Take a look at
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/careers/salaries/887197-305/placements__salaries_2010_the.html.csp
Dominican GSLIS alum writes a thoughtful piece on job searching after graduation entitled “The Lucky Few.”
Breaking into the library world has never been a walk in the park. “Doing time” as a clerk, shelving, or simply working part-time is par for the course in this profession. But as a great man once sang, “The times, they are a-changin’.” There is a drastic increase in the number of degreed librarians taking paraprofessional positions, simply because they need a full-time job with benefits. Also, there are more temporary positions being filled with librarians wishing and hoping for the position to be made permanent. It is a daunting reality, and we all deal with it in our own ways.
Leah has also gathered three librarians to share their own stories – including TTW’s Justin Hoenke!
His article – “Have Degree, Will Travel” is here: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/careers/salaries/887196-305/placements__salaries_2010_have.html.csp
Justin writes:
I took a ride on the emotional roller coaster almost every day during my first two years as a teen librarian. There were so many ups and downs, from dealing with and understanding local politics to handling staff drama to coping with the everyday grind of working with the public. I was frequently frustrated with the snail-like pace at which change happened. Technology and everyday life was changing at such an alarming rate, and I felt like the public library just couldn’t keep up. There were moments when I got up on my soapbox and proclaimed, “The public library is doomed!” only to retract the statement once I calmed down. I guess you can say that these experiences were things for which library school can’t really prepare you. You just have to go through it, struggle for a bit, and come out with a lesson learned.
Call me biased but I am tickled to see such excellent writing from Leah – who started her degree in my very first LIS701 class when I started full time at Dominican – and from Justin – who so articulates his life changing moments with the gritty details. Rock on.