Feedback | Letters to LJ, March 15, 2011
"Many boomer librarians...realize that retirement is a distant dream because...of our...limited incomes, insufficient retirement accounts, and threats...regarding Social Security" Mar 15, 2011Nobody can help
The economy is in the pits. Federal and state budgets are in crisis. Public libraries are government agencies, and many are suffering from budget cuts and layoffs. Library employment is not thriving. Lots of librarians are holding on by their fingernails. So, no, you are not alone (“An abandoned librarian,” Feedback, LJ 2/15/11, p. 12). It’s entirely possible that you are right that “no one cares,” if by that you mean nobody is going to rescue you....
I got into the field about 35 years ago after teaching art and not finding jobs in that career. After getting my master’s degree and improving my research skills, I learned that even then there were thousands more qualified librarians than there were openings. Years later, when that was still true, many librarians tried becoming freelance “information brokers.”
Now there are new issues but the same problem—not enough jobs. Many boomer librarians, such as myself, realize that retirement is a distant dream because of the realities of our work history, limited incomes, insufficient retirement accounts, and threats from Congress regarding Social Security. The phenomenon is not new and not likely to go away.
Nobody really can “help” you if by that you mean find you a job. You have to choose: take the opening in a new city that pays less than what you want, work part-time, keep applying for the few openings that arise where you are, whatever it takes, including taking work in other fields.
Nobody “owes” you (or anyone) a job, regardless of your history or “dues” paid. While I am sympathetic to your problem (and I am, regardless of how it may sound), I have to say that if the tone of your letter is reflected in your job hunt, it’s no wonder you haven’t found work—the positive applicant who has enthusiasm and offers something to the library is the one hired these days.—Sherry Bailey, Nashua, NH
Libraries: a lost cause
Kudos to the brave, unhappy soul who submitted “An abandoned librarian,” in Feedback (LJ 2/15/11, p. 12), about their lack of professional status. I have a very similar story to tell, but mine harks back to 2002. Also, as I just turned 60, I have given up any hope or expectation of finding a professional position.
I am not sure it is my age as much as it is the eclipsing of libraries. For all our valiant efforts to remake ourselves as something still relevant, I fear it is a lost cause. Even if we do, opportunities will dwindle drastically, and the demands and expectations of jobs will shift. I think this is more a cautionary tale for people entranced by the blandishments of library schools.—Daniel Carr, Community Lib. Specialist, Marin Cty. Free Lib., Point Reyes Station Branch, CA
An easy question
The article by Jean Costello, “Why I Don’t Use Libraries for Reference Anymore” (Reference 2011, p. 9, supplement to LJ 11/15/10), shocked and disappointed me. As a reference librarian in a public library, I am passionate about libraries and the services they offer to all members of the community. We answer all types of reference questions daily, and if we can’t immediately find the answer, then we do research in order to best meet the needs of our patrons.
After reading this article, two of us from the reference staff decided to find information on the question that Costello referred to in her article. We searched our poetry criticism collection and almost immediately found criticisms on the poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”.... Fast, friendly, and thorough assistance is what we strive to provide on a daily basis. I hope that Costello will not give up on the many wonderful services that libraries offer.—Reka Reynolds, Reference Libn. II, Watauga P.L., TX
Teach the research process
I was reading “Can We Handle the Truth?” by Michael Stephens (Office Hours, LJ 1/11, p. 44), which covers the 2010 Project Information Literacy Progress Report. I could only think the report was late in coming.
When I was an undergraduate, I knew my fellow students did not know how to conduct research, or even wanted to. In those years, I worked for a think tank so all I did was research for professors and my classes. It’s why I entered the library field.
When information literacy focuses solely on resources and not the context of the source or the process of research, it fails the student. This level of information literacy should not just be the responsibility of the library but of all departments. Teaching the research process has always been significant to me, and I hope after reading this report it will become more important to others. Remember, the job of a teacher is not to teach a person what to think but how to think. —Timothy Reynolds, Harlingen P.L., TX
