The time has come, once again, for another Library Careers evening, which will be held at the State Library of Victoria, on May 25th, from 5:30 to 7pm. I was there last year, wearing my ALIA New Graduates Group convenor hat, and I plan to be there again this year. It was an excellent opportunity to chat to members of the public, and offer some advice and insight to those who would consider becoming a librarian.
So, in an effort to polish up my elevator pitch to future librarians, here is some advice that I would give to a prospective information profession:
1. Learn something else first. Librarianship is an excellent second profession. So you're a qualified teacher / architect / lawyer / nurse / engineer, but your heart's not in it anymore? Perfect! Get your MLIS, and there's a guaranteed job waiting for you, where you won't have to work overtime. For the Arts and Science Graduates, librarianship is the perfect profession for somebody with a generalist tertiary education. However, I would NOT recommend librarianship for school leavers. You need to find and develop your passion first, before you put it into the context of library work.
2. It's an ageing profession. This means a few things. Firstly, when you apply for jobs, you'll be up against 30 and 40 somethings, who might have much more experience than you. Especially if you're in your mid-20s. So you might have a challenge getting a permanent job. (It took me ten months last year after relocating to Melbourne). It also means that you might have to deal with being generationally isolated in the workplace, so be aware of this. It can be hard. The upside, though, is that if you start young, you'll be sure to go a long way once you do the hard yards.
3. It's not just all about books. There are plenty of people who still do not realise this. However, it's also not notabout books. Anybody who tries to tell you that the age of books in libraries is over is quite mistaken. If you're a literary fanatic, librarianship can still be very much your idea of a dream job.
4. You won't be in it for the money. However, the salary is more than sufficient to live comfortably. And really, in the scheme of things, librarianship can offer some excellent work conditions. There's something very zen about working in a library, I find. When I'm feeling a little anxious, I can wander the shelves, and I feel okay again.
5. Finally, librarianship is simply a qualification, recognising a particular set of skills. The thing that will make it awesome is YOU. Ignore everything that anybody says about stereotypes of conservative shushers and shy bookworms, or self-proclaimed knowledge superheroes and information freedom-fighters. You don't have to be any of these things. But the great thing about librarianship is that it can also give you opportunities to work your strengths and shine in the community for the awesome person that you are. And we're a pretty diverse bunch.
So, that's what I'll be telling people. What kind of advice would you offer to somebody who was considering becoming a librarian?
