Comments on: Another Library Job that Sucks

By: Need Professional Organization

Need Professional Organization — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:21:16 +0000

The profession is a joke because we let it be.

We all run to ALA which is a management organization. Just look at what the L stands for.

Face it, we are in what is considered a service job: like a maid, or a cook, or a soda jerk. Get me what I want, do it now and shut up.

To new MLS grads, here is a phrase that you will need: Do you want fries with that?

By: LIS degrees are a joke

LIS degrees are a joke — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:12:14 +0000

All the more proof that this profession is a joke.

By: ALA Refugee

ALA Refugee — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:15:00 +0000

I used to work for the ALA at their HQ in Chicago and I was treated as a disposable temporary worker, though I wasn’t told that at my hiring years earlier. All those lofty ALA ideals didn’t apply to me apparently.

By: I Like Books

I Like Books — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:04:04 +0000

Regarding evenings and weekends, that’s pretty much all I’ve ever worked. And now I punch in at 2 am. So I guess I’m not shocked about that. I actually think it’s kind of nice to be free sometimes during normal business hours.

But don’t think librarians have the market cornered on low-paid temporary jobs. Consider someone with a PhD in one of the hard sciences. It’s normal for them to accept a post-doc position. This is a low-paid, one or two year position created as a training position. They accept someone with who needs to be taught how to do the job, and give them a low salary.

But there are such a surplus of people with science PhDs that, in practice, the required skills and experience can be quite astonishing. And, especially in biology and medicine, the new scientist can go from one post-doc to another, from one end of the country to the other, year after year for a decade, a nomad of science, always hoping to finally get that permanent job.

And I never get tired of reading things like “We have to reverse the decline in students taking science and engineering majors!”

By: Brent

Brent — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:09:33 +0000

I’m a librarian and I thought I was the only librarian that got hour long foot massages at work (and other types of massages). I also have a corner office overlooking at a park, but I don’t have martinis at work :(

By: James

James — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:10:14 +0000

The worst part is, I’d kill for that job, but can’t get it because, as a recent grad, I have no professional experience. These crappy jobs are supposed to be going to unexperienced people, but I see many postings like this one that offer the crappy position with no perks, but still require experience.

By: Luckyred

Luckyred — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:33:07 +0000

I’m a ready to graduate LS student and this ad is indeed frustrating for me. But what else can I do when people are desperate to get a job?

By: John

John — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:50:01 +0000

“These have always seemed to me the most shameful jobs, the ones where libraries were trying to exploit a bad job market to get better librarians than they morally deserve, where they demand professionals but don’t provide professional situations. Jobs like these make all of us worse off, because it shows that there are libraries that don’t take seriously any professional or personal commitment to librarians. The librarians become mere widgets to be exploited at will and disposed of easily.”

Once you understand that your employer only wants to exploit you, and that you only want to exploit your employer, you’ll be much happier.

Don’t look to a job for anything more than a paycheck.

By: TwoQatz

TwoQatz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:22:30 +0000

I’d like to know if anyone in library school, contemplating it, or recently graduated bothered checking salaries and benefits for library jobs? When I started in the field 30 years ago I knew I would never get rich but I knew I would enjoy the work. Folks – do some research first and quit your complaining!

By: please

please — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:10:35 +0000

It might be nice if someone is looking for part-time work…but most young people I know are not going to Library school with the intention of getting part-time non-benefit positions. We accept them because we have to..what are the options otherwise. I FINALLY found a full-time position (thank goodness I am tech savy)but the pay is less than I made working at a steel factory when I was 18 with no degree at all. Needless to say, I am re-evaluating my decision to continue in this field altogether.