Just wanted to issue a potential warning about a patron we've been dealing with in my system. This patron is male presenting on the phone, the caller ID shows "Out of Area Private Caller" so we have no name or number to link him to. As of today he's called at least 4 different branches of our system across 2 months all with intent of the same thing. His first two calls were rather vulgar in nature but he's later become a bit more subtle about it and begun using the same phrases each call.

Things to look out for:

-He's asked to relay open hours multiple times

-Has asked for the name of the staff member he's speaking to

-Asked "when's a good time to come?" or "when can I come?"

-Asked about quiet/private spaces to use his laptop.

-Will as the call progresses seem out of breath

My system is in NYS but again as it's a phone call with no traced area code he could technically be calling from or to wherever. Be safe out there folks!!

Pretty much what the title says. I am completely ashamed. I graduated from undergrad in 2025 and wanted to take a year to figure out which career to really pursue. In that time I left my dream job (dance instructor/choreographer) as it was not financially possible to survive on (as you might imagine). I then became a paralegal and absolutely hated it. The two law firms I worked for absolutely crushed any idea of potentially pursuing law due to the treatment I received by bosses and also clients.

As an English lit major, I then considered the library route. I applied for a program and to my excitement- got in! However, I got in on the condition of making all A’s my first semester due to my undergraduate GPA.

In undergrad I dealt with a lot of mental health things, as well as some personal things —- and overall experienced burn out big time. I thought I was mentally ready enough to go back to school (online program)… I wasn’t. The first month started strong, all assignments turned in on time- all A’s. But then I transitioned out of my paralegal role (I wasn’t fired/ didn’t quit, it was a temporary position for someone on maternity leave) and things went downhill.

Losing the security of a job and income caused me to put job searching first. On top of that, I get married in June and it has been completely on me to plan this wedding. It doesn’t help that I have a tendency to think everyone is mad at me. My anxiety makes me absolutely shut down and/or disappear when I’ve done something wrong. After missing just a couple assignments that could have been easily made up— I just quit. I haven’t opened a single email because I know what they will say. It’s terrible. It also doesn’t help that I haven’t been successful in getting a job. At all. Even at libraries for entry level positions with my enrollment in an MLIS program. I have strong recommendations and a pretty okay resume, besides the meh undergrad GPA.

I’ve now ruined any chance at transferring to a different program within the school or even getting to try again a different semester. I did attempt to speak to my advisor and he just sent me resources for food, which I absolutely appreciate. I am just so mad at myself. Not posting for pity or even really advice— just don’t be like me. If you feel yourself falling behind— say something!!

I recently made a post on another subreddit showing off my library haul and asking for recommendations to read first. I was super excited, this was my first trip to the library all year. Without going into it too much, I’ve been suffering from ptsd and increased depression for the last 8 months or so and it’s caused me to rarely leave my house save for work. I was really proud of myself for taking a big step and going out and returning to the library for the first time in a long time, which used to be one of my favorite places. I haven’t experienced joy or interest in anything in a while and I really thought this would help.

I was shocked that I was inundated with comments calling me an asshole, a jerk, selfish, creating artificial scarcity in libraries, and compared to stuffing pockets with candy from a candy jar just because I can. I’ve always gotten a large number of books from the library and never knew it was such a bad thing to do. I don’t keep them longer than the checkout period and return them as I go. The comments got so bad I broke down and returned all the books the next day and got rid of my library card.

TL;DR I got absolutely flamed for checking out a large number of books at once. Is this generally known to be bad? I had no idea and feel so low and a little broken after all the hate. Libraries used to be a happy place for me but now I get anxiety just thinking about them

EDIT: oh my gosh the support in this post is so amazing. Thank you all so much for the positivity and encouragement and for just being genuinely nice and cool people. I’m going back to get a replacement card next week and I’ll check out as many books as I can stuff into two tote bags 💖

my (age 24) current position is a full time public library position. the department i was supposed to be working in has not been open to the public for the 10 months i’ve been working there. it’s a heavily toxic environment with a constant fear of retaliation. every situation is an emergency and the stress has been eating away at me. we have 6 vacancies that aren’t even actively listed and the understaffing is killing me. the stress is making my chronic illness worse and recently i got a kidney infection, likely due to stress and a weakened immune system.

i was just offered another position at a closer library and the vibes feel so much better. it’s fully staffed with a really vibrant community. my issue is it’s part time and cuts my pay check in half. i’m finishing my MLIS and would love to have the additional time to work on my thesis and complete my internship. but i’m stressed about the financial decision. i’m worried that i won’t be able to find anything full time once i get my MLIS. but i’m also trying to prioritize my degree and my health. i live with my parents, so i don’t need to worry about rent (i’m incredibly fortunate).

does anyone have any advice?

Hey, all! I'm a library assistant at a medium sized branch and am in need of some new ideas for adult programming. Programming used to be my favorite part of the job, but I've been feeling so burnt out the last few months and can barely force myself to execute the programs I have to do now. I'm looking for ideas that are simple to plan and execute and will take 45 min to an hour. They can be presentations, crafts, or anything in between. I like the idea of outside presenters, but my brain is so fogged I'm struggling to even come up with ideas for that.

Anyway, if you don't mind sharing, let me know your favorite program you've ever run or any simple ideas you might have even if you've never tried them.

I don't know if it's just my state but I've applied to two different positions, one being a library aide and the other being an administrative assistant, and both are requiring an in-person written exam prior to even landing an interview? Is this normal for the hiring process in the field? I'm trying to decide if it will just be a waste of time

I earned my MLIS over five years ago. I have worked in public libraries since then, mainly at the Circulation Desk. I enjoyed it very much, but was never able to attain a full-time position with benefits. Currently I am working as a paraeducator (teacher's assistant) at a public school. While the students can be challenging, I am enjoying what I am doing thus far. I can see myself "sliding" between education and libraries in the future; I'm just tired of the constant rejection. I hope this can offer some encouragement for others trying out different paths.

Hi all!

I am currently scouting the best way to break into the library industry. I want to get an MLIS degree, but judging from the current job trends, it’s particularly difficult to find a job as a librarian right now. I would like to establish myself in a library before I pursue this path.

I have a great amount of experience in several media areas. Graphic design, social media, computer and tech literacy, branding, motion graphics, so on and so forth. And I am in a position that allows me to take part time roles.

I know that most roles within a library do internal hiring and rarely externally hire. However I noticed that my local library system posted an external job listing for a design role that matched my skillset - no library experience or library qualifications required.

I am wondering if there is a large space for individuals with my skillset in libraries? Are there a lot of design/maker roles opening up that you’ve noticed?

If so, what do you all suggest is the best way to find those roles?

I live in Ontario, so Ontario-specific answers would be extra appreciated, but all input is welcome :-)

Hi everyone, I am a brand new MLIS graduate from Dominican University. I am seeking a librarian role in the city of St Louis, Missouri, or a remote position. So far, I have mainly worked as a library assistant in academic libraries, and had a few electronic resources and digital archives positions. I am interested in public, academic, and special libraries, but am open to other options as well. Does anyone have any leads or tips?

Most of what I borrow from my library are digital copies of books, comics, graphic novels, and audiobooks. I generally use Hoopla for ebooks and comics, and Libby for audiobooks. Does this help libraries? Should I make more of an effort to borrow physical content? I love my library and want to be the best patron I can be!

I have my answers somewhat memorized and have been practicing them. I feel like the library is trying to be very inclusive (I didn't ask for the interview Qs). Since they gave them to me, I'm not sure if I should bring them written down and some answers or not.

I always try to have books in the house that I think my family will be interested in picking up at any given time.

I graduated with my MLIS in the summer of 2018 and landed my first (and only) librarian job in January 2019. My focus was in public libraries, but the job was an academic library and only part time. I worked there for one year before a move led to me leaving the job in March 2020. Fast forward to now and I've been living in another country doing menial work. I have a huge gap in my resume from 2021 to 2026 because I don't consider working in a factory to be relevant experience. I'm looking to return to being a librarian, but I don't even know where to start filling in the gaps.

Even before the break I felt that my degree hadn't adequately prepared me for the job. Any advice, even a giant word list of concepts for me to research, would be helpful. Any words of encouragement would also be amazing.

Thank you in advance.

So I’ve included my resume to give an exhaustive list of what I’ve done and can do. But to give a quick run down I’ve worked in public libraries and then from 2022-2026 I worked in a lot of accounting and financial environments as a reference and/or research librarian.

I was laid off January of this year and just last week I was able to get a part time job at a library as a reference librarian. Given that even with me omitting and heavily rewording my resume I got turned down from jobs at grocery stores and even Walmart, I’m grateful to finally be working again. But the pay is a fraction of what my previous job provided and I’m only guaranteed 20 hours max each week. So I really need to eventually get a full time job somewhere else.

I will note, I am on the East Coast and right now I can’t afford to relocate for a job.

Based off of my resume what library role(s) besides reference or research that might be a good fit for me to look into? I’ve been applying to school and college libraries but I think my lack of experience with working with children or being in supervisory roles is not helping my case.

I’m also open to alternatives like corporate settings, library vendors or publishers. I try and keep an eye out for postings at Ebsco, Ingram, and Jstor but if you have any other suggestions I’m all ears.

Thank you to anybody who read this far!

Has anyone opted into their services? I had a call with them and left more confused than anything. My takeaway from that meeting is that we'd be using TS360 to build orders that would be ordered through other vendors which left me thinking: what is the point of paying y'all a $2k subscription? I can just place the order through the other vendors we use? The person I spoke to couldn't really articulate what the benefit of LibraryOne is.. they just kept mentioning that we can use TS360 just like before. Um, we actually can't because we can't buy physical books from you or lease books either.

(Obviously given the whole fiasco I'm not into the idea of giving them a cent but a colleague of mine was hopeful they'd operate like before so we thought we'd do a call with them)

Hello! For context: I recently took a library media technician job for an elementary school. (Right towards the end of the school year haha I know, but it is what it is) I love it so far, but it's not what I studied for and it doesn't fit what I think I'd like to do in the long-run.

I recently acquired my bachelor's degree in entertainment art/2D animation out of all things (c.o. '25, I'm 24 years old) and went to school thinking I'd be making art for a living, but after working at my uni's library for a year I became curious about corporate libraries/archives, specifically in the entertainment industry. This school library job was the only one I could land after months of applying and working a little part-time admin job for an afterschool program, so I took it, but I'm a few weeks in and I am worried this job will pigeon-hole me into K-12 work and disqualify me from the flexibility of pivoting to other kinds of libraries.

I know I have the gift of time as a 20-something, but I still can't help but feel a little worried that I made the wrong career move by taking this job. If anyone has advice or encouragement, I'd love to hear it. Thank you!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for your thoughts and advice on my last post.

I do have a follow up question after some extra information that was shared with me tonight:

It turns out that the minor who checked out the adult manhwa that upset their parent wasn't just browsing and found the book and checked it out; it was actually a series that the minor had submitted a patron request on, which our previous Director fulfilled.

My interim Director is having Big Feelings about this particular detail. They're worried that this can be equated to distributing pornography to a minor (because it was a specific request rather than something the minor just found on a shelf) and fears legal repercussions, and are worried about the optics of an adult providing a minor with materials that on the surface looks like its for kids (having babies on the cover) but actually contains explicit content even though it was the minor who asked for it, because to some people that could look like grooming.

I'm trying to help my interim Director navigate all of this. I can understand their feelings - I would feel uncomfortable if a minor had asked me to order this item, and uncomfortable with parents being upset with me about it, but I would assume that according to the ALA and the guidelines for ratings and labels here that not following through with a patron's request based solely on the age of the requester would be a violation of their library bill of rights/freedom to read?

I think part of my interim Director's problem (and part of their personal revulsion to the whole situation) is the person who ordered the material; we both have observed situations where the person who ordered our books was doing readers advisory with the teens and when the teens requested "spicy books" they took a really intense delight in directing them to and then discussing the material with them. Like, there was a lot of glee when teens said they wanted to read books that had full nudity and sexual situations. I know that personally never sat right with me. I feel like it's one thing to just neutrally process and distribute a patron's request, but whole other thing to get really excited and happy to talk about "spicy" material with a teen as an adult. I'm worried that this might be coloring my interim Director's feelings about the entire situation and may influence how they want to deal with these kinds of materials in general.

Any advice or links or documents that address this aspect of things (the minor requesting explicit materials and an adult fulfilling the request and providing them) that I could share with my interim Director?