r/Libraries

I go to the thrift store a lot and most of the time I'll see books or DVDs or even CDs that have library stickers on them. I figure these are just items that someone forgot to return and they've had forever so instead of giving them back to the library they just donate them instead. In that case should I buy them and bring them back to the libraries or is it more likely that it's the library itself that donated them and I'd be wasting my time?

I love using the eservices from the library. But I keep hearing that they are very expensive for the library.
How can I best utilize the resources and support the library?
Should I use Libby over Hoopla? Or not use Hoopla at all as I hear this is by far the most expensive.
Is there any best practices for these online services?

This last year I found that I love ebooks and audiobooks. I went from reading maybe 2 books in 2024 and prior, in 2025 I read 25, and this year I’ve hit 35 already since getting a kindle at the beginning of the year. But I worry about the costs to the library

TIA

Hey guys,

The library I work at as a page (for basically minimum wage) just opened up a part time tech position which would give me at least 50 percent more than what I’m currently making. My coworkers already have encouraged me to apply, but I’m far below the minimum requirements for qualifications (it says high school diploma “or equivalent education”, and I’m in community college full time with no high school diploma right now, but a diploma is required. I didn’t have a job in high school, but I had lots of volunteering experience. I’ve only held my current position for about 6 months. I’m not able to get a GED currently, plus I don’t have the work experience. The library I work at is tiny with only a handful of employees. I don’t expect to get it, but do you think it’s worth putting in for? Though my coworkers say to, I don’t want my library admins to think I’m annoying or anything considering I have a good relationship with them currently.

I do teen services at a small public library, there's less than 10 of us who work there. We just got a new children's librarian and they'll be starting later this month!

I looked them up on Facebook to add them as a friend, and saw that they've either worked or volunteered at a Christian camp that's very homophobic and transphobic.

I'm a little worried about how our working relationship will be because I'm nonbinary, bi, and an atheist. I'm way more worried about the teens who come to my programs. A good chunk of them are queer, and all of the straight kids love and care about their queer friends and family. On top of that a few of the kids are in the closet and have only told their friends at the library (I overheard, but I'm not saying shit because I don't want them to get in trouble with their families.)

I don't want to assume my new coworker will be nuts though. I have longtime friends who love their faith and are queer themselves or who care about their queer loved ones. Including some of the teens I'm worried a nut job would go after.

They could be a great addition to our staff and I'm hoping to ask them if they'd want to run a Bible study group after getting settled in. One of the teens is very religious, but also very respectful and loving towards her friends and everyone else. She's been asking if we can do a Bible study at the library for a while, but I don't think I should run it because I'm not Christian. She'll be thrilled to have a Bible study group run by someone who went to a Christian college, unless the person running it starts trying to convince her that her friends are evil or "sick" because some of them are trans or gay. She's young as heck but has already figured out that's some bullshit.

I'm worried they'll make the teens feel unwelcome, or that they'll try to out the kids that are in the closet, or that me and them won't get along because they don't want to work with someone who's queer/atheist, or that they'll try to remove a bunch of the queer books from the library.

But I really REALLY want to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that we'll be good coworkers towards each other! And I'm worried that even if they're an awesome person my fear of them hating me or hurting the kids would make me act weird towards them, and make them feel unwelcomed!

I haven't even met them in person yet, all of these worries are based on them being associated with a really creepy summer camp.

Have you gone through something similar? Do you have any tips for something like this?

I'm still in high school and I want to get a job after I graduate and work.

I have autism and anxiety issues for a long time and I love going to a library as a kid and still go to the library at school (for school or a test) I did some research about jobs for me and I saw library and I want a job there as a shelver for me because I like organizing my books at home because i don't have anything to do so I like organizing my own books will having a job at a library for a shelver be okay for me with having autism and anxiety issues that I won't be able to talk to anyone will it be okay for me to get a job at a library?

Here’s mine:

I’ve been working at this public library for two years and have had two strange encounters with this one specific woman. The first one happened at a program I hosted, where she came in (clearly in a mood) and told me flat out that my program wasn’t well planned, then just left.

The second one happened today. She came up to me, completely unprovoked, and asked me how long I had been working here and what degrees I had. I didn’t have to answer her, but I did anyways, telling her that I had a BA in English and an MLIS, but that neither were required for the job. She then proceeds to tell me that I’m wildly unqualified for the job and that I’m “just a doll” (clearly meant as an insult but not sure what this means—she sounded French or similar European so not sure if that’s a foreign insult? lol). At this point I told her she was being rude and needed to leave. It took her another minute of throwing insults at me before she left.

I’m genuinely not upset, just flabbergasted. The way this woman speaks to me you’d think I’d have just run over her dog with my car. It’s completely baffling. My manager said this woman was nice to her, so not sure why she has a vendetta against me 😂

I just rented some books from a different library in the network with my local library since it was in the area I was in, it was nice to see a different selection, and I plan to return them to my local library (since it is allowed). They're about 20-30 minutes apart and all fall under the same catalog of course.

I just had one of those shower thoughts:

Do they take them back to the initial library, or do they stock them on the shelves of the library I return them to?

They all have the name of the library on the barcode sealed to the book, but I have checked out items with a different in-network library name on them (at the "wrong" library) that were picked up off the shelves, but it's rare that that happens.

Does it create some form of free circulation?

Doesn't sound like an inconvenience at least because they all can request from each other so somebody's making the drive anyways.

Just a random question.

"In actuality, a small handful are driving the statewide bans and, in most cases, the same three or four districts, according to the Utah State Board of Education’s online list of “titles to be removed from Utah public schools.”"

Library trustee here. We are from a small rural library in Kentucky that is an SPGE (special purpose government entity).

How in the WORLD are libraries able to pay for their employees healthcare? We’ve had two different insurance groups run our details and the plans are virtually the same costing around 1k per employee per month in premiums. We only have like 8 full time employees and currently cover 50%
Of the employee premiums.

But even at that no one can afford $500 a month in health insurance premiums that’s insane.

Our director/book keeper said we do not qualify for the SHOP program. And we can not join the counties insurance group (like through fiscal court) or the chamber of commerce group. Both have turned us down apparently because we are an SPGE a non-profit organization but we are also a taxing agency who can set tax rates

We are at a loss and unsure of what to do, apparently all the other Libraries in KY cover 100% of their employee premiums. Does your library provide health care? How?! And how much is it?

I have the MLS and have a pretty good job, but I would like more skills just in case I need to go job hunting again. Would getting a Juice Academy certificate in, say, cataloging, really help me land a cataloging gig, esp. if I otherwise have no cataloging experience?

Hello!! Long shot but I need help with a book that’s stored in Boston Spa - Yorkshire. If you frequent that library can you please dm.

Thank you!!

Hi! I am currently interviewing for a bilingual coordinator at my library and am really excited because the job description includes a lot of what I’m passionate about. I have also been considering getting into an MLIS program but wanted to get some experience in the library to see if it’s something that’s right for me. Does it seem suspicious or in-genuine to mention this? I don’t want to seem like I’m just saying this to get brownie points in the interview, since I’m sure they probably are interviewing people with more direct library experience! Any tips or advice??

I have 1 coworker who will fall asleep at their desk outside of their break time. They sees nothing wrong with this but it rubs me the wrong way. It's time theft in my opinion. My manager doesn't seem to notice or does and doesn't do anything. My other coworkers don't seem to care or are just plainly minding their business. Now a new coworker who already doesn't do their job - they only read their personal books or play on their phone in front of patrons. Has seen them do this and has picked up the habit of napping in our shared office outside of their break time. I don't really know how to handle this situation and it's beginning to get on my nerves. I know I should probably just ignore the situation and let it play out how it will. Maybe I just needed to rant.

Just came across this listing and was excited to see something full time, then I read the description and almost everything on the list is something that was handled exclusively by librarians with MLIS degrees at my old library. I have been an assistant (granted in circulation) but feel vastly underqualified for this (though I’m sure there are folks out there without an MLIS who could do it). Am I wrong in thinking this sounds more like the job description for a librarian than an assistant?

The director at my current county library system is looking to retire in a couple years and is not so subtly hinting they want me to take their place. I have considered it. I want to help improve my library system and the pay increase would help my family stop just barely getting by. But all the right wing attacks, local politics, and bureaucracy give me pause.

I want to say upfront I’m not necessarily looking to move right now, but it’s in the back of my mind.

I’m 28, took my first “Director” job at 23 by accident - long story - for a super small community and have worked my way up since. I now work for a 60k population municipal library.

I like my job. Board is great. Admin mostly supportive as much as they can. Council isn’t bad either. I get paid decently well ($120k, great benefits). I love my staff, but the book challenges, the entitlement of people for free services (sorry, for $35/household/year) 60 hours a week every week… the book challenges (yes I’m duplicating, it’s been a lot).

I’m worried how I will feel 5 years now. I’m willing to go back to school, use my city benefits to get an MPA degree covered or even an MBA.

I feel stupid because I’m set up well but I’m tackling a full scale escalation over a book because the main character (kids graphic novel) wants to go by a name that is more “masculine”. This is the 5th challenge in less than a year. Anonymous hate letters to council, an -unsuccessful- petition for my removal because I follow the board policies on collection development… Am I out of bounds to feel concerned for the sustainability for this?

Anyone have advice for a different field? I’m detail oriented, good at managing people and HR issues, love management/admin. Love people and helping generally but I am fatigued of all the negative. I know part of this is my fault because I refuse to have any of my staff deal with the negatives, the politics, and the challenges, I try to protect them from it at my own expense.

I’m halfway thinking about going back to the big bookstores to be a general/regional manager….

I live in a very small town in Pennsylvania, according to Google the most recent census says our population is 68. The other day our local librarian mentioned how funding might stop to our library and everyone will have to transfer to a bigger library that's further away. This library does so much for the community and being conveniently placed for the town, I can't imagine not having a library here. The library does so many events, learning lectures, story times, etc for the kids and even adults. It's been a huge help for stay at home parents, home schooling parents, everyone really. How do I convince a celebrity to donate a large sum? Lmao only half joking..I'm assuming we are going to be screwed because library funding is already down the toilet, a small town has no chance? How can I help?

Our public library staff recently unionized, and we’ll eventually be negotiating our first contract. I’m curious what kinds of things other public library workers (or unionized public employees in general) wish they had included in their first contract, or what protections/benefits ended up being most important long-term.

What ended up mattering most in your experience? What do you wish you had pushed harder for early on?