r/Libraries

Hi! I’ve received a job offer for my dream role as a librarian at a public library and I have been asked when I can start.

I’m in the middle of moving to the city where this new role is located and I am also still working at my current job, so I would need at least 2 weeks to wrap up over there, send in my official resignation letter, and finish moving the rest of my stuff to my new place.

The problem is: I know they need to fill the role QUICKLY. The person who was previously there unexpectedly left, and it’s at the biggest library in the city and state, so it should be filled ASAP. This entire process has gone so fast. I applied, was contacted in mere days, and then had phone and in-person interviews at a quicker rate than I’ve ever experienced before.

So my question is — is telling them that I need 2-3 or 2-4 weeks to start (or giving them a start date within that time frame) going to make me look like a less ideal candidate? Would they offer the role to someone else who can start on, say, this Monday? I really need this job and I would hate to jeopardize it.

Thank you!!

i (25F) have recently been accepted for a library job; part-time. it is in a public library, front-facing. i’m excited bc i want to gain some library experience and decide if i want to get my MLIS. i haven’t totally made a decision about it, but i want to gain more hands-on experience.

my original plan was to become a licensed counselor. i work part-time on a crisis hotline for a women’s shelter and i got my bachelor’s degree in psychology. i’ve become a little doubtful of that career path because i just don’t think i can handle the emotional labor of it. i obviously still believe in the values of active listening, empathy, etc that i’ve learned by pursuing this path, but i don’t think i can spend my whole life in it.

so anyway, i’ll be working both jobs and then deciding in about a year what i want to do. and i think i just need some encouragement or advice. am i making the right decision by doing this?

i love libraries as a community resource. i am committed to helping my community, i love to help people and give them the knowledge and the resources they need. it’s empowering.

my parents just drilled me last night about making this decision and if i was thinking of my financial future and if i was being responsible. and i just feel really stupid now. is it worth it to get an MLIS? have i been too hasty to get into this library job? am i being too all over the place and should just focus on one thing?

I work at a public library and do the outside book drop. A male customer I have never seen before approached me, called me by my name, and claimed he knew me 'from outside' and from the book drop. I don't wear a name tag, so it was a huge red flag. I immediately told my manager. My manager confronted him right away and told him, 'You don't know her, please don't talk to her again.' He acted casual and walked away. My job coach is going to stand with me at the book drop from now on. Has anyone else handled a situation like this before? How did it turn out?"

We've had several calls in the last few weeks of patrons looking for typewriters to use. The calls I've fielded I've explained we have programs on our computers to type documents, but they were all adamant they needed a typewriter. I explained we could change the font, but no one liked that answer. We are in a Florida town with military bases.

We struggle to have technology that is current; I can't imagine our admin would be okay purchasing a typewriter for patron use when we have computers already. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

I have an elderly patron, female in her 80s. She comes in our library and is snarky about everything. We were having some roof repairs done that our director spent months securing funds for, she comes in saying, "must be nice to have so much money." Several staff members responded with, "oh our director worked so hard to secure grants so we could get this work done." She huffed and insisted there was no grant money under this administration. We smiled and nodded. Our library offers free coffee or tea. As she is making her coffee, she uses a snarky tone and says, "About time you got real creamer instead of powdered. What I wanted to say back to her is we only put out 6 at a time because you always take a handful before you leave. She'll make her coffee, drink it, then wipe the cup out and fill it with creamer cups and take it home. This patron is not low income or hard up for money. She almost feels entitled because she donates $500 at the end of the year. She expects discounts on printing because she has been published and is "top" of her field. She expects everything handed to her. How do I curb this behavior, we all dread when she comes in because everything is take take take. She once kept a book 6 months past it's due date and when I said it needed to be returned or the $280 needed to be paid to replace it she was mad that I wouldn't just over ride it because she hadn't finished the 80 page book yet. Finally, it did come back. She wants every fine to be dismissed without paying. Our longest running director is the one that permitted this behavior because the patron is "rich". It's been 3 years and we still are dealing with this even though we have stuck to our guns about the policy. Thankfully the board and current director are sticking to their guns as well.

I suppose this is more of a rant than anything.

Up until now we've been using a printer and Demco labels. Does anyone have any other suggestions or a set-up they recommend? Thanks!

In celebration of ALA’s 150th anniversary, ALA Graphics is reissuing the iconic and ever-popular David Bowie poster. This special limited-run reprint of the original 1987 poster honors the singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and artist. An avid reader, Bowie was one of the first celebrities to pose for the READ® campaign. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, he received a 2006 Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, among numerous other awards throughout his career. 

What questions would you ask while interviewing a library assistant, or what questions were you asked during your interview process that I should prepare thorough answers for? Any general tips about what to expect during this process?

I really want to get this job and feel as though I’d excel in a library setting, so any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

Sort of sad this is where we are, private donations being use to stave off the closure of a valuable public service, but holy crow what a beautiful thing to do.

I'm a library lover/patron, and I may have committed a library Faux Pah.

I live in a tiny town, so the library I go to is the next town over. However, my town does have a book drop off for this library that's conveniently across the street from my house. This drop off bin typically gets emptied once a week, usually on Thursday.

I usually go to the library every 2-3 weeks to get new books, but use book drop off near my house to return them.

I try to be a "good patron" and prioritize reading newer, more in demand books first.

Last week I returned Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst to the return bin by my house. It was Tuesday last week.

I guess something happened last week and the return bin never got emptied.

It's a new book and is only available for 2 week loans. It was due today and I got that auto email from the library that said other people are waiting for this and to return ASAP.

I called the library and explained that I returned the book to the return bin in my town. The staff who I talked to got kind of upset with me and asked why I did that since it was due today. I explained that I put it in the bin almost a week ago. She told me that I should have brought it back to the main library to return since it's a new book.

I didn't argue; I just said that I'll do that moving forward, but the book they're looking for is in that specific return bin.

I was a little caught off guard by how upset she was with me. I love the library a lot and I don't want to be a problematic patron, but

I kind of feel like maybe they should make sure all their return bins are collected at least once a week.

I'm not sure if I want to reply to the email or just leave things be. My library doesn't have fines, so it's not like that's the issue. I'm not even sure what I would say beyond "we really like having a drop off bin near us, and I didn't know not to use it for new books, but also you should probably come empty it."

I figured I'd see what you all thought. If a bunch of librarians tell me I should've known better and not used the drop off bin by my house, I will absolutely assume you're all correct and this was a me problem.