there is still a very common misconception about librarians and library workers reading all day (easy peezy job). no, we don't do that. maybe at a really small and slow branch, but in an average library there is so much work to run it and help patrons. we have almost no time to read (except the staff that use slower desk time to get a few pages in on libby)
i like to say it's like retail but everything is free, and you can get trapped helping someone who doesn't know their email, password, or how to operate their phone. and if people only realized the MESS we deal with. creeps, misogynists, racists, homo/transphobes, drunks, entitled adults, etc. i am very lucky to work at one of the locations where we don't usually deal with drugs/weapons, and 90% of the kids are accompanied by adults so we don't have to babysit as often. in exchange, i work at the busiest location in the county but i love it. i hate being bored
i can't say i don't love my job. some of the positions and departments i've worked in sucked but i like the work overall. i've worked in 5 different positions across the 13 years i've worked in a library. my current position has me doing
and plenty of other weird things that i don't get paid enough for. and dealing with admin decisions that makes our jobs more difficult. we're also a special tax district so morons want to treat us like personal assistants bc "i pay your salary." i pay taxes here too, dummy. with that logic i pay my own salary
anyways, i'm complaining today bc it was a very annoying workday. this whole week has been long and stressful but today pissed me off. i also spent the whole day getting zapped bc i was winding/handling a lot of wool yarn.
tomorrow i have a homeschooler program. i hope they enjoy it.
Seems like a very cool job! I'm glad that you like it! I'm surprised at people's behavior in the public, like watching porn, really? The library is a very cool place, was one of my favorite places to visit when I was younger. I only go there now when my Internet or electricity in my area is down, and I'm usually the only one there.
I wonder what it takes to become a contracted "paid programmer" there?
Thanks for sharing your experience. It was a really interesting post <3
@JustMegawatt paid programmers are usually somewhat local people who offer workshops, entertainment, talks, etc. We've had storytellers, musicians, jugglers, museums, etc. provide entertainment or education. Currently, my team has a local guy who works with toddlers/babies with learning to have fun with music while also educating their caretakers about how it helps with growth and development. A local sequential artist group also gets hired throughout the year to teach people the basics of writing and illustrating their own comics. They can reach out to us or we reach out to them.
@imaybeainsley Your library sounds awesome! I don't think there are any events like that going on in any of my local libraries 😅
I have always wanted to work in a library, I agree people who work in libraries don't just read all day. People like you do a lot to help the community! I never thought about that, all the horrible people you have to deal with. I don't understand why people would be horrible to a librarian or library worker. When I was well enough, I used to go often to the library near me. It was so peaceful there, I could sit and be around other human beings, even if not talking to them, and I could read and pick up some good books as well. I love the library.
I'm sorry you had a stressful week, it would stress me out having to wind that much yarn. I hope this week is better for you. :)
A typo/mistake in my comment *I'm sorry you had a stressful week. It would stress me out having to wind that much yarn. (Period in between the two phrases not comma)
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