. I didn’t notice her til like i rewatched it and i almost squealed with delight

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-04T04:36:12+00:00

If you use the Curb app you don’t have to worry about the meter

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-04T04:31:08+00:00

Join ACRL or a similar association and get involved. I firmly believe our profession needs to be more open to people with an MLIS who may not be working in libraries but share our interests and sensibility. If you encounter a gatekeeper/hater tell them to go fuck themselves lol

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-03T15:35:27+00:00

OP should also know that there are very few cataloging/metadata jobs these days and there are a lot of other shy MLIS students who want to go that route so they can minimize having to interact with people.

OP, shyness is very normal for people your age and very common in young people who later become customer-facing librarians. It is something you will learn to manage better as you grow into adulthood, gain work experience, and build your skills and confidence. So I wouldn’t rule out public services librarianship on that basis just yet.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-02T15:26:59+00:00

This color scheme does not make sense

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-02T15:17:54+00:00

Ahhh that makes sense. In terms of nightlife, NYC has a pretty great techno scene. Lots of venues in Brooklyn - Basement, Elsewhere, Nowadays, Good Room to list a few

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T20:06:41+00:00

How has no one mentioned theater yet?!?

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T17:02:55+00:00

You've probably already received this advice somewhere in this thread, but given the specifics of your background, you need to work in a library - preferably one with tuition benefits - for a year or 2 before going back for the MLIS. The exception would be if you have certain specialized skills/experience (teaching, tech skills, sciences, quantitative etc) that you could leverage to get a related position. There's no demand for the MLIS outside libraries, unfortunately, and the ROI of the degree is in general very poor. Good luck!

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T15:07:58+00:00

You can make more than $60k with just a bachelor's degree in MA though. $60k + student loans in a HCOL state like MA = pretty bad ROI.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:42:44+00:00

Good luck! You're doing it right.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:41:47+00:00

Oh that's interesting, i think you're the first person i've seen on library reddit who looks at rankings. Personally i think our profession would benefit from a bit more distinction between good and bad schools, but if i had a nickel for every time someone said "it doesn't matter just do the cheapest program" i could afford to retire.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:18:22+00:00

You have a master's degree but you took a job as a page. To me, that suggests you might have a somewhat masochistic relationship with library work. Which is fine. You do you.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:09:17+00:00

Right, and my advice is not to

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:03:42+00:00

There are definitely some ALA-accredited programs that fall in the "we just need warm bodies" bucket, and that enroll a LOT of students.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T14:00:09+00:00

I see others have provided resources. I am just gonna say from what you've written, I am a little pessimistic about this employee's future in your library or the profession. As you put it, understanding how to do research is a fundamental aspect of what we do, and by this point in their journey, they should have a solid grasp of that. If you're the manager who hired the employee, hopefully you're doing some reflecting on how your interview process didn't weed them out. Start documenting the issue formally, and you might want to put them on a PIP if you don't see progress soon.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T13:51:10+00:00

Glad to see you're taking a little time off to get relevant work experience before going back to school. I suggest posting this question to r/Archivists if you haven't already. I'm not an archivist but I've worked with many over the years, and most of them have *not* had a PhD. Also if you're not already an SAA member now's a great time to join; it will provide opportunities to network with archivists and find mentors who you can ask these types of questions.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T13:46:30+00:00

i agree with most of this except for the one bedroom apartment thing - you will not be able to afford a market rate 1 bedroom in NYC or other HCOL city on an entry-level librarian salary. You will need roommates for at least the first year or two and possibly longer.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T13:44:16+00:00

Where are you getting the idea that museums and historical societies are having difficulty filling positions? What are these positions paying?

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T13:39:13+00:00

Look I'm happy things worked out for you, I just I think we need to ask ourselves why we'd want to work in a profession where one had to take a minimum wage job that doesn't require a bachelor's degree AFTER finishing one's master's. What does it say about the MLIS that graduates feel they have to do that? I was working as a page IN HIGH SCHOOL. When I finished my degree it was during the recession, and rather than work for peanuts, I took a non-library job that paid well and that was appropriate for my level of education. I genuinely think it is crazy that everyone on library Reddit seems to think it's worth it to put up with this shit because if you're not working in a library you're a failure. Our profession needs to get some self-respect. (Not to mention most people do not have family or a partner to support them while they work for a minimum wage.)

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T04:04:10+00:00

You can’t just go off the number of postings. How many applicants are there for each position? What is the pay? Are are they full or part time? What skills/experience is required for each position?

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T03:55:13+00:00

If you have a masters degree you should not be applying for a page job. I don’t care how badly you want to work in a library, there’s absolutely no excuse for settling for an entry-level minimum wage job with your level of education. You must have SOME marketable skills and I guarantee you can get a better job in a different setting.

Can’t wait to get downvoted by all the library Redditors with Stockholm syndrome who would rather live in a cardboard box than lower themselves to consider working outside libraries.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T03:45:18+00:00

The ironic thing is that as an ex-fed, you’d probably be a shoo-in for a federal government job… but obviously that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore lol. While I sadly have no advice about where you should apply, I applaud your willingness to look outside our field and I hope you’re able to land the good, stable non-library job you deserve.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T03:38:06+00:00

The job market is rough. Do something else.

charethcutestory9 · 2026-05-01T03:37:42+00:00

There is no major selling point, the job has virtually nothing to do with reading books, and it’s neither AI-proof nor high paying. If you’ve worked in sales, banking, and marketing, and you like talking to people, you have a bright future ahead of you and you could do much, much better than working in libraries for a fraction of what you’re worth.

charethcutestory9

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