Zenkitty, I'd also be happy to email a bit with your niece. I've worked in a public library and am now in a school library. I definitely echo flea about how it's even more important for a librarian to like people than to like books. Unless she wants to do something very specific and back-room-y like archives work or cataloging (and I don't think there are a ton of job postings for those types of positions), most library jobs involve a lot of customer service and outreach. Getting to know your patrons and your community, building relationships with them, and learning what they need and how to serve them best, is really at the forefront of librarianship, at least in my experience.
Had more to say, but the baby was up for 2 solid hours in the night and I cannot brane anymore. (At least she doesn't do this very often? And I'm no martyr, M took her for the second hour and was the one to finally get her back to sleep successfully, but still, we are all running on empty today.)
Thanks, Kate. I'll pass along the info and the offer. She seems interested in this career path for real, for a change, and I'm hoping it sticks.
Zenkitty - I'm also a librarian and work in an academic library so I can chat with her about that side of things. The public/customer service side is also very important as is the getting to know your community, but the community is more focused that that of a public library. We do have a fair number of back-office positions, some that are very technical and require extensive experience, so there's a wide range of opportunities.
I also second the getting of volunteer experience - I volunteered with my high school library and then worked part-time in college. It really helped in figuring out which aspects of librarianship I was NOT interested in. Never doing Acquisitions again.
Thanks, bennett! Hey, we have more librarians than I realized.
BTW, Zen, were you still interested in those Buffy DVDs? I've got S2 and 3.
Thanks, -t. They've been doing some restructuring, and I have the feeling they may try to get me to take a supervisory position. I have worked out my response, if that happens: "Ok, but I want at least a $3/hr. pay increase. $1 to bring my pay up closer to what it should be and $2 for the additional work it's going to be. Oh, and time spent on direct care does NOT overlap with admin. time. I want that part in writing."
Good. Stick to your guns.
Excellent response, WS. Good thinking to plan it in advance so they don't catch you flatfooted.
I think I have less ability to stop eating trail mix when I am inside sitting in front of a computer than when I am outside actually hiking and whatnot. Bringing a quart bag to nosh on as my lunch may have been a mistake.
