No eating in the library.
The nations first public library is just down the street from where my lady grew up. No wonder she’s a huge nerd! (at Franklin MA)
To be fair, the Boston Public Library also makes this assertion. As do some libraries in New York and Philadelphia. Franklin is probably correct though, as what defined a “public” library from a membership institution (like the Boston Athenaeum) seems pretty clear. Plus, the books were donated by old Benjamin Franklin himself because the nice folks of that town wanted to name their home after him. Oh, New England.
(via jenandtonic)
Extra tasty library item.
Queens Library CEO and President Tom Galante (via queenslibrary)
Impressive circulation.
(via ghardin)
Woman: Is the Library going to offer tax assistance again this year?
Librarian: Yes… [provides dates, times, etc.]
Woman: Is it free?
Librarian: Yes.
Woman: Good! Last year you made me pay $264!
Librarian: Ma’am, you realize that it’s the tax help that’s free, not the taxes?
Woman: Well what kind of help is that??!!
(via librarianista)
Lest we forget the incredible value proposition that Google presented to research libraries who participated in the scanning project.
(via thelifeguardlibrarian)
I know at Harvard, Google intentionally skipped scanning certain supplemental material, like maps, diagrams, and charts, because they took too long. I also know that there was a fair amount of damage done to some material because of how fast they were going. Not to say it wasn’t worth it in the end and ultimately a useful thing.
(via thelifeguardlibrarian)
More on all this—still unsure what to make of it.
I am a library employee at Harvard. No one is sure of what to make of this. We were told just enough to freak out but not enough to actually know what is going on. All library employees have been asked, but are not required, to fill out an employee profile. They are even offering classes on what to put in this profile. As I understand it, this is an opportunity to allow staff to communicate directly with the transition team and leadership in the new Harvard library, about the work we’ve done at Harvard, what we hope to accomplish in the years to come, and what skills we might have that are underutilized. However, we were not clearly told what the transition team and the new library leadership would be using this profile for. It seems in my best interest to fill it out (I plan to) but if it is optional it seems horribly unfair to base hiring/firing on an optional self-evaluation.
It kind of feels like an audition. Let us know what you currently do and what you might be good at, and we’ll see if you still have a place in the new organization. I keep thinking of Tom from Office Space:
”Well, what would you say… you do here?”
I’ve worked at Harvard since Fall 2007 and I got my MSLIS in spring 2010 but have continued in my current position as a para-professional in hopes of moving on to a profession position at Harvard. I’m hopeful that I will be able to maintain my current position or move to something new in the transition but I’m in a much more flexible place in my life. No mortgage, no kids. By the end of the Spring semester I’d be able to move pretty much anywhere in the country depending on available work. I know plenty of people I work with who can’t say the same.
I believe the transition will involve losing a lot of positions above my own, especially in management. Currently there is a really fragmented organization at Harvard as there are over 70 libraries here and of the 18 or so major ones, it seems they all have various heads of departments, positions that might not exist with a more centralized administration. I am hopeful that many positions will stay the same or change slightly. I am certain plenty of people will be told their job no longer exists or has changed so dramatically that they must re-apply for it. We should know more in mid-February.
can i get a reminder of why we do this?
after this many rejections during the course of my post-grad job hunt, i’m not so sure that it was really worth the time in school or the student loans.
The job market totally sucks ass right now. I am working a para-professional job I got in 2008 while still in grad school. A year after having my degree, not much luck even finding jobs to apply for. I’m trying to stay in Boston, so that kind of limits me, except that there are many, many libraries here, just none hiring that are looking for less that 5 years professional experience doing X. Lots of people who had years of experience lost their jobs and the market is flooded. If you aren’t currently working in a library, try to volunteer at one, maybe?
Student loans also suck ass.
[Edit] - also, as to why: It’s work I enjoy. I like the people (even crazy patrons). I like the possibilities. The work is always interesting. I like being around lots of information and new ideas. I like helping someone find just the book they’re looking for. I like to open up someones mind to all the things a library can offer them. I like fighting censorship and making information available to all. It feels like a job or career where I can look back in 30 or 40 years and feel that I made the world a better place by helping people to better themselves, or at least find a good book to read.
