I think librarians who haven’t faced the tough job market don’t appreciate their jobs. My wifes see that all the time. A lot of belly aching and back stabbing over nothing. We both think: YOU HAVE A JOB! What are complaining about. But they’re the ones who’ve been in the jobs for years. And yes, a lot of them are gold bricks.

I have become much more result oriented and harder working in the last few jobs I’ve had. I was always a good employee, but probably spent too much time in the public sector for my own good. But I’m aware that doesn’t work nowadays and I was never the stereotypical government employee. I’ve always seen myself as a public servant and the patron is my employer. My greatest fear is ending up like a DMV employee.

My recent supervisors have liked me and gave me great recommendations. So I know I’m good, but the competition’s fierce and although I’m personable and a hard worker, I am not the best net worker and self brander. That’s what I’ve got to work on. Plus we live in big city that’s between two big library schools. Lots of MLS holders here.

My situation is similar to yours. Moved for my wife’s job. I’ve been part time as a librarian for three years. We moved to a less populated area of the country where there were fewer jobs and the economy was in the toilet before 2008.

In the last three months I applied to 9 jobs, got five responses, and two job offers. After I accepted a job about a month ago I kept getting responses to my applications. Bottom line: I made the most of my PT position and did all I could to stand out as a candidate. My work has paid off.

During my time in libraries I’ve always been one of the hardest workers and have been repeatedly disappointed by a number of my colleagues. I spent time in the private sector and I echo Ray in Ghostbusters “They expect results!” and I’ve never slowed down or gotten complacent once I switched to libraries.

Maybe this is where I differ from my colleagues. Maybe this is why there were so many interested employers when I started applying to jobs. What I’m saying is…maybe this is what I’m talking about in my first post.

I understand there are parts of the country that don’t have jobs and I feel sympathy for those who can’t relocate. I know this advice probably doesn’t apply to you because you’re experienced and capable and moved due to family stuff, but I think the only way to make sure you have a job in libraries is to make yourself indispensable.

I exaggerated some, I admit. I have landed some jobs in the past few years, temp jobs and a PT permanent position with unworkable hours that I had to leave. My big mistake was relocating just before the credit crunch hit the economy without first securing a position. But I had little choice; it was a family emergency.

If you are employed, or were lucky enough to land a job quickly, then you simply do not understand the way things work now for job seekers. The old rules don’t apply any more. It doesn’t matter how good you are, there is such a surfeit of good librarians that you can’t rely on being the best.

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong is proverbial, but in the library field, the bad economy as well as the increasing number of grads from expanded and online programs, ensure that a large number of MLS holders, be they ever so swift and strong, will simply not find jobs.

So, the sugar coating isn’t just the myth of the elusive retiring librarian or the polite fiction of the transferability of the MLS, it’s also the fable that the best candidates will find jobs.

I have been in this field since the mid 80s. Started out as a shelver, worked my way up to a parapro, got the MLS and landed good jobs. I’ve done academic and public, public and tech services. So, I’ve seen all sides of the profession. I’ve hired “excellent” candidates, only to see them reveal themselves as accomplished and subtle BS artists with raging personality disorders.

My wife is a librarian as well. Snce I left my job to relocate she’s been the Assistant Director and Director of a good sized public library system and is now a branch manager at of one of the top rated public library systems in the country. She’s seen “excellent” and “competitive” librarians hired since the library job market tanked turn into walking disasters, while solid, competent librarians who find self promotion difficult and distasteful soldier on without incident — if they’re employed — or leave the field once it’s clear there are no jobs.

5 years is a long time. You should take your own advice and go back to school. That’s what I’d do if I were you.

Insensitive? Too much sugar-coating of the circumstances (e.g. an MLS is a competitive degree in a growing field, etc) is what created this whole mess.

5 years is a long time. You should take your own advice and go back to school. That’s what I’d do if I were you.

Insensitive? Too much sugar-coating of the circumstances (e.g. an MLS is a competitive degree in a growing field, etc) is what created this whole mess.

And yes, you sound superficial and insensitive.

I think the downturn is going to make librarianship a competitive field (duh, right?). There are going to be fewer librarians with problems maintaining eye contact, poor work ethic, resistance to change, and passivity. Only the outstanding, active ones will be hired. It’s a sort of Darwinism. I know this sounds insensitive and is a generalization. I’m sure there are some excellent unemployed librarians. Maybe.

I wish search committees and other responsible parties were more open minded about hiring MLIS holders for parapro positions. There are so few professional positions, and there aren’t likely to be many in the near future (in fact there are likely to be fewer and fewer) so the best thing that could happen to a unemployed MLIS holder like me is to land a decent parapro job. It’s a LOT better than nothing, which is what I have now. In fact, I’m retraining as a paralegal and have no hopes of ever landing a library job.

My wife is an employed librarian. We’re both amazed at the number of her colleagues who want to get an MLIS. I’ve told my wife she needs to gently discourage them. She would be doing them — and me — a favor (I don’t need more competition). But really there’s nothing she could or would do unless one of them approached her personally for advice.

She’s also a branch manager and she agonizes over whether to post advertisements for the local MLIS program on the bulletin board. The program sends them out all the time. Their advertising gets better as job prospects for their grads get worse. It’s evil. I tell her she’s doing her patrons a disservice. But she posts them anyway. What else can she do?

So I try to do my part. Here goes: DON’T GET AN MLIS! You’re better off getting an AA in Nursing or HVAC technology at the local community college! At least you’ll be employable and have less debt. I’m not kidding. Think about it.