Comments on: Working ’til I Die

By: Lila Sadkin

Lila Sadkin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:03:59 +0000

As one of those young, new, unemployed librarians, I hope their meeting achieved its goals.

By: carpaltunnelqueen

carpaltunnelqueen — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:27:00 +0000

ah, the greatest falacy of all library falacies” light work”. I am retiring after 32 years, I have carpal tunnel both in hands, shoulders and elbows from building better databases, typing reserve lists and labels, shelving and other “light work”.
Just ask any doctor they will tell you it didn’t happen at the Library where no one works that hard. Sure, the library where we juggle double and triple oversized books hand to hand, where we move desks, terminals, force overloaded book trucks across unmatching elevator thresholds. Where we sit and perform endless repetitive
typing tasks, or marking tasks or whatever tasks that are
needed. Few of us actually do retire some of us just have to because we are worn out.

By: Anne Linney

Anne Linney — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:09:03 +0000

But there will be plenty of jobs! And if you can’t get one, you should join this initiative!

http://wikis.ala.org/recruit/index.php/ALA_Initiatives

Those who don’t look at the bright side are just meanines…

By: AlwaysWanted2B

AlwaysWanted2B — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:30:00 +0000

I had gotten out of the habit of reading this column. It had become trite and the comments, downright ugly. This column today brought back the laughs. Thanks

By: Library History Buff

Library History Buff — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:54:25 +0000

I’ve been happily retired for eight years after a long and fulfilling career as a working librarian. I wish all the same good fortune. Retirement has allowed me to redefine myself as a library history buff and a promoter of library history. My ALA member I.D. card says I’ve been a continuous member of ALA for 42 years. For the first year since joining ALA, I didn’t have to pay dues. My prior continuous participation has rewarded me with life membership. Many of my former coleagues are retiring, and most of them are also choosing to stay connected to our wonderful profession. Even though they chose not to work until they died.

By: Young Librarian

Young Librarian — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:49:09 +0000

Well, I’m about to go get a second masters or PhD. Maybe a job will open up for me and if I have that subject expertise. Or, I’ll go into business or the FSO and leave the industry altogether. Not that I’m pessimistic; just realistic. We had a staff position three levels lower than mine open and had PhDs applying for the position. I doubt I’ll find a professional librarian position with that kind of competition, especially with more and more libraries hiring people with “subject expertise” first and allowing them to get an MLS after they’re hired. ~sigh~

By: Annoyed Librarian

Annoyed Librarian — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:40:07 +0000

Someone else will have to write that one. I’m much too busy working.

By: gatoloco

gatoloco — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:33:49 +0000

What about a follow up article “Underemployed ’til I Die”?

By: Techserving You

Techserving You — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:46:42 +0000

Some of the older librarians I know are very engaged with their work. The majority, though (and I have worked in several “prestigious” academic library systems) have almost completely mentally checked-out. At my last job, we didn’t even have performance evaluations… ever. At other places, the performance evaluations were useless, anyway, since people basically couldn’t be “let go” due to unions and tenure. If you can do almost no work and yet get paid more than anyone else, why retire?

(And I agree that making room for other people is not a good motivator, and in some cases flat-out stupid. Who cares whether new grads with little experience who probably never should have gone to library school to begin with can find jobs? Then again, in many cases someone else (not just a younger librarian, and maybe not even a younger librarian) could do a person’s job much better than that person is doing it. But all that does is make the person’s colleagues desperately want them to retire. No one’s going to think, “I’m performing poorly and am doing a disservice to the library, so I think I’ll retire.” If only.)

By: mmh

mmh — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:55:47 +0000

AL, Article in library news. Of course they can’t be stopped from “loitering,” no matter who it disturbs.

http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/article_2ae80f53-52d4-5205-9e15-96dd22c42905.html