The Library

I don't normally post things like this on my blog but I have a lot of thoughts about this in my head & I need to share it with someone! I think most of my readers will find this interesting.

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I've been volunteering & working in libraries for about 15 years now. I started volunteering at my local public library when I was in middle school for National Junior Honor Society. Then continued to volunteer through high school for National Honor Society & also on the Teen Advisory Board. That was until we moved away my junior year. From there after I graduated high school I went onto college & got a student job working part time in the library at the circulation desk. Once I graduated I pretty quickly got a job as a school librarian on accident when I interviewed to be the front office secretary. Then I left that job after 3 years moved to where I am now & have worked at 2 libraries in this area. At the first library I was in the back doing cataloging as a Technical Assistant, & currently I am the Circulation Supervisor of a different library. But before I worked in a library I was there all the time checking things out, going to programs, & I have loved libraries & reading my whole life. When I was little I always wanted to be a teacher because I loved school & learning. Then when I started college & took some teaching classes I realized I couldn't work for free to become a teacher & the education system wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Also now that I've worked at a school I know most schools (at least where I live) don't care about libraries or librarians so I would never work at a school again.

Through all of that I have learned a lot, seen a lot, experienced a lot, & am still doing those things every day. Recently on Facebook I saw a post in a group I am apart of that is for readers & nerds etc. The post said something to the effect of if you had to work & you couldn't sit & read all day as a job what would you be doing, whats your dream job? I was shocked to see how many people put Librarian as their dream job. The reason this shocked me is because I think most of our society is confused by libraries as a whole. 

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In my experience there are 5 different types of people (in reference to them & how they relate to the library).

1. The Library Worker: This is the person that works in the library in any capacity. There are many different jobs in the library. Some people like me always knew they were going to have a job in a library. Some people go to school to become "real librarians". Others fall into it on accident or just apply for the job because they need one. This category also includes volunteers & friends members. Either way no matter how you got the job you are now a library worker instead of a patron. 

2. The Patron: This is the person that you see in the library all the time. They are a loyal library user. They may even donate money to the library or pay a larger part than just checking out items & using the computer. There are many subcategories in this group. (That might be a fun post "Types of Library Patrons"). These people care about the library & what it has to offer to them & their community. Patrons can be new to the library as well but they are different from the next category.

3.The Convenience or Accidental Library User: I don't count this person in the same category as the actual patrons because this person is only using the library out of convenience or by accident. I'll give you 2 examples. The accidental library user is the person who is passing through town & needs to use the wifi. Or they can also be the type of person we never want to see who is drunk or intoxicated in some way & they stumble into the library (literally) & end up being kicked out. The convenience library user is someone who has never been to the library in their life or maybe just not the library in their town. They know it's there but they have no reason to be there until they do. This person is looking for tax forms or their printer broke at home or they heard from a friend that the library was offering something for free. They use the library once & they leave...never to be seen or heard from again. 

4. The Non-Library Person: These are the types of people that drive librarians (including me) nuts! They verbally tell you or write into the paper or are on social media poisoning the minds of others. They are the people that say well we have the internet so we don't need libraries. Or I shop on Amazon because the library could never have what I need & I have to wait anyway. And my personal favorite...libraries are dying! You could give every stat or argument in the book to these people & they don't care.

5. The Library Idealist: This person means well & they do make things better in some ways. These are the people in that post on social media who say their dream job is to be a librarian, or they say when I get old I'm going to retire & work in a library or maybe volunteer & do some good. Now about 25% of the time the things they say are true. Volunteers do make a big difference in a library & we as workers cherish them. But this group of people also think being a librarian means reading all day or interacting with no one in a big empty building full of books. They have a very unrealistic view of what a library is & what librarians do. 

In the end we need all of these people in our society to create a balance.

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When I applied for the most recent job I have I was asked to answer a questionnaire & the first question was to share why its important to serve all age groups in a public library setting, this was my answer:

The Library as an institution has always catered to different needs for different people. Because of its multifaceted uses and meanings, the Library can accomplish a lot of different goals at once through its resources and programs.

For example, the Library’s most basic use is a source for information that can take many forms such as materials (books, movies, etc.), reference (questions & research), and entertainment (programs). But the Library also serves as a meeting space, gathering place, knowledge center, creativity hub, and, most importantly, the heart of its community. In order to become and stay as the heart of the community, librarians and library staff must use their knowledge and skills to help their community in every way possible.

In a single day as a library worker/librarian, you have to answer reference questions over the phone, help a student do a project on the computer, teach an older person how to use the digital card catalog, perform a storytime activity for families, and quiet the teens in the teen area while keeping their interest. Most importantly you help maintain and grow a love for the library in every person that walks through the door. 

WOW, right? That was just beautiful & poetic & idealistic. Now I didn't just write that because I was trying to impress someone for a job. I wrote all of that because I really, truly, deep down believe that. It's hard to become jaded when you have to deal with certain things on a daily basis over & over for years. But at the core that's what libraries are (in my opinion anyways).

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What do librarians actually do?

 That is a very interesting question I'm glad you asked. Let me break it down for you by giving some examples from things that have actually happened to me over the years. This does not mean every librarian in every library does the same things or has experienced the same things as me.

Volunteer:

As a library volunteer you are asked to do a variety of jobs. You can pretty much do anything a normal library worker can do as long as you are covered under the insurance & you don't have access to sensitive info like names & addresses. Depending on how much training you are given & what is allowed by your library job duties can vary. It's everything from shelving to handing out summer reading prizes to teaching classes. I would never ask a volunteer to do something I wouldn't or couldn't do.

Student Worker:

Student workers can either be paid or unpaid it depends on where they are. I was a student worker in college so I got paid, but when I was a school librarian I had student workers who got credit instead of money. Student workers are basically library workers. I was answering phones, making copies, shelving, at the circulation desk helping, etc. Then when I had workers they were mostly shelving & cleaning because those were things I had no time to do. When I was a student worker at the college it was a pretty typical college setting but we did allow the public to use the computers. This meant I had to deal with angry people who didn't want to pay for copies & gross stuff like people bypassing the security system & watching porn. 

School Librarian: 

The job I had at the school would have been my last if they had paid me more & gotten me some assistance. I was seeing 10 classes a day with 30+ kids in each class. I was helping with homework, checking books in & out, making the budgets, creating displays, doing storytimes, teaching basic librarianship, proctoring AR tests, giving readers advisory, running a book club, facilitating meetings & trainings, doing book repair, supervising students, going on field trips, working with the after school program, etc. I could go on all day with my duties at the school. I was pretty much running the entire library alone. I loved it at first but it became clear to me pretty quick that I was alone & that the school wasn't going to help me maintain the level I was offering. I was really disappointed to leave but I made it clear to them this is what I needed, this is what I'm doing (or trying to do) & to continue that this is what I need. They didn't want to provide so I left, plain & simple. We all see the news etc so I don't need to explain how much education is lacking in our society. While at the school you also have some "mom" moments with kids. They poop on the floor, puke on you, need bandaids, say weird things like weiner to you, have to be disciplined, & more! One of my main goals as a school librarian was to teach the kids responsibility, library skills, & manners in a fun setting.

Technical Assistant:

After leaving my school job I was ready for a change & boy did I get one. Moving into a public library setting was something I thought I knew what was going on but I didn't really. My job as a Technical Assistant was catalogging books, doing book repairs, & ILL's & helping at the front desk. I had ordered & catalogged everything at the school so that was nothing new. I enjoyed doing ILL (Inter Library Loans) it was interesting to see what other people wanted that we didn't have. The most interesting part was being at the front desk. When I first started I wasn't at the desk much but that time increased as things started changing at my library. Let me tell you that you see everything imaginable when you work with the public. Kids unattended, drunks, people watching porn, drugged up people peeing on the floor, people screaming that they pay taxes so they shouldn't have to pay fines. But you also get to help people with projects, hold fun programs, & hopefully make a difference to someone or your community in a small way. 

Circulation Supervisor:

This is my latest job & the library I work at is a little better in the sense of the patrons. The community is mostly families & older people so there is less drunks & rude patrons. Our library primarily focuses on programs. I'm in charge of adult programs, among other things. So I get to do fun things like Harry Potter Book Night, Adult DIY, & book clubs. This library is also the biggest I've ever worked at so there is lots of books (the best part right?)

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So why are I writing this long & thought provoking post? Well I'm hoping that someone will read it & get a better understanding of what it means to work in a library. That way the next time you go into your local library you are more grateful & appreciative of their efforts. Or at least you don't act like a jerk on social media.  

In conclusion I'd like to say that I have enjoyed working in libraries & I'm hoping to continue for many years to come. There are ups & downs, good days & bad, but that is true with any job. At the end of the day I'm hoping I made a small impact in someone's life either by suggesting a books to them, sharing an experience with them, or doing something fun.

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To all my fellow readers & library workers THANK YOU for all that you do on a daily basis to make the world a better place!