Is it realistic to move into a non-public-facing job at a public library?
Hi folks! I have been offered a well-paying job on the client services team at a public library.
I currently work behind the scenes at an archive and while the job isn't perfect, I like the material and I love how quiet and flexible it is. The only problem is that higher levels of management are kind of a mess, and communication isn't great. I don't have any issues with my immediate team, but I don't know how much advancement there is for me here. I've only been in this position a year.
The library job looks like a good opportunity to move into a library, but to be honest, I l don't love the schedule or the idea of working with the public long-term. I'm especially wary because I know that there can be a lot of social work and emotional labour involved in public library work.
Could I do this job for 1-2 years and then move cataloguing or another, less public-facing role, or is that wishful thinking? I don't have my MLIS (though I'm interested in getting one), so I know how insanely lucky I am to have been offered a public library job in the first place. I don't want to waste that opportunity. But I also don't want to find myself stuck and burning out 3 or 4 years from now.