#library ask

I personally love being a librarian but it’s not for everyone.

What I’d recommend is asking yourself why this might be a job you’re interested in and what type of librarian you want to be.

I’m a public librarian so can only speak to that perspective but the biggest issue we get with retaining staff in public libraries is unrealistic expectations. There are misconceptions around what public librarians do. A love of books is great but it’s a red flag to me when I interview someone for a library role and that’s their answer when asked why they want the job. It’s been a pretty good predictor for people who find the reality of public library work far less glamorous than the vision they had for the job.

I can honestly say, while my job is great, it’s not “traditional librarianship” in the sense of processing books, shelving, telling people to shush in the library. Public libraries are loud and dynamic and I spend the majority of my customer service time helping (often very frustrated) people navigate technology, dealing with upset people who don’t know where else to go, and managing the behave of or towards rough sleepers or drug addicts or anti-vaxxers. When they say libraries are a space for everyone, that means everyone. Not just the people who are easy to deal with or hold the same opinions as the majority or behave appropriately in public. I enjoy playing a small part in helping some of our more vulnerable patrons gain something they wouldn’t otherwise have access to whether that’s use of their phone or an internet connection or a book in their native language. But it’s not for everyone and that’s ok.

I’m not trying to put your off libraries; it’s a great career path if it’s one you want! Just do some research on what qualifications you need, what types of libraries there are, and have a think about what your strengths are. Are you great with people and have a lot of patience? Public libraries might be a really good option for you!

Hi dear!

Well, I only know how it works in Norway, so I’m afraid I can’t be of much help! I assume you’re from the states by looking at your description and if you are you should check out this link!

Also just googling how to become a librarian in [insert country] should give you some help!

I think taking a course in creative writing is a good way to start! But I'm not a writer, nor have I ever wanted to be one, so I'm not the best one to give advice.

It should be possible to find a job in a bookstore without a degree, I know its here, but having other work experiences, like from another retail store or a grocery store is always a good thing. In my case work experience beats education. Which sort of sucks when/if you don't have it.

Volunteering at a library is a good start, because you'll get a reference contact and some experience with literature and stuff! Also YAY LIBRARY!

HI NONNIE :D Yes I did! Thank you<3

Well, an access point is a wireless router, so its the thing that sends out internet signals!

A card catalog is what they used back in the day in libraries, when every book and item was written down on a card, sorted on the author's last name and its what they went through to see if the library had the book.

A catalog card is that said card in a card catalog with each document on it. So it looks like THIS.

Accession number is a unique number for an item, so you can easily find it, its sort of like a bar code. But most libraries only use the call number I think, at least in Norway.

Call number is what you call the number given through the classification system and this also tells you were to find that item. It consists of either numbers, letters or a combination.

A classification system is a system which structures how to arrange the books after subjects in the books(only used for non-fiction books). Its a hierarchy and the longer the call number is the more specified the classification have been. Its hard to explain properly. There are many different systems so I'm not gonna go into more detail..