Leslie Burger and the ALA used to talk about the librarian shortage. Since that claim was palpable nonsense, they later changed it to a shortage of librarian "leadership." This is definitely a crisis I want to solve, not by providing any leadership myself, certainly, but by pointing out some obstacles to solving this "leadership crisis." I would provide some library leadership if I cared at all or if I weren't so selfish. But I don't and I am, so there it is.
My investigation of this problem led me to the ALA Joblist, which had 418 job listings when I looked at it. That's a lot of jobs, but then library schools graduate a lot of people each year. Still, they're not graduating any library directors, so maybe there's a shortage at the top. There were plenty of library director jobs. I don't know how long some of these have been open, but I do hear that it's hard to get good help these days.
But if we look closely, is it really the case that there's no one qualified for the jobs? Or is it more likely that a lot of jobs are in places where no one would want to move?
In my vast and limited experience, most librarians either want to get jobs in the area they are from or else they're attracted by jobs or places elsewhere. I've known numerous librarians who still live in the same area they were born in, who went to the closest library school and stayed close to home. I've also known many, like myself, who were mobile and attracted enough by certain jobs to pack up and move cross country. I know others who have just moved to New York or Chicago or Los Angeles and hoped for something to come up. If you're from an area, then it may have a built in attraction for you, but if you're not, there usually has to be something to draw you there, usually something besides just library job. New York, yes. Poop Creek, OR, no.
Could it be that the real problem is not too few library "leaders," but too few library leaders in particular areas and not anything interesting enough to attract anyone from the outside? Let's take a look at a few jobs actually available. You could apply to be the library director of the following libraries:
Manistee County Public Library, Michigan
My first question was, where? I looked it up. It's in western Michigan on Lake Michigan. I suppose that could be an attraction. The other attraction is that it's within a hundred miles of Big Rapids, MI, which I think is the only town in the country named Big Rapids. That alone might be worth going for an interview, I suppose.
Cochise County Library District, Arizona
I suppose this would be exciting if you were a cowboy or gunslinger, but otherwise I don't see the attraction. Cochise County contains the city of Tombstone, the one with the gunfight at the OK Corral, and, according to its website, "America's best example of our 1880 western heritage." Notice that qualifier. I'm all for good examples of the western heritage, but that "1880" spoils it for me. Since the "1880 western heritage" seems to consist of gunfights among drunken, illiterate cowboys, I'm not sure what the excitement's about. It also has Bisbee, which, if I remember correctly, is the town that fancy prostitute in L.A. Confidential is from, but you could probably soak up any associated glamor with just a short visit. You wouldn't have to live there.
Bossier Parish Library, Louisiana
I'm not even sure how to pronounce this one, so I don't think I would want to live there. The parish clerk's website has a picture of a lot of large women in red jackets waiting to help you. I think it's supposed to be welcoming, but I find it a little disconcerting, and it doesn't make me want to move there.
Columbia County Library, Arkansas
This is in Magnolia, AR, which looks like another tiny place in the middle of nowhere. If you like that kind of thing, this might be the place for you. With a name like that, perhaps it has lots of quaint southern charm. The only qualification is an ALA-accredited MLS, so anyone can apply. "Salary is based on experience," they say. Up to a point, I'm sure. They note that they "reserve the right to reject any or all applications received." That's awfully snooty, so the place must be nice. According to the Magnolia website, it's "located deep in the beautiful pine forests of southern Arkansas and host city of the World Championship Steak Cook-Off the third weekend in May." To which I can only say, sign me up, baby! It's also home to something called Southern Arkansas University. Oh, a university town. That makes all the difference. That way you get all the cultural benefits of living near a center of the higher learning.
Truckee Meadows Community College, Nevada
This one's in Reno, which I suppose might be nice if you like to gamble in the desert. You could live large in the casinos on your librarian salary, I'm sure. In your spare time, you could also work on a degree to be an apprentice gambling dealer, which is more than you can do at my university.
North Harris Montgomery Community College District, Texas
Now we're moving up, because this in charge of a whole district, with several campuses. The headquarters is in some place called The Woodlands, TX. Catchy name, that. It looks to be about 40 miles from Houston. So you could be in the middle of nowhere in Texas, but drive 40 miles and then be in...Houston. No, just doesn't seem worth it.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma
This is in some place called Weatherford, OK, and boy does it look like it's isolated, but if you enjoy the wind coming whipping down the plain, this could be the place for you. And it's only 70 miles from Oklahoma City! I took a look at the Weatherford website, which has some lovely pictures--of windmills, of a road sign, of a park. The YMCA pool looks attractive. "I can't think of anywhere I would rather be when it comes to working, living, or raising a family than Weatherford." This is from the mayor, but I guess he'd have to say that, wouldn't he. At least it's a "university" town.
Don't all of these places sound really exciting! It's not like they're jobs that suck, or at least they probably don't suck more than a lot of library jobs, but look at the places. I'm not even saying they're terrible places. They might be delightful places to live, but are they the sort of places that would attract people from around the country? Reno, maybe, for the gamblers. But Magnolia, AR or Weatherford, OK? I look at them and wonder not why anyone would live there, but why anyone would move there.
Perhaps I'm wrong, and this very minute these libraries are sorting through hundreds of applications from people dying to move to Cochise County or Bossier Parish. But sometimes I see these job ads and it makes me wonder why they don't just advertise in their local paper instead of on a national website.
But then I'm a terrible snob, as you all know.
About Me
- AL
- The Annoyed Librarian is possibly the most successful, respected, and desirable librarian of her generation. She has no other interest than to bring her wit and wisdom to the huddled librarian masses yearning to breathe free. The Annoyed Librarian is a free spirit and you are lucky to have her.
43 comments:
AL,
I think you're generally right about the "lack of library jobs". Location, location, location. So you either need to put your public library in a desirable location (which most places in the country have trouble doing, being that they're tasked with serving the local population in their undesirable location) or you need to put your public library within 50 miles of an LIS program...again, many communities are constrained to putting their library closer to the taxpayers than to an LIS school. Also, North Harris Montgomery Community College District, Texas in the Woodlands, TX is actually a very well-to-do part of Houston...tons of chemical engineers and their wives and SUVs live there. And you don't have to drive 40 miles to get to Houston from there...now, Houston has sprawled out to meet you!
"And you don't have to drive 40 miles to get to Houston from there...now, Houston has sprawled out to meet you!" Just shows why local knowledge is better than a reliance on Google maps. I'd never heard of Woodlands, TX, but now I want to move there. Perhaps I could be the wife (or the SUV) of a chemical engineer.
We need a branch manager in beautiful Whatcom County!!! If you like the outdoors, we have mountains and beaches and... you can look forward to building a new building (well, not you in particular - you MAY hire a contractor). Please check out our job postings at www.wcls.org. Fans of the AL get automatically shortlisted!
I remember almost nothing from the education courses I took, but one tiny professor with shoe lifts, cosmetic surgery, facial tics and a hair piece told us (mostly women) to be very careful about our first job and to be sure it was a location we really liked, because we'd probably marry a local guy and settle there.
You have done a lot of valuable research for this piece, AL. Librarians with wanderlust will thank you.
AL,
You are very funny. Regarding Cochise County Library District, Arizona, near Bisbee, that sounds the best to me. Bisbee and the area is loaded with rocks and minerals. Consider The Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum or Queen Mine Underground Tours.
But since you are the AL and you raised this issue, let me ask you a question. Do you know of any resources for communities looking for library directors who will do what the community wants and not what the ALA wants to force on the community?
Further, when government leaders, annoyed that community-friendly library trustees vote to remove the ALA influence from the library, proclaim that from now on the government will ensure library trustees are subservient to the ALA's agenda to sexualize children, is there any organized group of community-oriented librarians who can promote community-friendly library trustees? This case was in Overland Park, KS, where the board voted 4-3 to remove "age" from the ALA's Library Bill of Rights as applied in the library, then a new board was formed, reversed the decision back to the ALA's agenda, and the government said they would more carefully scrutinize resumes in the future to ensure there'll be no more people trying to protect children from the ALA. I mean can you believe ALA propaganda is so effective that governments volunteer their children on the ALA's sexualization alter?
Gambling fuels the local economy, but there is a lot more to the Reno-Tahoe area. Yes, I know most librarians prefer to be "warm and dry", but Reno is really cool if you like outdoors stuff. The city is at 4000ft and nearby Lake Tahoe is at about 7000ft. The Sierras are close by! One of the drawbacks of Reno is the cost of living has shot up exponentially due to the influx of Californians.
I think you need to follow up with some entry-level jobs in undesirable locales. I've seen a lot of those lately!
In defense of Weatherford, OK (not to be confused with Weatherford, TX). It is the home of General Thomas P. Stafford. :)
I worked at the SWOSU Library for 4 years (and went to college there as well) and although it looks isolated on a map it's only an hour drive to "The City" (aka Okla City) and the cost of living is extremely reasonable. It is a good place for someone to get their feet wet wanting to start up the administration track.
Oh and the windmills -- are actually wind turbines rather mesmerizing when you drive up and see them. :)
"That's a lot of jobs, but then library schools graduate a lot of people each year."
AL, do you have any statistics on just how many graduates there really are each year?
What I want to know is, why don't these libraries have people already in place in lesser positions ready to be promoted? That's what's so frustrating for those of us just out of library school - I need an entry-level position, so these libraries need to move their own people up and advertise for those vacant positions. Then this supposed lack of library leadership would go away.
And as for Cochise County, I'm ready to move to Tombstone and join the re-enactors there. That would be cool. I wonder if they need a schoolmarm?
Every time I see some of those places, I wonder why they can't grow their own leadership. That may be a lot of the problem with the "leadership crisis" that Burger is now pushing: libraries don't bother grooming their own because their own leaders think they will be around forever. Retirement comes (or some other event causing a resignation), and they find themselves up Shit's Creek. It's the point that Alexandra is making. In my job, I know unless somebody dies (natural causes or I kill them if I snap), retirements won't happen anytime soon, and I am therefore stuck with nowhere to advance. My only hope may be to be a director in one of those isolated places. Oh well.
The ALA once again raises interesting points.
1) To clarify, the lack of leadership is at people in the middle levels ready to move up to directorship.
2) Libraries willing to take new grads or those with less than five years of experience for director and management jobs need to make that clear. Many potential applicants are unsure if they'd just be wasting their time.
3) Post a salary range, for the love of God.
4) Applicants do need to look into unfamiliar places. And not just online but apply and visit. As evidenced by the discussion here, these places may seem small or remote but actually be attractive locations.
I love my university town, but it is small (under 100,000) and remote (more than two hours to a city of any size). Sometimes our applicant pools are small.
Bossier City is pronounced bō'zhər and I grew up there. It's across from Shreveport. It's a hot spot for shows and performers since the introduction of Casino gambling about 10 years ago. Combined population with Shreveport is probably about 350,000 so not terribly small. Hot and very humid in the summer though and a good six hours from New Orleans. Three hours from Dallas. Also, I hear they're now filming more movies there if you're into that. For a few brief moments I even pondered the posting in Bossier as my family is there. But, it's the legal system of LA that kept me from going back. Salary I saw was pretty good though.
And, I've worked in Arkansas outside of Little Rock. Cost of living very reasonable but you do drive some to get to shopping and a variety of restaurants.
Up side to both places - great way to get experience and move on. Or you could decide you like the south and stay there.
I'm actually someone that wants to move out of the Chicagoland area. In fact, I want to move out of Illinois entirely.
Excuse me while I go off on a rant...
Why? The state government wants to spend billions of dollars in education, capital and health care initiatives that it doesn't have at this time, so the money has to come from somewhere (read: tax increases). All of the high up elected leaders are from Chicago (Governor, Lt. Gov., Sec. of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and one US Senator).
The governor is content with mortgaging our future by either witholding payments to the state pension system (that's how he "balanced" the budget the last two years) or by selling off state assets for one time infusions of $$$.
Couple that with the escalating costs of local housing and ever increasing property taxes (Illinois is the second state with the most levels of government. Only Pennsylvania has more levels of government than Illinois. Or was that the other way around?)
-End Rant-
Frankly, those jobs are the kind that I would be looking for, once I get out of library school. I think that most of my classmates are going to try to find something in the Chicago area, which leaves these kinds of jobs open for me.
Oh, and I already have a full-time job, so I have the luxury of waiting for the right job to open up and don't need to take the first thing that is offered to me.
Alexandra and DWB raise some really good points. I think this current problem may have something to do with reverse ageism. Years of experience tend to trump ability, education, etc. in librarianship. Contrast this with the legal world: an attorney can make partner before he or she is 40. Good luck finding a director that young.
I also think some libraries tend not to promote their own because they want someone with prior administrative experience.
This field can be very frustrating not only to entry-level types but also for those who have 5-10 years experience. It's very difficult to get promoted internally, tenure excluded. Often, the librarian has to seek employment elsewhere.
> Leslie Burger and the ALA used to >
> talk about the librarian shortage.
> Since that claim was palpable
> nonsense, they later changed it to
> a shortage of librarian
> "leadership."
Al,
The ALA is also talking about a shortage of librarians from "diverse" backgrounds.
You should tackle that one next.
Wow, there are a lot of interesting comments here, and I want to add one more (though it may not be interesting). Obviously it was just me, and there are at least some people attracted to these places. As I said, I wasn't claiming they were awful places, I just wondered if their isolation or smallness might not attract people from outside.
Having said that, I agree that some of the places who have a hard time getting managers and directors should probably grow their own. On the other hand, growing your own can lead to a very incestuous staff with little experience of how other places to things.
Regarding stats on how many people graduate, I don't know. If anyone does, please comment. But considering there are about 45 ALA-accredited library schools, I would think they would graduate at least, on average, 10 people a year. Some of those library schools are quite large, and I would think they'd graduate 50 or more people per year.
Oh, and I've addressed the ALA "diversity" initiative here.
I'm all too comfortable where I am but I wouldn't mind Cochise if I could strap on a pair of pearl-handled six-shooters. "Pay your fines or draw, pardner!"
Cochise County is home to the largest Army Post in the State (Sierra Vista) and within very easy driving range of Tucson and Nogales. It shed the "gunslinger"role years ago.
If Cochise County has given up the "gunslinger" image, what's the point in going there at all?
And stats. From the ALA's "Diversity" report, based on the 1990 and 2000 Censuses."Credentialed librarians increased nearly 22 percent for a gain of over 18,000 persons during the decade." Thus, at least based on that decade, it seems library schools were graduating approximately 1800 people a year, unless I'm missing something, which is possible.
Dear AL,
Well even though we now have an official pronunciation guide ["Bossier City is pronounced bō'zhər and I grew up there."] I'd think you or someone even half as feisty would still like to have a business card that officially proclaimed you to be not just bossy, but "The Bossier Librarian".
Kurt
That's very good. Well spotted. Yes, that would be an excellent business card.
Magnolia, Arkansas, is a very nice place. The Columbia County Library is located in a converted and expanded former post office in the heart of our small town of 11,000 people (25,000 in county). Magnolia is isolated but it is the prototypical "nice place to raise a family." Please don't equate small towns with small abilities or small minds. Stamps, 20 miles from Magnolia, produced Maya Angelou. Stephens, 20 miles in another direction, was the home of Dee Brown. Magnolia has no literary greats to call its own, but there are plenty of people who love books and who love reading. For someone who would be a library director, I think that would be the most important thing. Magnolia is well worth a newby "director" checking out.
> "Credentialed librarians increased
> nearly 22 percent for a gain of
> over 18,000 persons during the
> decade."
AL I think this is the sum total of librarians.
Every study I've read says there are about 4,900-5,000 new librarians earning their MLS degrees each year.
Every study I've read says there are about 4,900-5,000 new librarians earning their MLS degrees each year.
This is way too many--no wonder these people can't find jobs.
No, the 18K persons certainly isn't the sum total of librarians. That's obvious just from looking at ALA, which has something like 60K members, the majority of whom are librarians. The same diversity report shows that in 2000 there were about 105K "credentialed" librarians.
Oh I'm sorry, I meant to say I think the sum total of librarians may have INCREASED by 18,000.
Total number of librarians - retirements + new librarians = increase in number of librarians by 18,000
Yes, I think you're probably right, which would mean that the average for new library school graduates would have to be more than 1800/year to replace the retirees plus increase the total. Perhaps 4-5K/year is the accurate figure.
Thanks for addressing my question on how many MLS/MLIS graduates there are each year.
Leadership will be filled when they raise salaries. The salary of the library director in the town where I was born (population 10,000) is $24,000. I'm sure they found someone to fill it (after all, the cost of living is cheaper down there), but I cannot raise a family (single income) on $24,000.
No wonder libraries are having leadership shortages--they don't want anyone too young, too old, or too inexperienced; too pro-ALA or anti-ALA; too opinionated or too wishy-washy; too hard-working (will make us look bad!) or too lazy (won't pull their weight!). FSM forbid they should get someone interesting.
All they want is perfection, and they're willing to pay bottom dollar for it.
So let's stop whining and do something about it.
Feeling proactive? Write to me and we'll shake things up a little.
unemployedlibrarians@gmail.com
I was offered a director position directly out of library school, in a small town that I knew and loved (still do, in fact). However, the pay was a good bit less than an entry-level children's librarian position in a big city. So, that was what I choose.
Myself, I don't think there is a crtical shortage of librarians (what was that about? the two years it was hard to fill jobs at my library because--and this is true--about 10% of the librarians working there had been hired in the same year) or of library leadership.
Sure, there are some vacant director positions. But one would imagine that there generally are some such jobs vacant...
No one's commented on Manistee County, so I will, being a Michigander. It's lovely--nice, really nice, area of the state. Fun all year round--but no big city close by. Big Rapids, Traverse City--that's about as big as you'll get. Detroit is probably about a 4 hour drive. Here is the county community profile: http://www.manisteecounty.com/profile.htm
I think a lot of us lack imagination when it comes to where we live. Everyone wants to live in the city. Unfortunately, not everything is in the city. I interviewed for a position once in a small town in the Deep South that, if not for the excessive teaching responsibilities (I hate teaching), would have been perfect. It was only 80 miles and 110 miles from the two closest "major" airports. It was a surprisingly pretty town (and progressive) with a nice group of people to work with. I would have hated the job because it didn't match what I want to do with my degree, but I would have loved the town and my coworkers.
Since when is anything in the middle of nowhere these days? 80 miles may sound like a lot, but it's only an hour's drive (give or take a few minutes). You can still go clubbing every weekend if that's your thing. And if you have a family, you can't beat small-town life. There are more opportunities in the schools because the different programs have to cooperate with each other. Nobody has to choose between activities. The crime rates are generally disproportionately low. (How many murders do you hear about in rural America?) Property values are often lower, which makes buying a house more of a reality on our salaries.
The problem is that people think like many first-time cruisers - that you're going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and no way out. Or that everyone is going to know about everything you do. That's not the case. You just have to be brave enough to try it out.
What can I say? I'm just not a small town gal.
FYI--chartered buses leave from shopping malls in Dallas daily taking loads of Senior Citizens to Bossier City (just across the Texas border) to gamble all day at the casinos or spend the day at the race track. Sound like fun?
Also, The Woodlands (as has been explained)is a Houston suburb. It is in Montgomery County, where the Directory of the Montgomery County Library, not to be confused with the North Harris/Montgomery County Library--I am sure someone will correct me if I have that wrong (Jerilyn somebody) received an award from the ALA a few years ago for her defense of having on the shelves the book for adolescents: It's Perfectly Normal. I can only imagine what kind of threats she received and into what Hell her life descended during that time. But, hey, she got an award from the ALA. I recently read an article in the Conroe newspaper (also in Montgomery County, Texas) about a father's strident objections and desire to have removed from the shelves of the Conroe High School library: Farenheit 451, because of the language used in the book. I will let that sink-in and just wait to see if anyone gets the irony of that demand.
I am actually pursuing an MLS online. Since there are absolutely no Library Science schools in all of Houston (the 4th largest city in the country)--several MBA programs and 3 Law Schools, however. I do not expect to have enough money from our retirement funds to survive, and expect to have to work the rest of my life. I anticipate our having to retire in a small community where the cost of living is lower (hope there is a hospital nearby) and where I can, at least, supplement my retirement income with a job reshelving books in a local library, if I have the MLS credential, of course.
I suspect many of those ads you read are for jobs that have, actually, already been filled locally; they are just required to post the opening for legal reasons.
Hey, I work at North Harris Montgomery Community College District as an adjunct librarian. I moved here from San Diego (La Jolla to be precise) and let me tell you...The Woodlands/Kingwood/Houston is actually a pretty great location in which to live. Gorgeous affordable housing, a nice ethnic mix, newer facilities.
If you *think* you might brave the idea of becoming a Director, come on down to the Houston area and check it out. You might be surprised by what Houston has to offer. I sure was. And the librarians at the North Harris Campus are great to work with...our director is retiring in August and I think I can speak for all of us when we say we don't want to have to pick up the slack in her absences for too long.
Here is another opening for a Techie Librarian. I am wondering if the library curriculm has prepared their students for a Systems Librarian position. I don't think so.
Temple University Libraries
Systems Librarian
The Temple University Libraries seek applications and nominations for the position of Systems Librarian. The search has been extended until October 5, 2007.
The libraries of Temple provide a broad and deep array of resources and services for a diverse, vibrant, urban research university of 34,000 students and 1,682 full-time faculty. We offer an excellent opportunity to play a leading role in the continued development of services in a major ARL library now experiencing significant growth as a result of funding enhancements and new, dynamic leadership.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Head of Library Systems and Technology, the Systems Librarian ensures that the information technology infrastructure (hardware, software, and staff knowledge) enables efficient and user-friendly delivery of information and services for Temple university students and faculty and others world-wide. The Systems Librarian will
Manage maintenance and on-going development of the Libraries’ public, instruction, and staff technology infrastructure, from desktop PCs to major systems supporting applications such as digital repository and the integrated library system (Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium) shared by the Law and Health Sciences libraries, the University libraries, and other Temple collections.
Manage the Libraries’ help desk and asset management system, currently based on Track-It!.
Develop and lead staff IT training programs.
Work closely with other librarians and Computer Services personnel to ensure optimal development of technology-based public services and staff applications.
Serve as liaison with Innovative Interfaces and other technology vendors.
Keep abreast of IT developments and participating materially in planning, implementation, documentation, and assessment of projects to enhance computing in the libraries, digital repository initiatives, and ILS functionality.
Supervise 3.5 FTE Technical Support Specialists and part-time student assistants.
Qualifications
REQUIRED: ALA accredited MLS / MLIS, and demonstrated experience with systems and information technology in an academic library.
PREFERRED: The ideal candidate will present a strong combination of experience and knowledge in: desktop computing support; operation of a major ILS such as Millennium; knowledge of scripting (Expect, PHP, JavaScript, etc.) and markup (XML, HTML, etc.) languages; understanding of library technical services functions, the MARC21 record format and other metadata schemas; help desk/asset management; understanding of relational database applications and querying; supervision, demonstrated project management skills; experience in managing or implementing complex technological projects; training and documentation. The ideal candidate will possess excellent written and oral communications skills along with a demonstrated ability to communicate with a variety of constituents with varying degrees of automation expertise.
Compensation
Competitive salary and benefits package, including relocation expenses. Librarian rank and compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Application
To apply, submit a cover letter of application and cv/resume to the Jobs@Temple website, https://hospats.adminsvc.temple.edu/jobs.htm. Search by job number TU-09262, complete the Online Information Form, and attach your cover letter and resume in a single electronic file.
Temple University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to cultural diversity
You need to get out more.
WANTED "ENTRY LEVEL" Network Administrator-Lemont Pubic Libary-ILLINOIS
LOOK AT THIS SALARY....
For a Net Work Administrator and Web Developer..Be careful when you see "Entry Level" it usually means Entry Level Pay. I am wondering if a someone with a computer science degree without an MLS would be offered the same salary. Futhermore there are not too many librarians that have these skills. The library curriculm does not prepare a librarian for this kind of job.
Lastly, I am wondering who wrote this job description. I bet they did not know what they were writing.
Network Administrator
Lemont Public Library has an immediate opening for a full-time entry-level network administrator for approximately 50 pcs, including public and staff. Selects, installs, and maintains all LAN hardware/software, including surveillance and HVAC. Develops and maintains the library web site. Prepares documentation. Works with the public answering computer and other library questions.
Qualifications: A+, Windows Server, Dreamweaver, MS Office
Salary: $30-35K with full benefits
Lemont Public Library offers a great working environment. Please submit cover letter and resume to Debbie Somchay, Adult Services Librarian, dsomchay@lemontlibrary.org
It took THREE years to fill the job at the Magnolia public library. One of the reasons is that people who grow up in towns like this find it hard to understand that most of the students graduating from library school today do not care for the small town life. Magnolia is an hour's drive to Texarkana, which is where the nearest mall is located.
Another reason it was hard to fill this job is because of the library board of control, accent on the CONTROL. They wanted a librarian just like the last one they had who had been there for years, but unfortunately, they aren't making them anymore. They ran off two good librarians and a potential third one who had worked there a long time and gotten her MLIS degree.
One of their requirements was that the person live in the county simply because of a problem with the last librarian getting to work on time. They also did not have good benefits and questioned your motives if you expected to have good insurance.
In small towns like this things are very political and you never know who might come in the library and then go complain directly to a board member that things weren't exactly to their liking and the library director had no idea they were even in the building.
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