I first worked in a library when undertaking work experience, whilst at secondary school. I applied to work in a library because I liked reading (English was my favourite subject), and the local branch library was a convenient ten minute walk from home. Whilst I didn’t get the opportunity to work in the branch library, I was offered a placement at the Central Library instead. I can’t remember specific details (the placement was almost 12 years ago), but I do remember that I moved around different areas within the library, including lending, reference, archives/local studies, and the children’s library. The three week placement was enjoyable, but the thought of pursuing a career as a librarian did not cross my mind at all.
After completing my English Language and Literature degree at Sheffield University, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. I considered various careers, including teaching. As a student I had worked in retail and admin, and voluntary work focused on teaching/education. My first paid job after graduating was a temporary job in a bookshop. My next job was as a Relief Museum and Gallery Attendant within the local council. I really enjoyed the job, especially working with members of the public and customer service. When I saw that the council was advertising the position of part-time library assistant, I applied for the job, got an interview and was successful! I feel extremely lucky to have got this job, not just because I found a career, but also because I’ve had the opportunity to work with some lovely people over the years.
I settled into my role of library assistant, and began to love everything about my job. I learnt a lot, and wanted to learn more. Further study was always a possibility, and as my role was part-time (I was also continuing my work in the museum at this point), I started to look at how I could progress and develop a career within libraries. I remembered attending a careers fair at university, where someone handed me some information about careers in librarianship and the MA Librarianship course at Sheffield University. I eventually applied and was offered a place on this course. My main reason for choosing the MA at Sheffield was because the commuting distance was reasonable – as I self-funded the course I wanted to limit the amount I spent on living costs. I’m glad I chose this particular course, however, as I definitely learnt a lot during the year. As well equipping me with the skills I needed, the course encouraged me to pay attention to the wider profession and current awareness, and I began to develop a range of professional interests.
I finished the MA in September 2010. Since then I have applied for many jobs, in different sectors. I have had quite a few interviews, and though I generally get positive feedback, I often find that is my lack of professional experience that prevents me from actually getting the job. I think a graduate traineeship would have been a good way to gain experience at a higher level; in hindsight I wish I had gone down this route. As it is, I can’t get the post-qualification/ professional experience that employers want until I get a professional job, but I am unable to get a professional job due the lack of said experience. In the meantime, I continue to work as a part-time library assistant in the public library I’ve worked in since 2007, and I also continue with the temporary part-time admin job I started last year. In October, I started working as a volunteer librarian in the library where I already work. Whilst I do not agree with volunteer run libraries or replacing paid staff with volunteers (I won’t go into detail here, as this could be another post in itself), I was struggling to see how I could progress - volunteering was an opportunity when all other avenues seemed to be blocked. I feel like I am finally starting to gain relevant experience, and hopefully this will improve my job prospects.
For the time being, I will continue to look for the elusive full-time permanent professional library/information job. Sometimes I feel that I will never be successful in this aim. I often wonder if I’ll eventually have to admit defeat, and try to develop a career in another area. For now though, I’ll continue to search for/apply for jobs, gaining experience where I can. Looking even further into the future, I do hope to begin the Chartership process at some point, I just need to sort out my job situation first!
