When I graduated from library school, I had lot of hope. I did well in grad school and had a relevant grad assistant job, thus figured I was employable in my field.
The world was different then. 9/11 happened right before I graduated, and by the time I was out of school the economy was in a recession.
I was under the impression that the baby boomers would retire and open up positions, but library work doesn't pay great enough to retire early and is easy to do until you are well past retirement age.
It's sexist to say, but librarianship is a woman's field. Management within the field isn't dominated by women though. It may be 50/50, but the numbers favor men in promotions to directors and branch managers.
I sensed resentment when I interviewed for jobs.
I didn't get a library job until 15 months after graduating. I was desperate and expanded my search and took a part-time job 90 minute drive one way. I worked 15 hours a week and spent 9 hours in a car. Gas was cheap and I didn't have kids, so I was hoping to piece together a couple jobs and get something full time closer to home. I got fired at 90 days. I wasn't a good fit. I shouldn't have tried for something that had no long term logical sense to it for I burned bridges by having my references used. When I failed, they looked bad.
I failed. I moved on and took an overnight shelving job in retail that was close to home. I was going to be a father, so I wasn't picky. By the time my son was born, I was able to have a flexible schedule.
I always worked hard. I was always willing to do what was asked. I worked 6 days a week. I worked every Sunday for 2 years straight. 2 days a week I came in and worked 3 hours. For a year, I unloaded trucks. Working Sunday, a day without trucks and only 1 shelver, I learned to shelve all the departments and picked up on how to do backroom stuff. When the backroom had an opening, I got it and didn't unload a truck ever again.
After I was doing well in the new position, I got hurt and put on worker's comp.
It was unavoidable since my crushed finger required surgery, but I was treated differently afterward. I wasn't able to do backroom stuff until I was cleared to use ladders again. I had to shelve again. I shouldn't have been working, but I was doing what I could.
Somehow I got a librarian job and gave 2 weeks notice.
The library job seemed perfect, but I wasn't exactly a good fit and got laid off.
I got a severance package and unemployment just in time for the start of another recession. I exhausted my unemployment when I got another job in retail. Only worked 2 days a week, but it was money. After a couple weeks, I saw a job posted in the Sunday paper for a part-time librarian. I applied and got an interview. Interview was a few minutes long, but I was offered the job and asked when I could start.
The hours conflicted with my new retail job. I was going to give 2 weeks notice, but they were like, "don't worry, thanks for coming in."
I think I have to have another shelving retail job if I ever want to get back into librarianship.
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