Library Grrrls

distraction, frustration...and the answer?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:45:43 GMT

Hi everybody:

Well, I'm settling into my circulation clerk job little by little. I am a bit confused by the *lack* of work here, though. For instance, I was told my work study student is the "first line of defense." in other words, let them handle the routine tasks unless the line gets backed up. OK, fine. But I'm on the late-night shift and there's little to do here. So I asked around about "little projects to do when it's quiet." The reply? There are none. At least not until summer (when I am off).

I'm noticing a lot of 'Net surfing by the other employees and the work studies. OK, fine. But I am also noticing that while I also can surf, it distracts me to the point where I've made a few mistakes. I just had to redo a job because my mind wasn't on my work. I don't *like* this tendency in myself--to get so far into the 'net or a book or whatever that I am sort of ditzy when it comes to work.

So...I'm not bitchin' here, but, um...any suggestions? What should I be doing with my spare time? I've already familiarized myself with the reference database, and I"m not really supposed to leave the desk. The job was described to me by a coworker as "making sure the library doesn't burn down and gets locked at night."

It's funny, but it ain't funny. You know?

is this possible?

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 04:12:25 GMT

Hi, grrls:

About two weeks after I started my new circulation clerk position, a co worker told me about a job opening at a local community college. It's for a full time reference librarian, and it pays about $40K.

She said they got NO applicants, because 1) no one fresh out of L-school wants to work in a community college in our somewhat depressed locale; and 2) that pay is too low. Academic ref libs usually make about $60K. Not what I heard, but hey...

She also said the last person with the job had only a BA in English, and they sent her to library school part-time.

Is this possible? Can a non-trained person really do a reference job at a college?

Also, another question: is circulation really "the most important part of a library"? So I've heard it said. The reason I ask is not to step on toes, but because we are losing 3 people from reference, and possibly one from circulation, yet we've been told there is a hiring freeze at our college. My husband says they've got to "thaw" some of this, because no way can a library function after losing four people.

What do you think? Can they squeak along?

volunteering- keeping track of hours?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:32:27 GMT

I graduated with my MLS from Drexel last December with the hopes of going into cataloging, but there are few to no openings in my state, much less my county. I am currently employed full time at a small branch library at the circulation desk, where I have been for nearly five years. I plan to keep this position indefinitely.

I contacted a nearby public library and asked if they could use any volunteer help with cataloging. I attached my resume so they could see my experience. Their response was an enthusiastic yes, and I start today.

My question is, how do I handle keeping track of the amount of time I spend at this library? I will be assisting the cataloger for about two hours each week. Do you think it will be necessary to ask the library to let me keep track of my hours? Is this something I should do on my own, without bothering them about it? Or, is it entirely unnecessary, as long as I remember when I started and how long I spend there?

Thanks for your help!

me again--update on job

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:21:16 GMT

Hi, me again!

I started my new job this past week, and it's going very well. My boss is great, my co workers seem nice and so far it has been fairly easy as I've been in training. I'll be shadowing other people for the next few days, then flying solo next week.

I still have not quite figured out the dress code. Because of the unseasonable heat wave, the staff was wearing all kinds of stuff (even flip flops). I asked and was told "business casual."

I've been in a bit of a panic because I usually wore dresses in the summer to the office. I don't think any of them would work here. Also I tended to wear artwear (i.e. Blue fish T shirts) and in looking over my summer clothes, some of them are abominably worn out and sloppy (I found HOLES in one linen shirt).

Can anyone tell me some basic pieces I might want to start out with? I make my own jewelry and as a mixed-media artist I like to dress for self-expression--but I don't want to be freakish. Despite all I've read online about tattooed and pierced librarians, I must admit I have never met one. :(

Thanks!!

New job!

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:29:16 GMT

I was offered and have accepted a job I mentioned in an earlier post. If you missed it, it's a library tech position at the circulation desk in an academic library. I'll mostly be working with work/study students (because of the weird hours).

I will finally get a chance to know whether or not I like library work enough to pursue an master's in library science. And it looks like it will be low-stress (something I need at this point).

The down side is, it's part-time, and the hours most probably will interfere with any other job I might get, and the pay is low. It's a nine-month appointment (meaning no work in the summer). And no benefits.

On the one hand, I am happy and excited. On the other hand I'm very worried, as we really need more money. I am hoping that it will lead to something better. At the very least, I hope to LIKE the job. Which is a biggie for me. ;)

Part of the "hours and another job issue" is that it is 8 pm to midnight four days a week, plus 5 to midnight Sundays (there are exceptions, like during exam week). Also I kind of have to be "on call" in case someone on the afternoon shift calls in sick. They might, say, call me at noon and ask "can you come in at 4 pm?" The boss stressed this over and over on the phone and in person. I am getting a little suspicious that this happens a lot, even though he says it doesn't. Now what if I had another job and and couldn't do what he asked?

I told them I was going to go to library school, as if it were a done deal. I don't know how/if I could actually afford to do it. I've looked at web sites for Clarion and Pitt, and it looks like there's no such thing as grants for grad students. (Though I might be wrong about this). Just loans. Because I thought, maybe I could just live on grants while going to school and working, since I had such a low income, they're bound to give me something.

Anyway, I don't want to ramble on.

BUT, I do have a question: what sort of clothing would be appropriate for this job? I've had office jobs, mostly, in the past.

re-post

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:11:25 GMT

Note: I think this got lost at the end of my last thread. So I thought I would repost in case no one saw it. Thanks!
Hey, I have an update! They called me today for an interview (tentative) for Monday.

I finally did get some letters of reference: one from my former boss, one from a colleague (same job as the boss), one from my boss from 10 years ago and the other from a lifelong friend who is a lawyer.

If anybody's got any advice for the interview let me know.

Here's the job description. I know I can handle it. It's just a question of convincing them. Also, I am wondering about the "salary" part. Any idea what I should ask for?
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have not worked in a library in a long time. I'm not expecting the job to pay a lot but I really want the experience etc. Thanks!

"This position will be a team member in the busy customer service environment of the Library Circulation department. The successful candidate is responsible for assisting with book, reserves, media, and laptop checkouts as well as supervising work-study students during evening shifts and weekends. This position is also cross-trained to take media requests, process reserves and retrieve A-V equipment. A high school or GED degree is the minimal requirement. The ideal candidate will also have prior Academic library experience and a solid understanding of the vision and mission of higher education.

Requirements include good computer skills, excellent verbal and written communication abilities, attention to detail, and familiarity with A-V equipment. Customer-focused “people skills” and schedule flexibility are also required. An enthusiasm for an innovative, evolving library environment is important. Reliability is essential for any interested candidate. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience."

recommendation letters?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:25:17 GMT

I'm applying for a job as a part-time circulation clerk at my alma mater. They want 3 letters of recommendation. Here's my situation: I was laid off from my non-library job 2.5 years ago, and I don't think I"m on the best of terms with some of my former co workers. There was a kind of coup d'etat there, and there might be one or two people who would recommend me.

Second, I have a good friend who is a librarian, and I've asked her.

Third, I graduated with my BA in English in '01. The former English dept. head is my contact on Linked In, but he's moved on to another university.

Fourth, I did a little volunteer work in the fall at the local historical society museum.

Fifth, I have a former co worker who has offered to be a reference for me.

Of all these people, whom do you think I should ask to write my references? I feel so lost and out of touch with the "real world." Also my last library experience was in the early 1990s (circulation) so I have no idea if I would even get the darned job.

Advice? Please? Thank you!

E-readers

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:37:17 GMT

What's your take on e-readers? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Own one? Which one?

Our library system lacks the $20K they need in software to make e-books available. But the librarians all have them and say they are a "lot of fun." I'm considering buying a Kindle. I like the Nook, too, but what if B&N goes out of business and support is lost?

Do you think that e-books will replace paper books? I do not.

on volunteering

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:52:08 GMT

Hi, grrls:

I've been considering a library career for years now. Whenever I've talked about it on here or with "real live" librarians, they've all said the same thing: get some volunteer experience and it will make all the difference.
Recently I filled out an application for volunteering at one of our local branches. I basically got the runaround. I was told to call back at least twice. Then I got a letter from the director (after runaround lady told me she had to talk to the director) saying "thanks but we don't need any employees". I called back and told them I wanted to volunteer (of course I'd love a real job but I know there aren't any). Runaround Lady said she'd talk to the director ("among the huge list of other things I need to talk to her about") and no one has gotten back to me.

My friend Dee is a librarian and she said they are "rarely worth the trouble to train." Because then they leave, I presume?

Should I just try elsewhere? Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I would think in times of austerity, libraries would be dying for volunteers.

United Kingdom Archives Program Conundrum

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:38:08 GMT

Hello all!
This may not be in the right forum, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It might also apply to those studying library science abroad.

I was wondering if any of you knew if US employers would frown on a United States citizen who completes her archives & records management masters program abroad in the United Kingdom (University College London) instead of the United States? In your opinion, would it make it very difficult to get a job back in the United States (I would present my transcript, show classes, etc).

Note: I also have volunteer and internship experience in various archives and libraries if that helps at all

Conversely, is it very difficult for an American with a degree from UCL to get a job in the UK dealing in archives & records management after graduation? I know visas are difficult to come by.

Just trying to figure out my options. If you have any advice or information regarding this it would be MUCH appreciated.
Have a lovely day.

kind of a silly question but...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:19:04 GMT

I finished my last two courses required for my Library Science degree, and just got the final grades for these courses tonight. I will not be attending the graduation ceremony, so my diploma should arrive in the mail (not sure if it will be within a few weeks or during the time frame of the graduation ceremony). Given that I have completed all of the work and passed all of my classes, can I legitimately say that I have my LIS degree? Do I need to wait until I receive my diploma before I make the official change on my resume?

Thank you.

Help! live close to my boss

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:28:41 GMT

Ok. I admit that I am a worrier, and this may not be something that I should worry about, but I love this community and I got lots of help before, so I posted my story here.

I live in Seattle. My husband and I just bought a house, and prepare for moving in the next month. "Lucky" for me, the house we bought is just two houses away from my boss, who lives just across the street! That was a big surprise!

I am not a social person, and my relationship with my boss is not close. He's not my direct supervisor but he is the boss for the whole department in the library! I only see him at the staff meeting once a week.

Now I am worrying about how I would be a nice neighbor with him. Should I knock at his door after we move in and say hi? Should I invite him to come over to visit or have a dinner? Would that be embarrassing if I run into him when I have a walk? I don't know the new neighborhood and I am not sure what to do. I am afraid that he would be embarrassed if I am too eager, but if I am too distant that would feel weird too.

Any ideas? I really appreciate your help!

Under-qualified and starry-eyed :)

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:56:43 GMT

Hello :) Your advice would be much appreciated; I would love it if you could take the time to give me the benefit of your experience.

I'm one term away from graduating, and will have my MLIS degree in April 2012.

I've started looking at jobs, and here's my problem: my absolute dream job has been posted! It's to be the assistant director at my favourite academic library! The position would involve the day to day running of a learning commons, in addition to implementing programs that would bring the community into the library.

Sadly, I'm rather under-qualified, as I don't have the six years of programming experience they are looking for. I have worked in public and academic libraries, and have spent two weeks as "acting librarian" when my boss left for vacation. Also, I coordinated a Home Delivery program. But I still feel that on paper, I won't look terribly prepared. However, I feel confident that I would be successful in the position because of my drive to succeed, willingness to learn, and absolute passion for creating ties between the library and the community.

I feel I would be perfectly qualified for this position in the future, but as it is posted now, I feel compelled to apply.

Any advice? I want to give it my very best shot. Thanks!

Survey help

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:56:16 GMT

Hello librarians, fellow library-school grrls (and boys), and aspiring librarians.

I really hope that this is not against community rules, but I'd really appreciate any bit of help I can possibly get, since I am looking for the greatest number of participants possible).

As a current MLS student at CUNY Queens College, I am conducting research on the public’s abilities to interpret the fair use doctrine of United States Copyright Law.

For the purposes of this study, I will be examining how the general public responds to new works of visual art with appropriated elements, and if instances of infringement are recognized.

I hope that you will take a few minutes to fill out this short, fun survey, (just 10 questions!) which should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. The data resulting from this questionnaire will be used for this study alone, and will not be shared. The questionnaire is administered by Survey Monkey, and all responses are kept anonymous.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MYVYY2V

You must be over the age of 18 to participate, and your completion of the questionnaire indicates that you are granting consent to participate in this study. Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary, and you may end the questionnaire at any time.

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Technical Services in Public Libraries

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:37:45 GMT

I've got a couple questions I hope someone can help me out with:

Are there ever technical services positions in public libraries or do public librarians tend to cover all areas of the library? I guess what I'm asking is: How specific can you specialize in a public library? I see Youth Services or Director positions, but rarely anything more specific than that.

Secondly, any job hunting tips for public libraries? For instance, I know here in New York, you have to get on a civil service list. How does it all work if you're not applying locally?

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:41:48 GMT

Does anyone have experience with library-specific temp work?

I'm working part-time as a Young Adult Librarian (really not the avenue I expected to take, though I do enjoy my job), but do not feel like I'll be able to move up in my system with a library school in the city graduating (too many) similarly-qualified candidates each semester. I've also grown up here, went to school here, and have only left for a brief stint. So, basically, I'm open to the idea of leaving.

I've been looking nationally to a degree. I'm not really willing to move just anywhere (I don't want to move to a state where I know absolutely nobody, honestly), but I definitely did not pick the right field to be able to pick up and move and hope for the best as far as finding a job.

I've been considering temp work for awhile now, but haven't really moved forward with it yet. I've really only looked at InfoCurrent (Corestaff) and TRAK. I was Googling around and found some less-than-stellar reviews of Corestaff, but some positive ones were intermixed in there too. Nothing seemed specific to library/information work, but still.

Has anybody gone through one of these companies (or similar) successfully? I'm a pretty realistic person bordering on negative, and I definitely realize I need to gain more experience in order to be a qualified candidate for the types of jobs I want that I see posted. Basically, I'm one of the hordes of MLISes that needs an entry-level, professional job in a sea of management postings. While a temporary position isn't necessarily ideal, I'd be willing to do it if it meant experience where I could make some connections in a city I could see starting my life in. I also would like to move away from traditional library work and do something more in the taxonomy or corporate research realm. But all my experience is fairly traditional sooo...

Sorry this is so long, I'm just really ready to get out there. I graduated last December and am already feeling like my degree is collecting dust!

medical librarian

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:41:13 GMT

Hello everyone!
I am currently a senior majoring in biology getting ready to graduate this May. I've been weighing out my options of what to do post-graduation. I know I will be continuing my education somehow, but I'm trying to figure out what exactly. One of the things I have come across is a medical librarian. I thought that having a science background might come into use for this career. So I've been trying to research more about librarians in general, but I have come across so many questions along the way.

1. Salaries in California
I saw through various websites that librarians make about $50,000 a year. But I was using the sac state bee and uc pay global to look at salaries of librarians. I found hundreds of librarians in the UC system that make well over $75,000. Even at the csu I attend there are librarians that make up $100,000. So is $50,000 a good estimate? Or does working at a university pay a lot more? Would it be difficult to obtain a job in the uc/csu system?

2. Head librarians
I understand that there are head librarians and library directors, so how does one go about reaching this level? Is it usually after certain years of experience. Is is easy, or are there often lots of people trying to obtain these positions.

3. Medical librarians
How does one go about specializing and becoming a medical librarian? Are there special courses to take? Is the outlook good for medical librarians compared to other librarians? I've heard numerous times that there aren't many job openings for librarians right now. What about in southern california? And aren't many librarians retiring soon?

Thanks in advance for all your help. I might just make an appointment and talk to a librarian at my school to see if this would be a good path for myself.

archives/museum help

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:11:17 GMT

I am not sure if I'm posting in the right group, but if I'm not, could someone point me out to a different group?

I'm volunteering at a small historical society museum on a shoestring budget. The place is in chaos, mostly because they've had a lot of staff turnover during the years. The filing system is a nightmare. They've got files labeled "Correspondence" that go back to the 1970s, instead of having the letters filed in the subject files.

There are "Accession" files, "Loaned Objects" files, "Objects in collection" files (though not for every item).

Luckily, the museum owns Past Perfect and a lot of the original accession cards/handwritten records have been transferred into the program.

I have a few questions on reorganizing the physical files (aside from tossing a lot of the stuff). Also, on keeping an inventory for the gift shop. I believe they've got Excel and Access too.

The task seems to be a many-headed Hydra...Sigh...

Thank you!

Xposted to libraryschool

Degree question

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:41:59 GMT

I am about to go back to college with the intention of getting my MLIS. But I am wondering how the job market looks for elementary school librarians?
I am also interested in research but not sure how many jobs there are. I have almost 6 years before I will finish. I just want to be prepared. ;)

Universal Decimal System? (UDC)

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:41:46 GMT

This question is mostly aimed at catalogers, but anyone who wants to can weigh in. :)

I'm taking a semi cataloging class through Drexel (after two cataloging classes-- any ideas what field I'm going into?) and this term came up in one of the lectures. Since it was never so much as mentioned in either of my cataloging classes, I'm guessing that it isn't very well known. Has anyone worked with UDC and, if so, what are your thoughts? Is it an updated DDC? Who uses it? Based on your library experience, is it worth learning in detail for future catalogers?

Thanks in advance!

Advice about working at a for-profit college?

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:50:38 GMT

I have a nice job in a small public library right now. Things aren't necessarily fantastic, and the pay is very low, but in general I'm satisfied with my working life right now. The problem? I absolutely hate the town that I'm living in--where I moved for this job--and want desperately to get out of here. I have a particular city in mind that I would like to move to--and it's not someplace that tons of people are clamoring to move to, like San Francisco or Seattle or Boston or anything--but library jobs there seem to be kind of scarce, and although I've applied for nearly every one I've seen posted that I'm remotely qualified for, I haven't even gotten a single interview. So today I saw a posting for a full-time librarian at a for-profit career college. I looked it up on the Better Business Bureau website and did some other searching, and everything I've found about it online seems to indicate that it's pretty legitimate as these things go--it's accredited, it has a good BBB score, reviews from students seem to be mixed but are generally neutral to positive--so I went ahead and applied.

I'm still nervous, though. I've heard lots horror stories from librarians working at for-profit colleges and universities. And then I got a call from someone within a couple of hours of submitting my application online! I haven't called them back yet, although I do intend to (this just happened within the half-hour), but I'm wondering whether people could share their experiences working for career colleges, and what kinds of things I should be looking for when or if I get an in-person interview. I'm willing to do almost anything to be able to move to my city of choice as long as I can keep working in the library field, but I'm worried that because I'm so desperate I'll get myself into a really bad situation and regret it. Then again, I also feel like when I'm established there with a local address and all, I'll then be in a stronger position to go for better jobs in the area. What do you think? Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:07:09 GMT

Hello!

I recently became a Reference and Instruction Librarian for a small (very small) academic library. I have under my supervision three work study students. The director allows them to do homework when library projects are low. However, they don't take advantage of that time and instead I find them socializing. They're definitely not getting paid to socialize.

Since I've never had to supervise work study students before I was wondering if anyone had ideas for library projects. Keep in mind that this is a small library.

I thought of shelf reading, but that will literally last them a few days. Any thoughts? Much appreciated if anything comes my way!

(Apologies about cross-posting to several communities)

Pratt?

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:19:30 GMT

So I have been thinking of adding Pratt to my list of grad school but am worried about all the negative experiences I have been reading. I am interested in the MLIS and Art History dual degree but am hesitant of the price tag. Many negative experiences seem to be from people who graduated a number of years ago. I was wondering if the problems with the program have since been resolved, or is Pratt simply just good on paper but not worth the cash?

Book Recs

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:28:31 GMT

Since I spend most of my day at the Reference desk I find myself giving book recommendations. I read quite widely and have always managed to find something for people to read. I like this part of library service a great deal, I am always looking for something new to read, both fiction and non fiction. I'd like to hear what are you reading?

UK JOB - library and reprographics assistant

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:59:25 GMT

Hello Everyone!

Apologies for this being poster in a few different communities. I thought livejournal would be a good place to find a fun librarian to work with!

I write http://schoollibrarians.tumblr.com/ and work as a school librarian in a new academy in South London. http://www.evelyngraceacademy.org/ . The building is designed by Zaha Hadid and has been all over the news!
At the moment we are looking to hire a library and reprographics assistant. I work with a lot of great kids and the job is a lot of fun!

If you want more information/the job description, comment with your email and I'll send it over!
You'll get to work with this lady:

and you'll get to make awesome displays like this:

Comment with your email for the job description.