The Unemployed Librarian

The hunt for jobs is brutal right now - for everyone. It's on the nightly news, local news, in the local newspapers, all over CNN and Yahoo - no one can find a job.

And it's all the more infuriating when you have a Masters degree (believe me, I know) and know you have the skills to tackle just about anything, but you still aren't employable.

Now, I'm not a librarian, nor do I have a library science degree, but it seems to be a common theme that I have picked up on from the library community: librarians, certified librarians, can't find jobs.

It's not really surprising to me: Every school in Philadelphia, that's 250+ schools, used to have a librarian. Now only about 50 do. Obviously, grim prospects if you wanted to be a school librarian, and unfortunately, most urban and rural school districts haven't fared any better than Philadelphia.

One article describes the librarian's disheartening state as this:

"Regardless of prior professional experience in another discipline or some type of work experience within libraries or information agencies, the job search was lengthy for the 2010 graduates—even for those who ended up in temporary or part-time positions. Some spent three or four months landing a job only to end up unemployed again after only a couple of months when economics caught up with their employers. Respondents remarked that the job search felt interminable after being dropped back into the job market unexpectedly. Graduates also expressed frustration with potential employers who did not take time to acknowledge the receipt of résumés; the grads found not knowing worse than outright rejection. Some grads decided to delay the job search until 2012 in hopes that the job market would turn around or at least ease. The lucky ones found employment before or upon graduation. Such coups did not, however, guarantee either permanence, stability, or a professional position. "


And even more recently, is this article by a Spring 2012 library science grad who, like so many, can't find a library job.

The big question is: even when the economy turns around, will we see the unemployment rates for librarians decrease? Or will cities and school districts try to avoid hiring librarians by arguing that the internet and iphones and ipads means that librarians are outdated? (Obviously I don't think that, but cutting corners is the new big thing).

I think it's up to librarians, and schools of library science, to let us know what they can offer. Somehow they need to convince everyone else that they are as necessary as teachers in a classroom. A classroom can't run without a teacher, and a library shouldn't run without a librarian.

Let's advocate, librarians.

Rowen Work Day!

 As promised, here are some pictures of our Saturday work day! I actually forgot my camera in my haste to get out the door, but Kathy and Alicia sent me these photos that they took with their phones so everyone could still get a sense of what we got done!

We had 12 people who sorted, processed, and shelved books, and we had a team of 3 guys who took over the painting of some our last book cases!

We were able to get ALOT done, and we are so thankful to all our volunteers, and especially to the members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church who came out to help!

A few of our college pennants on the wall!

Sorting books

Our book sorters in action!

The process.

Clarence and Juanita - too bad we can't see their faces! These two were cracking it up the whole time they shelved books! Thanks for your hard work!

Books that have been half processed! But check out our awesome colorful circles in decoration! 

Outdoor Libraries / Libraries as Art

I ran across this blog post by Colossal Art and Design with pictures of an outdoor library - in the middle of a vineyard! Sounds like heaven to me.

Check out the pictures - very cool!



 And for those of you who are more practical than the rest of us: it was designed to be art, and local people in Belgium were invited to take the books for a small donation. So everyone won: fun library art, cheap books, and wine.

This got me interested though - there has to be other outdoor libraries in the world. A quick google search revealed these, enjoy!:

Detroit - locals started these outdoor spots after a few public library branches closed:






















Paris: It seems its popular in one neighborhood to have outdoor book sellers. I know its not a library, but still fun.






Beijing: Okay, also a book fair, but a good picture!












Any other pictures of outdoor libraries or book fairs?

Happy Tuesday!

I'm Back!

I had a blog absence last week - I went on vacation to New Mexico and Colorado, and had an eventful time! But now I'm back and ready to tackle the next three months of crazy before the Rowen Library is complete and opened, AND Philly Girls Read kicks off. Who's ready?

And what a better way to celebrate the beginning of a crazy Library Build summer than by promoting the Free Library of Philadelphia's summer reading programs for kids and teens! Check out their page to find activities and other things going on in your neighborhood: Summer Reading!

Coming up immediately, we are having Rowen work days on June 2, and June 9 if anyone is interested in joining. We're sorting books, organizing the library shelves, getting rid of furniture, etc. Contact me, calliehammond@librarybuild.org

Also, anyone have good ideas for our grand opening celebration at Rowen this fall? We're starting the planning process!

Are libraries outdated?

Today on Philly.com is quite a rant about the Free Library system in Philadelphia: Does the Free Library even know what Century its in?

Mostly it is just that: a rant. It's really not even worth debating, and after you read it, you'll see why.

Yes, the Free Library could be more tech savvy. But with what money? As far as I can tell, the Free Library (and most public schools for that matter) try to do the best with the resources they have. In fact, I just found out about the Free Library's TechMobile: "Techmobile, basically, a 25-foot, updated version of a bookmobile that will travel around the city, offering residents the chance to learn on assorted laptops and iPads, with technical advice provided by staff." If that's a great use of technology in support of Philadelphia's citizens, I don't know what is. City's Digital Divide

Similarly, the article argues that it is cheaper to make copies at Kinkos/Staples/Fed Ex instead of at the Free Library. I've never heard this one before - seems a bit silly. The mission of the Free Library is not to offer you a really great price on copying. In fact, just because you pay taxes for it, does not mean that you get free access and free reign to its resources. If that were the case, there would be nothing left.

The mission of the Free Library is also not to allow you the easiest way to rent out movies and cd's - all based on the newest technology.

The mission of the Free Library, and all other library branches in this country, is to provide access to information. Mostly, that is through books - real books that can be held and flipped through - because, believe it or not, that's how most Americans still get their information.

And most library systems in this country are doing that and more with limited resources, personnel, and money.

Is the Free Library system perfect? Of course not. But I believe in the power of public and school libraries to provide the things that most Americans don't have: access to almost any book at any time, or any piece of information at any time.

We should be arguing about how to make libraries more accessible, widespread, and better-funded, than whether or not the library should have VHS or DVDs, the best copy machines, or a Geek Squad.

Boxes of Books!

Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday?

One thousand dollars in books from Scholastic!

And now they need to be sorted, and processed, and labeled, and shelved...

Obviously librarians have it easy, right?

Oh well, lets just celebrate BOOKS AT ROWEN for today!!! :)

Happy Friday!

Throwing away resources

I wrote about this topic a few months ago - the statewide library system operates library resources for the blind (or those who otherwise can't read or hold a book). The resources are currently split between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but for no apparent reason (see the article), the two are being merged and now housed in Pittsburgh... and they are requiring the library for the blind in downtown Philadelphia to throw away all of the books on tape.

Alot of this story makes no sense, I will admit.

Why can't the books on tape be donated? Why do they need to be just thrown away?

I understand laying off employees in the Philadelphia branch because of funding cuts, but we need to shut down the whole branch and send the resources to Pittsburgh, even though more people in Philly are blind and need the resources?

Check out the article here.