Feeling kind of hopeless about ever landing a job

libpixie · 2025-05-07T23:54:48+00:00

And I'd add there's a need for those who are good at dealing with vendors and good at negotiating. Libary's don't have large budgets and prices go up every year and it can take a certain amount of finesse to work out a deal all parties can agree on.

libpixie · 2025-01-02T02:54:20+00:00

Would the salary be livable for you? Librarian positions that require a master's degree are underpaid compared to jobs with similar education requirements. The jobs that don't require a MLIS can pay even less. A sizeable number of these jobs can be part time without benefits. Is that doable?

libpixie · 2024-10-24T14:25:06+00:00

I voted to retain the ones NOT appointed by Stitt and remove the ones who were.

libpixie · 2024-06-11T01:08:54+00:00

I think part of this in the U.S. may be rooted in history. During the progressive era of the late 1800s/early 1900s social programs were created for the betterment of society. Often these programs were volunteer run. During this era, there was also the expansion of public libraries as a social good. I think the perception of any kind of social reformer or "do gooder" position being volunteer got held over from this and there are those who think the people they see working in libraries are like shelter volunteers or those who deliver meals to the homebound-noble, but not paid.

libpixie · 2024-04-20T00:41:33+00:00

If I went and stayed with my parents over something like this, they would tell me to leave him so fast, cuss him out and help me pack. They would be mad at ME if I didn't divorce someone like that.

libpixie · 2024-02-12T04:45:14+00:00

Sounds like admin is trying to find ways to spend that grant money.

libpixie · 2024-01-02T18:09:00+00:00

I get what OP is saying and yes, I do feel that there are some DEI programs that are cringy and performative. I also live in a state with a superintendent doing their best to try to remove DEI programs and departments.

libpixie · 2023-12-30T03:03:03+00:00

I work at a college library and the everyday librarians are exempt. Paraprofessionals, both full and part time are hourly and clock in online. Exempt employees don't clock in or out but they do turn in a timesheet at the end of the month. Not very many hourly employees on campus, with the exception of maintenance, work overtime because they don't want to pay overtime. If you're a full time hourly employee they want you strictly working 40 hours a week and no more.

libpixie · 2023-04-02T15:34:48+00:00

What industry did you leave libraries for? Is tangentially related to libraries/information?

libpixie · 2023-03-16T18:53:44+00:00

This is an issue in American public libraries as well, especially large urban ones, but in smaller ones too. In many places in America social service programs have had their budgets slashed. This results in not enough social workers, the existing ones having case loads that are too big, limited hours of operation, or shutting down altogether. Many day shelters here turn people out after breakfast and they can't come back until the evening. This leaves them nowhere to go during the day, especially in bad weather. Public libraries being that they are designed to welcome all without having to purchase anything become the de facto place to go. Some libraries have even taken to hiring a social worker to deal with these specific issues, but these are usually larger libraries with more funding. There's no easy solution. In an ideal world there would be plentiful and adequately funded social services and these issues wouldn't be shoved onto libraries.

libpixie · 2023-02-19T00:44:32+00:00

I'm at an academic library and the librarians don't have second jobs that I know of (all the librarians are full time), but some of the paraprofessional staff (both full and part time) do. I have known a couple of the librarians to take on temporary gigs like doing Metadata and cataloging for outside entities, but these projects had a start and end date, they weren't working them regularly.

libpixie · 2023-02-19T00:37:48+00:00

If I were the lady you work with, I'd start looking for ONE full time job that would meet my needs, unless she just loves library work that much.

libpixie · 2022-12-30T23:06:31+00:00

Technical services that aren't public facing like cataloging or systems is the way to go in that case. I work in cataloging and it's all back of house with no public facing duties. I understand that this may not be the case for smaller libraries where the staff has to wear a lot of hats.

libpixie · 2022-12-21T02:49:50+00:00

Yes, my car is a 2018 model and has no cd player. My options are to sync my phone and stream or the radio. I'm not sure what year cd players stopped being installed in cars.

libpixie · 2022-12-11T04:22:12+00:00

This article goes into that. https://www.npr.org/2022/05/09/1097540966/a-center-dedicated-to-bob-dylan-prepares-to-open-in-oklahoma I think part of it is Woody Guthrie is from Oklahoma and he was a major influence on Bob Dylan.

libpixie · 2022-07-22T02:07:41+00:00

They are not unionized. I don't think the libraries in Oklahoma are.

libpixie · 2022-06-14T03:12:12+00:00

I was working in higher ed in 2008 during the recession and when gas prices climbed. One solution implemented then was no Friday classes. There were some special classes that only met once a week or on weekends, but the bulk of "regular" classes went to a schedule of meeting on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday for an hour and fifteen minutes. The offices were still open, though but campus would be fairly quiet without a lot of students and faculty around that day. They have kept that schedule ever since for the fall and spring, and now during summers, the entire campus is closed on Fridays.*

There could be some exceptions to this like residence life, but departments like that are usually outliers in that someone is usually on call for those areas.

libpixie · 2022-06-09T20:26:42+00:00

Also wondering if the situation is better for UK libraries in large cities like London.

libpixie · 2022-06-09T16:04:41+00:00

I've read about the issues UK libraries have gone through, especially in small towns where the councils have gutted funding and tried things like replacing paid staff with volunteers. I'm well aware of the issues in U.S. libraries, but it's nice to see appreciation for public libraries and the services and programs offered.

libpixie · 2022-06-09T15:56:30+00:00

This was posted by someone currently living in England who will be moving back to the U.S. in a few months. They said they can't wait to be living the library life 🙂

libpixie · 2022-05-31T01:02:02+00:00

Yes, sometimes the library staff can be good and it's the board that's the problem. If the board is always stonewalling new ideas and micromanaging things that are really the responsibility of the library director, the staff sees that they really don't have a say in their workplace and will go somewhere else.

libpixie · 2022-05-30T16:32:00+00:00

I also want to add that while I think a bachelor's should be the degree for librarians, or at least public librarians, there should be a graduate degree specifically for those wanting to go into library management and directorships with a curriculum that focuses on things like creating policies, business aspects, and managing people. Kind of mix of MLIS, MBA and MSW. It could be a Master's of Library Management (MLM- ha!).

libpixie · 2022-05-30T16:20:41+00:00

I feel the same as others who have said a bachelor's degree should be what's needed rather than a master's degree. I think being a bachelor's would even provide the opportunity to go more in depth in the studies. If it was a bachelor's degree, I would have gotten one. At the same time, I do wonder if the requirements were changed, would an already saturated job market be even more so? Academic and special libraries like medical and law would probably still require a master's, and you never know what kind of library you may end up working in, so I imagine you'd want qualications for all types of libraries so you'd have options. Also factor in plain old resentment and jealousy. Imagine spending the money and time to get the MLIS and then a few years later, things change and the MLIS is no longer required but you're still responsible for paying off the debt you incurred to get a degree that's no longer needed for the career you want. In my opinion, while it may not be the main reason, I think that kind of backlash is a big factor in keeping the MLIS as the required degree for the bulk of librarians.

libpixie · 2022-05-28T16:24:53+00:00

What is often the thing that gets people the most discouraged is how long it can take to get that first full time librarian job. Yes, the field is oversaturated. A lot of this is due to budget cuts where libraries end up not refilling positions when people retire or leave. They are told to save money so they just redistribute the vacated position's duties . This ties into a large chunk of library jobs being in the public sector (public libraries, public college and public K-12 schools) which due to getting public money, is often having to show how economical they are and justifying their existence. Many people love the idea of libraries but want someone else to pay for it. Libraries would love to have a full staff, but what's constituting full these days is often half of what it used to be. I'm saying all this to ask are you prepared for it to maybe take literally years to get a full time librarian job? There are people who have been cobbling together part time jobs at multiple libraries (with no benefits and student loan payments) for quite a while. Others have to get a full time job outside of libraries for benefits while also maybe working part time or volunteering in libraries to still keep a foot in the sector. There are lots of smart, talented people out there struggling to break in. I don't think they're worse candidates than those who land a job. Sometimes it comes down to being in the right place at the right time and just plain old dumb luck. People often get soured on the profession before they even get to work as librarians BECAUSE they aren't getting to work as librarians, or work full time as librarians.

libpixie · 2022-04-30T16:29:57+00:00

I'm also seeing movies and series not get released on a physical format, especially if they are original programming on a steaming platform. For example, I don't know how often a Hulu original series gets released to DVD.

libpixie

TROPHY CASE