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So you are a new public
librarian. Congratulations. Here’s a bit of clarification about what’s to come
for you. That ticker tape parade? Not going to happen. Making it rain when you
treat your friends to a night out after getting that huge bonus? Nope. Fame?
Glory? No and no. Now is the time to ask yourself why you have chosen to enter
into this profession. Actually, that questions should have been asked before you entered it, but better late
than never.
Sure, you literally get paid
in dollars, and while it is not a large amount (especially considering the
amount of education needed to land the job) it is usually enough to live on.
But in reality, this is a profession where you are paid in smiles. And nods.
Mumbled thank you-s. And those are from the people that will actually
acknowledge what you’ve done. This is not taking into account the people that
do not say thank you, that curse the heavens that you dare charge them a $.35 late
fee for that item and ask when did the library begin having a policy that
charges for items not returned on time. The grumps. The frumps. Screaming
children, neglectful parents, people that smell, people that revel in your
suffering (so it seems). This is, after all, public service.
Is it worth it?
Oh, yes. Yes indeed.
You now have the opportunity
to help everyone that walks through that door and help solve so many problems.
You can be a mentor for children and teens, show various worlds to people, and
more. Imagine being the first person to hand over a Dr. Seuss book to a child,
or having a wicked Halloween-themed job fair for teens, teaching them the best
practices interviewing for their first job. Helping someone use a keyboard and
mouse for the first time so they can go on to apply to their next job online,
or maybe even publish their first novel via self-publishing. The joy, the sheer
joy on someone’s face when you find the book they want to read! I’ve seen eyes
glisten with tears when you help them track their ancestors using library
resources. They shake your hand, look you in the eye, and thank you repeatedly
for your help…after finding that book that their child needed for their book
report, along with a list of other helpful sources.
Now, that’s not to say it’s
all grand. It’s not all terrible either. Whatever else librarianship is, it’s
definitely a job for those that enjoy helping others. No, you usually do not
get to read on the job and the library is not a peaceful and relaxing place
(the #1 and #2 answers I’ve heard in interviews when asking someone why he/she
wants to work in the library). It can be a raucous environment, dirty, making
you unkempt to the point of verklempt. But when you see those smiles, or even
maybe just one smile if it’s a particularly off day, you will go home happy. I
promise. It’s knowing that, bit by bit, you are helping your community be
better and happier. And in my opinion, that is priceless.
This may be new to you or
maybe you knew it all along. That’s not necessarily the point. You will have to
remind yourself why you are doing the job every day, and why you need to keep
pouring time and energy into it. It’s not easy. Things do not fall into your
lap and not everything will go your way. You might excuse yourself to your
coworkers, go into the restroom and splash some cold water on your face. You
might lie awake in bed, unable to fall asleep as you figure out the last minute
planning for that program. You might see your library’s infrastructure change
due to funding, or lament the direction the system is going as the importance
of the latest fad comes into play. What is the library about to you? Is it
books? Information? Computers? To you, from here on out, it is about helping those
that come into your building any damn way you can. Smiles of gratitude aren’t handed
out haphazardly, so do everything in your power to earn them. If you receive a
genuine smile of thanks, it has that funny way of making you smile, too.
Ryan is a Digital Services Librarian at the Chesapeake Public Library System, and is always looking to learn more from others. Please contact and/or share your thoughts with him on Twitter @librarianry.
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