Tuesday 18 December 2012

How I became a Librarian

Library Routes

How did I get here?  Well I started life as a teacher.  Why?  I've no idea, I think the school careers adviser said I should & that was that.  I hated it.  But I stuck it out for 10 years, so no-one can say I didn't give it a chance!  So I left.  No job to go to, nothing.  It was a bit scary I can tell you, then one day I went for a walk to my local library & there on the counter was an advert for a relief library assistant.  I applied, got the job & that was the start of the rest of my life some 19 years ago.

The very first day as a relief was amazing & by the end of the shift I knew that was what I wanted to do.  All I'd done was shelve books & cassettes & discharge a few books, (because there wasn't anyone to actually train me that day!), but I felt comfortable, & at home & so whenever the phone rang to ask if I could work I said yes.  I travelled all over Doncaster & spent quite a bit of time on the 2 mobile libraries, so the work was very varied & I loved it.

After 8 months a full time post was advertised at the Central Library in Doncaster.  By then I was just about working full time as a relief & felt that having a more secure position would be better.  So I applied.  I really thought I'd blown my interview when I was asked what I would consider my strengths and weaknesses to be.  Well anyone can rattle on about their strengths, but what do you say are your weaknesses without jeopardising your chances of getting the job?  So I just said "well I have a weakness for ice-cream, but I don't think that's what you mean"  They all laughed & moved onto the next question & I got the job!! Phew!

Working at Central really opened my eyes to Librarianship & all the different jobs associated with it & again I loved it.  I worked in the adult library, the children's library & the music library, before eventually, after four years, getting the job in the children's library full time.  That's where I had probably the best time of my career.  I organised events, activities, story-times, school visits, competitions, plus I knew the stock inside out.  I couldn't believe I got paid for having so much fun!  However I also began to realise that if I wanted to progress in the profession I would have to become qualified.  I checked out all the local courses, & went to see the boss, who was brilliant & immediately agreed to day release as I would have to pay for the course myself.  So once a week I went to Leeds Met Uni to study for my MSc. in Library and Information Studies. Three years later I qualified.  But there were no professional posts in Doncaster I could apply for & even though I loved my job, I knew it was time to move on.

So where did I go next?  Just down the road to Wakefield.  I became an Early Years librarian for Sure Start.  I took a bit of a risk as it was initially a 3 year contract.  But my remit was to help with the setting up of an early years library in the East of Wakefield.  I was told they hoped to open it in six months.  What an exciting prospect!  That turned out to be the worse four years of my library career.  The first couple of years were OK to be fair, but the arrival of the library was problem after problem after problem. Three years later it finally opened.  It was purpose built, all new stock, new furnishings everything.  It was lovely.  The kids and parents loved it.  Six months later Children's Services were taken over by someone from a social services background who thought early years libraries were a waste of time and closed them all down.  Gutted doesn't cover it.  I went back to trawling around the children's centres setting up satelight collections & training the staff how to run a mini library, ready for when they were going to put me out of work 12 months later.  That's what they thought.  This job came up in Doncaster & back to Doncaster I went.

So I am now one of the Subject Librarians at Doncaster College and I still love being a librarian.  I look after Commercial Enterprise, which consists of Hair and Beauty, Travel and Tourism, Hospitality and Catering, Floristry, Animal care, and Business.  I also look after ESOL, Basic Skills, Foundation, PGCE and the Fiction stock.  It is still a very varied job as I also run the Six Book Challenge and help with any other events we decide to do in the LRC. I have been here nearly four years now & the time has just flown by.

So what next?  Well I've no plans to move, I'm happy here, I work with a great staff and although like everywhere there are problems & things to moan about etc, when I look back on my career I can't complain too much.  Being a Librarian is the best job in the world.  I only wish the powers that be in this country could see how important a job it really is.  But don't get me started on Library closures .......................

My advice to those just starting out?  Go for it, don't let the current situation put you off.  Promote reading and the imortance of it at every opportunity to every age group from 0 - 100!  Together hopefully we'll get this profession back on track!

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