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The Long Road Home
by Denise Sharp
I met my husband in a library in 1980; we both worked there at the time. Ever since then, I've had a soft spot for libraries. In 1994, after a lifetime of minimum wage and temporary jobs in other fields, I finally decided to go back to library work. However, a lot had changed from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s. No library would hire me, because my experience was too old. That was when I first began charting a career course for myself. The methods I have used can be used by anyone. They include volunteering, education, and networking - as well as a willingness to do just about anything.
Volunteering
One day, as I was getting books at my local library, I noticed a sign listing various volunteer opportunities. At that point, I had already received several rejections due to my lack of current experience. There was a volunteer job that sounded interesting to me, so I applied for it. The job was reading children's books and book-talking them in classrooms. Not only did this give me experience with current children's books and speaking in front of groups, I also handed out library card applications, made cards for students, and used a rudimentary form of checkout in the classrooms for the books the students wanted. With this experience under my belt, I was finally able to get my first part-time library job.
Some time later, after losing that job due to budget cuts, I used volunteering in a different way. This time, I sat down and thought about the kinds of libraries I might like to work in. I volunteered in three different libraries to try out different areas and see what I might like best. This gave me an opportunity to try out different jobs, and to observe those who were doing what I thought I might be interested in doing. It also gave them a chance to get to know me and the kind of work I was capable of. This experience gained me part-time jobs in two of the libraries I volunteered in.
Education
In one of my jobs, I was a clerk, but I had an opportunity to observe the children's librarian whose desk was nearby. That was when I first decided that, if I ever had the opportunity, I'd like to get my MLS and do what she was doing. When I first lost my job during the budget cuts, I re-examined my goals, and decided I still wanted to pursue them. However, I didn't have enough money to attend graduate school. Instead, I found a one-year library media assistant course at my local community college. Taking this course helped rebuild my self-confidence, and gave me something to put on my resume. With this course and the second round of volunteer work I mentioned above, I was able to get those two part-time jobs, and eventually the full-time special library job I currently have.
About a year after I started at my current job, I was feeling more secure than I had in some time, and I decided it was time to finally pursue my MLS. There are no library schools in my town, but I had my choice of several distance programs. I applied to two of them and was accepted into one in the fall of 2003. This program has classes on weekends, so I am able to continue working full-time. I am finding ways on the job to use much of what I am learning, and I am also beginning to steer more in the direction of the area I want to specialize in.
School helps me understand the theories behind things I have been doing for years now, it helps me learn new skills, and it has brought a whole new level of excitement to my work. I have a little over a year yet to get my degree, but for those who already have a degree and may be feeling a little stale, being surrounded by intelligent students and learning from a teacher who is excited about their subject is the best way to revitalize your career.
Networking
It has only been since I started working on my MLS that I registered for every library association possible. To learn more about these organizations and get to know as many local librarians as possible, I have volunteered to be on various committees. With the ALA, I am on the SASCO committee of the NMRT. In the OLA, the Oregon chapter of the ALA, I am currently volunteering on the committee that is organizing our annual conference. Besides helping me get to know other librarians, it also gets my name out there for them to get to know me. It helps me develop skills I can use on my resume, as well.
One of the skills I have needed to work on is leadership. I tend to be rather shy, but I have pushed my comfort zone by volunteering to give a presentation at one conference each year. My first presentation was in front of 60-80 people. To prepare for it, I joined Toastmasters a few months beforehand and gave a lot of practice speeches. It helped me through that first nerve-wracking presentation, and I have continued to work on my presentation and communication skills in Toastmasters. I have come a long way in the year I've been with them.
Willingness to Do Just About Anything
I admit it: I'm a Baby Boomer. We Boomers are used to working hard for what we want. I am often perplexed when I hear people say something like, "I want to work in a library, but I won't do X, Y, or Z." For me, library work is a labor of love. I don't expect to become rich at it. I have been known to commute long distances for part-time jobs with no benefits. I think in our line of work, in our current economy, those who are open to whatever comes down the road will be the most marketable and valuable employees.
I think it also behooves you to keep an eye on library job announcements and watch for trends that define areas you might want to gain skills in. In my area, I have noticed over the last year or two of watching the job announcements that most of them are looking for bilingual librarians. As a result, besides graduate classes, I am also taking Spanish classes. People sometimes shake their heads at all I am doing, and call me crazy, but I want to give myself the best chances of being hired for my dream job when I graduate. How about you?
Denise Sharp currently works full-time as a Library Technician at the Bonneville Power Administration Library and on-call as Telephone Reference for the Beaverton City Library in Oregon. She is an SLIM student in Emporia State University's distance program and hopes to graduate in 2006.