Confessions of a Mad Librarian

And I don't even think I'm going to get a sodden t-shirt out of it.

I know this blog has been content light and thought-free for quite a while now. In part because I'm learning and putting to use entirely new skillsets only to go "home" to a strange and slightly stressful environment (not that the people I'm living with aren't great, but dorm-like living has lost its nouveau charm).

And part of it is that LibraryLand is harshing my mellow. I'm on a list for new librarians (because that's what I am! Woohoo!) that has been subsumed for over a month with angsty (and angry) postings about the employment picture for new librarians. It's nothing new, really -- things aren't rosy. Things aren't likely to get any rosier. So, people are discussing whether the MLS is worth anything, how fair is it that freshly minted librarians without years of experience are competing with those who have years of experience, are employers willing to train, internal vs. external candidates, etc.

Nothing new, really. But people's perspectives and experiences and even their rants and whines are important and useful, so I keep reading. Oh, but it's tiring and draining and it makes me want to hide in a little hole. I was supposed to be assessing my career prospects this summer, but I can't even bring myself to take a gander at LISJobs or LISCareer. It's not like I'm in dire circumstances, but I feel like I'm in limbo ... which I absolutely abhor, but I really should get used to by now.

In lighter, brighter, more interesting news ... here are two relatively new blogs that give me hope for the profession in general:

Journey of a Wannabe, by Angelica Cortez -- she's looking to join the elite cadre of news librarians after interning at both the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and

Library Dust, by the practical, witty and growing-in-power-and-prestige Michael McGrorty.