#and get one of those jobs while getting my MLIS

[wearelibrarian]

Hey! I'm a fresh-out-of-undergrad prospective MLIS student. I love your blog and am reaching out to ask for any advice you personally have about applying to MLIS programs, and also figuring out your passion within the larger field that is librarianship. No matter how hard I try I keep getting sucked into the cataloguing/metadata side of things, and I'm trying to break free and explore other options. Also, I was wondering if you have any connections to the Fan Culture Preservation Project? For some reason I feel like I've seen you writing about it (or maybe it was ao3cassandraic, who I also follow religiously) and I'm really curious about it.

For applying to LIS degree programs, do some research into what courses and specializations a university offers, and if you’re in the USA see if you can find a solid program in your state. I was accepted into three LIS masters programs. Two of them had solid programs for me, but one was out of state and one was in state - out of state programs mean you’re paying more in tuition. Also, ask about fellowships and assistantships, those can get part of your tuition covered. I chose a program that was in-state and offered me a fellowship to cover 2/3 of my tuition as long as I kept my grades up.

I personally encourage trying to find an in-person program if you can. Online programs can be wonderful, but there’s hands-on experience that you can only get with an in-person degree. If you’d rather do online, see if you can get a job at a library and pursue the degree part time while working. (Some libraries will pay for your LIS masters if you work there full time while taking classes, but don’t count on this.)

For finding your passion in the field, start getting your feet wet in libraries. I STRONGLY discourage jumping straight into a library masters degree without volunteering or working in a library for at least a year first. You could tell who had practical experience and who didn’t among those in my program, and those with experience had fewer struggles when applying to jobs after graduation. A good program will have opportunities to work in libraries on campus while pursuing your degree, and you should try for those jobs, but you really want that practical experience beforehand as well. One piece of advice I got from a friend that was useful: once you start your degree, try to take courses that don’t overlap with your work. For example, if you find work in cataloguing at a library on campus, skip the cataloguing class and take a class on archival preservation or a class on digital curation.

I’m not currently connected to the Fan Culture Preservation Project, I actually hadn’t heard of it until just now.

[ao3cassandraic]

Hi! I'm about to apply to get into graduate school and start working to get my MLIS. Do you have any advice?

Hi! Welcome to the information professions.

Until my shop changed processes a couple of years ago, I read applications for admission. Lots of them. I was the department app-numbers champion three years running.

Here's what I typically looked for:

Can you write? Like it or not -- and I don't, always -- these professions are hyperverbal and so is our program. If writing isn't your strong suit, that's not a dealbreaker; it just means "find reliable beta readers for your essay." And when you hit campus, locate the campus writing-help unit and make friends with them.

Do you have some idea what you're getting into? For some applicants this is direct work or volunteer experience; for others, a mentor; for others, a grounded sense of career direction; for still others, a statement of their abilities and aspirations that they think fits the profile. That last one can be tricky, though -- if it's nothing but rose-colored glasses or bogus stereotypes, it won't count in your favor. I suggest talking to some info pros about their jobs, if you need to. We're a pretty forthcoming bunch. All this said, you DO NOT need to know to the ninth (or even first) decimal place what you want to do. These professions contain multitudes, and it's exceptionally common for people to discover their career direction while in the program, or (like me, actually) wind up doing something they never could have envisioned beforehand.

Do you know anything about our program specifically? Someone may have told you "the MLS is a union card; all library schools are the same." Don't you believe it! We all have specialties. We all have niches we don't touch with a ten-foot pole -- and yes, I have absolutely disrecommended admission for an otherwise-excellent applicant whose desired niche my shop just plain doesn't serve. If you have a niche in mind already, it won't hurt you one bit to spend five or ten minutes on the school's faculty-staff page to figure out who teaches in that niche so you can mention them in your essay. Or check out the program outline and explain why you think the requirements will help you be good at info-pro-ing. If one of our alumni recommended our program to you, let us know.

Will you make it through the program? For this I glance over undergraduate transcripts and read recommendations, unless the applicant has been out of college so long it makes more sense to check their résumé. A rough time in undergrad is not a dealbreaker unless I don't understand why it happened and (crucially) why it won't happen again -- address these briefly in your essay if you need to. (We do totally get that there's been a pandemic -- we were there too! If it's that, say so and move on.) What I don't want to do is admit someone I don't think can graduate -- that'd be a cynical, unethical waste of their time, money, and energy.

Do you differ from the typical applicant in cool and/or useful ways? Like most professions, there are coveted/oversubscribed info-pro niches and niches that are... less so. The typical applicant profile for library school is an English or history major just out of undergrad. It won't count against you if that's you... but a STEM major or minor, tech savvy, cultural competencies, teaching experience, research or publishing experience, and/or leadership/management experience will count FOR you, because those niches need people real bad. Similarly, the information professions are hella cishet white neurotypical. If you're not and (under current US law, damn it) can explain how that's going to make you a better info pro, let us know.

Any red flags? Usually these are in rec letters, so choose your recommenders wisely. I've also had to disrecommend people whose recommenders or essay... how shall I put this... put their commitment to inclusive professionalism in doubt. But there's also a cultural thing in librarianship where librarians despise library schools. Many think them unnecessary, or would prefer an undergrad major rather than a master's-level program. Many judge their entire library-school experience by their worst instructor (and ngl, we have some lulus -- even I haven't always covered myself with glory, and I try real hard to be good at what I do). Point being, the commonest red flag I saw was an app essay that oozed contempt for the pointless hoops the applicant was already jumping through, and the hoops they'd have to jump through if admitted. And I'm just like, why? Why would I admit an applicant who hates us, thinks they know it all already and we have nothing to teach them, and is clearly unwilling to meet us halfway? Go poison some other school's culture, applicant; I don't want you in my shop. Now, you don't have to flatter us! Unnecessary and can be a bit creepy! But don't hate on us, please.

Hope this helps, and feel free to ask more questions in the comments. That goes for everybody, not just OP!

[missmickiescorner]

Separate But Equal: Discussions on the Graduate Level Library Science Degree

As someone who is currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited Library Science and Information program, I can say with full confidence that if the degree was not required in order for me to become a librarian, I would not be here.

A little information about me: I’ve worked in a public library for almost four years, I have an undergraduate degree in Book Studies & Multicultural Literature, and within the last few weeks I have not only been automatically disqualified for a Librarian I position because I didn’t have the library specific degree—I have also been told by both my Circulation Services Manager AND my Library Director that they feel I am qualified to be a Librarian or Library Specialist.

You might be asking then, why I would bother with the degree if I’ve been told by the powers that be that I am qualified and well, it’s because qualified or not due to how the classifications are written, I would either need sixyears of work experience in a library setting or the degree…with no experience required at all.

Personally, it’s quite a frustrating predicament to be in but objectively, I think that it highlights the innate inequity and inaccessibility that the requirement of a graduate degree creates, specifically for people of color like myself.

Cheryl Knott, author of Not Free, Not For All: Public Libraries in the Age of Jim Crow, argued that requiring advanced degrees or certifications as an entry point to librarianship is a direct consequence of racist policies that were in play when public libraries were being established at a national level. Noting that due to this requirement (as well as other laws at the time) aspiring Black library professionals who were either not allowed to participate in or simply have access to any level of education, would automatically be considered less capable of performing in their role and therefore relegated to positions in the library that weren’t patron-facing and didn’t allow any meaningful authority. Conversely, she also noted that when aspiring Black professionals would push back against such policies and attempt to gain hands-on experience they were still considered to be less qualified.

Melanie Higgins, Executive Director of the Richland Libraries, stated that removing the M.L.S. / M.L.I.S. requirement was one of the best decisions she ever made, arguing that, “Having an MLIS degree or even prior public library experience doesn’t automatically ensure [having the knowledge to manage a library].” Additionally, when this requirement was removed, the Richland Libraries went from having one branch manager of color to seven—and while there may be a lot of varying and competing factors for why this might have been, it cannot be denied that it might have been a natural consequence of requiring an advanced degree as an entry-level point to the profession when an overwhelming percentage of those holding the degree are white. (Huggins, 2022)

Again, speaking personally, not only have I been told by my Circulation Services Manager and Library Director that I’m qualified to be a Specialist or Librarian; I have also been actively discouraged by people within my library system from getting the degree because the perception is that it is a “waste.” Waste of money and waste of time, because—as I’m always told—“you can just work your way up and chose to either be a S.L.A. (Supervising Library Assistant) or a Specialist and make the same amount of money.” Which is another piece of the library profession puzzle that is often ignored—in a society that is rapidly demanding more and more education from potential job candidates, the library has a very wide entry point.

I cannot speak to libraries in different locations, but within the San Francisco-Bay Area, almost every library system offers the opportunity to a) join employee-protected, union-backed work and b) climb a clearly defined career ladder. While the position titles may change depending on where you are, every library has the equivalent to a Page or an Aide where the only skills you need to be successful is the ability to count and know your alphabet. Everything else—sorting, shifting, shelving, the computer systems—can be taught on the job. It is only for the classification and specific job title of “Librarian” that the degree becomes a factor, which in my opinion constitutes institutional and organizational gatekeeping. Moreover, there is a lot of evidence that points to the M.L.S. / M.L.I.S. requirement being a holdover from Jim Crow era policies that were designed to keep libraries open to some and not to all.

References

Knott, C. (2015). Not free, not for all: Public libraries in the age of Jim Crow. University of Massachusetts Press.

Huggins, M. (2022). MLIS required? rethinking the skills and knowledge necessary for managing in a public library. Journal of Library Administration, 62(6), 840–846. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2102384

[bananasofthorns]

when it comes to job prospects post-MLIS, work experience is equally if not more important (and getting as much of it as possible will help you get a better sense of what your area of interest is). some programs will have a "field experience" or capstone where you can do internships for credit, but those are often unpaid. if i could give my pre-MLIS self one piece of advice it would probably have been to pursue more library jobs during undergrad or take more time before starting grad school to feel out job stuff -- it's been tough to juggle both "resume" work and coursework. also, if you're asking because you're trying to decide on an undergrad major: i'd say definitely don't worry about it! just let your interests guide you. while most people in my program are from the humanities (esp public history on the archives side), there's no prerequisite in terms of academic credentials, and tbh there's nothing that will especially help you besides maybe compsci.

I did make that post bc I was trying to decide on what I wanted to do for undergrad, but I've settled on management and civic leadership which I'm hyped about (and it probably won't burn me out as much as doing a photography degree, which was my original plan!). I'm definitely gonna try to get a job at a library or maybe a museum if I can, but at the very least I'll volunteer at my local library because I've done that over the summers and it was super fun.

thanks for the advice! :D

[clonerightsagenda]

Heya! I’ve worked circulation in my college library for about three years now, and am thinking of going for an mls or mlis—you seem to have a non-public facing job with time for podcasts and writing (which I would really appreciate), would u mind talking about what you specialized in at grad school? Or other advice (sorry for anon, don’t have a tumblr but remembered u from the homestuck rewrite). I’m an english makor and don’t have a lot of experience with texh, but would be willing to learn.

Hi! You remember me from my TLC days, huh? Welcome back.

First, I must admit I work an entirely public-facing job. I listen to podcasts while doing chores at home because otherwise I'd be forced to be alone with my thoughts. However, there are plenty of less-public facing jobs in LIS! Those could include:

Technical services - think cataloging, ILL, database/electronic resource management. If you're very detail oriented and love splitting hairs, cataloging may be for you. E-resource management is big right now, although it involves as much communicating with vendors as tech skills. (I spent two weeks trying to get ahold of ProQuest this semester...while trying to pay them, no less.) Depending on the posting, you may not need an MLIS for some of these positions.

Remote librarian - You'll see a lot of remote reference gigs, but these are often part time. A few are full time, though, so if you don't mind doing live chat or virtual help, that's a good option! I dream of being a FT remote librarian tbh. Most of the FT jobs I see are for special libraries - hospitals, legal firms, businesses - where most of your job would be managing company knowledge bases and providing information upon request.

Archives & museums - While these jobs still require work with the public, you'll often spend more time behind the scenes processing materials.

UX librarian or systems librarian - Much more tech focused. Think interfaces, web design, forcing all your different products to play nice with the link resolver, etc.

I didn't have a firm specialty in grad school - I took two courses in our archival concentration as it was getting established but graduated before the third one. I did angle toward academic over public librarianship and made sure to take a class on pedagogy. My overall tips regarding getting an MLIS are:

See if your job will pay for it. Sometimes they will! Grad school isn't cheap and librarians don't make loads so you don't want to take out loans if you don't have to. If you *do*, librarians qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program but that's a mess rn.

Keep a library job while taking classes if possible. Tbh I learned way more on the job than in class. Library school helps steep you in professional theory and values, but it doesn't always give you many hard skills.

Acquire hard skills if you can. Take classes that let you do practical projects. If there's *any* possibility you might take a job in academia or public librarianship where you'll be teaching classes, giving workshops, etc., I highly encourage you to take a pedagogy class. It's good to learn a bit about teaching and get over your jitters about presenting to a crowd.

Get comfortable with tech; no way around that one. If you're not having to master new tech to do your job you're going to be helping patrons figure out *their* technology. You don't have to be a whiz - I could never get the hang of programming and don't know much about command lines - but be ready to roll up your sleeves and try troubleshooting. Googling 'how do I do xyz' is, shockingly, not a universal skill and will get you far. I have become a master of weird workarounds because none of the tech at my college works.

When writing personal statements to get into a library school program, do not lead with how much you like to read. That's not what librarians do. Librarianship is a service profession - think helping people, solving problems, being flexible, etc. All key characteristics you should highlight in applications for programs and for jobs. Having past customer service experience will help you too.

If you can get an assistantship that will cover program costs while giving you experience, go for it. My assistantship was hands down the most informative part of my library school experience *and* I don't have student loans.

That's what comes to mind right away, but feel free to ask me follow up questions about anything you're curious about!

[goblin-gardens]

How does someone become a librarian?

In the US (my only point of reference) you need to go to school to get a specific MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) degree to be an actual ✨Librarian✨. A Librarian in a larger public library will probably have a focus in different specialty/area like Children, Tech, or Reference. There's also non-public sector librarians like Law Librarians or Medical Librarians. TBH I can't tell you more about that side of things than Wikipedia can, because I'm not a Librarian.

I'm a Library Assistant. (Generally, you can group us into "Librarians" and "library workers".) I got the job by having retail service experience and emphasizing that I'm used to multitasking and like solving problems. "I love books" is not an exciting thing to hear in an interview for a job at a public library. "I love people" is.

My library is tiny, so some of the hats I wear overlap with what a Real Librarian would do, and also with what volunteers or book pages would do in a larger library that had more of any of those things. We only have 1 librarian on the floor, whose official title is Tech Services and Reference Librarian, and he does an even wider array of stuff than I do.

Average day for me includes: front desk friendliness, checking books in and out to patrons, processing holds (finding requested items for patrons at my location or to send to other libraries in our system), shelf reading (keeping books tidy and in order), weeding (getting rid of damaged or out-of-date books), computer help both basic and moderately advanced, talking a lady through setting up her very first Kindle and installing our library ebook app over the phone, selling tote bags with our library logo, explaining in a friendly way why a patron can't eat soup in the computer lab, preparing a bunch of kid's crafts, emailing local news outlets press releases for next week's special sparkly story time, cleaning up the glitter in the craft area, repairing damaged books, calling people to chat about how their books got damaged, entering new items into the system, fishing newspapers out from under chairs, navigating our demonic library software (Sierra📛), reading book reviews so I know what the new James Patterson book is called, child wrangling, teen wrangling, adult wrangling, coworker wrangling, volunteer wrangling, and being friendly to people who are stressed about sending faxes for the first time in 20 years or ever. I'm part receptionist part IT guy part personal shopper part custodian part brand ambassador (the brand is community engagement and information).

One becomes a library worker by applying for the job, really. There's no magic or special secrets that make people who work at a library any different that anyone else. And for public libraries, the more like the community you're serving, the better! Valuable skills include conflict resolution/escalation, patiently repeating the same information in multiple ways until it's understood, a average Millennial's understanding of technology, the ability to google while talking on the phone, and a Customer Service Voice that works on both kids and adults. It's a lot like retail or food service, but with a filter that makes people think you know absolutely everything.

[rgr-pop]

sorry tmi but i wouldn’t mind some insight from those of you with the Bad Degree* who have taken these courses have opinions on them hmu. half of you went to library school *still no plans to get the mlis 

the certificate (after i finish which i will decide what i’m doing actually) is two core courses, three electives, plus the practicum. the ideal situation would be to take 2 courses this winter semester, 2 the next fall semester, and  2 the following spring semester. basically 1 core + an elective course each semester, then in the final semester the practicum + an elective. due to how they are offered, i probably won’t be able to do that very smoothly, but i could still finish at the same time.  of the three electives, at least two have to be from this short list of core electives. the second class i’m considering for this semester would count as an elective, but it’s not on that list of core electives. if i didn’t take it, there wouldn’t be any other options i could take other than records management. i do not want to take records management but it is always offered, so i might get cornered. those of you who are in the field/have this degree: do you feel like you want to convince me to consider taking records management? i don’t plan on becoming a full time archivist (and could maybe take records later with an mlis if i did), and i don’t want to pivot into records management or work in the private sector (my regular career that i didn’t ask for is already circulation supervisor. i don’t need a second regular career i didn’t ask for.) is there anything portable for freelance work or any good reason you can talk me into taking records management.... my options for the two electives i need are, in order of how much i want to take them: digital archives, oral history, conservation, audio visual collections. only oral history would be offered in the fall. while i obviously want to take that, there are so many alternate ways to get that experience that i don’t feel like i absolutely need to--i probably will though because nothing else will be offered. digital archives isn’t going to be offered until summer of 2023!! this is the most useful and mobile class for me--although i may find that i can get this experience on the job fine. i feel like it’s crazy to not send off all your archives people with these skills (ergo offering it every semester), but maybe i will get more of it in the core courses than i am expecting. i should write off the possibility of taking this. conservation is offered this summer--messing up my schedule (and the concept of a free summer). i came into this plan really sure i wanted to take this course and that it would be useful for freelance preservation work but as i get to know a conservation librarian, i’m no longer convinced i need special training in conservation outside what you get in archival administration. i also no longer think it looks fun? i want to know what i need to do to ensure general basic institutional preservation but i don’t want to fix very many things. i don’t know if i need to do preservation planning. that’s a whole job i don’t particularly want.

i have no idea if i will find audiovisual collections interesting and useful or not. doesn’t that surprise you ? it surprises me. i might have to take this one so maybe i’ll decide to!!

[mothdogs]

Hello hello! While looking through the MLIS tag on tumblr, I saw that you graduated from your program and are now a librarian! If you are comfortable, can you share how easy/difficult it was to find employment (FT) after graduating from the program. I am considering an online MLIS program, but the thought of no job stability scares me. Thank you!

Hi anon

Yes, I graduated with my degree in December 2020. I applied for new positions for about 9 months of 2021. I probably sent out close to 30 applications. Of those I got 5 interviews and got rejected for each one.

The only way I’m able to have a full time position currently is that I got a part-time library assistant job when I was still in school and then basically lucked into my full-time youth programming position when they had a vacancy they needed filled before the summer. This is because my library system doesn’t require the completed MLIS for full-time jobs (which is rare and also how they can underpay us. Literally, I could make more as a cashier at a retail store. However I do get good benefits and leave/sick time in my position now.)

I’ve given up the job hunt for the moment because of extenuating life circumstances, but I’ll start looking again in a new area I’m going to move to in a few months and I’m honestly dreading it. It’s extremely demoralizing to apply and either never hear back or make it all the way through an interview only to be told no. But from what I understand this is an industry-wide issue. MLIS degrees are extremely hot right now and there’s a glut of young and hungry workers entering the workforce. Compound that with the job uncertainty thanks to the pandemic and libraries closing, the political atmosphere, etc, and I don’t blame you for being hesitant.

I’ll say this: Library work is fulfilling and for the most part I love my job. It’s also hard to find, hard to hold, and you’ll probably have to relocate to find a full time position unless you’re extremely lucky or have good contacts. My recommendation is to consider what type of librarianship you’re interested in: Public (which can include youth and adult programming, community outreach, reference services, cataloging and tech processing, circulation, etc) or Academic (which will be tied to a university and be more heavily connected to research and teaching in specific study areas, archiving and preservation also fits here), and then contact your local library and set up a meeting where you can talk with a librarian in that area. That will help you get a feel for what their daily tasks are like, what kind of path they took to get into that position education-wise, etc. (There are also more specialized libraries like law, medical, and primary school libraries—most school library jobs are considered media specialist positions and require a teaching certificate.) For some positions you might need to get extra certificates. For cataloging positions you’ll want experience coding. The list goes on.

Best of luck to you!! You can message me off anon if you have more specific questions :)

[wickedsrest-rp-archive]

Name: Yura Tanaraq Species: Selkie Occupation: Marine Biologist Age: 28 Years Old Played By: Deer Face Claim: Willow Allen

“People think it’s bizarre that I can be alone for months on end. Like I’m supposed to have an aversion to my own company.”

Yura was born under an Aurora Borealis one frigid July evening to a Selkie Mother and Father, one of the few Selkie/Selkie pairs within the tiny bayside community. The village of Umiujaq was a fairly safe place to grow up. With a population of only 442, everyone nearly knew everyone and visitors were rare. The only sort of industry was a small fishery, where her father worked. He and the other men from the village operated a small fleet of fishing boats, providing most of the community’s food supply and revenue. There was no grocery or supermarket, no hospital, no paved roads or cars; it was incredibly rural, but the people were content. From a young age, Yura was taught valuable skills in addition to those she learned at school: how to hunt, mend her own clothes, what herbs to use for certain ailments, how to navigate without a map, and how to drive a boat to name a few.

Though her first teeth were the razor sharp set of an Apex Predator, she didn’t transform into her Leopard Seal skin until about four years of age, when she noticed her hearing beginning to suffer to the point of needing medical intervention. Her tight-knit community had come together to pool their resources to pay for hearing aids, as they had done for other Selkies with similar levels of hearing loss. Getting fitted for them had been her first time ever seeing a massive city and so many people. Admittedly, the crowds and scents had been overwhelming and yet a seed of excitement, curiosity and yearning had planted itself in her chest that day, her enchanted smile hidden behind the mask she wasn’t allowed to remove.

By the time she had entered middle school, she had gotten pretty used to switching from land to sea. No longer did she leave clear, viscous, saltwater scented mucus wherever she went, and she had been given her own amulet, one all the village Selkies wore to glamour their teeth. She also opted to become fluent in Sign Language, sounding far too muffled to her own ears to know if she was articulating clearly enough or not. This is around the time she also started to wonder more about life outside her small bubble, which her peers thought her strange for. Why would anyone ever want to leave? They were safe here, their futures all planned out, generations of history and family close by. She couldn’t help but feel restless, however, wanting to discover what lay beyond the horizon instead of marrying or working at the fishery.

At thirteen, after receiving her traditional coming-of-age Tunniit Tattoos on her hands, she joined her father on another trip to the docks outside the huge city during his search for a new boat to add to their fleet. He had surprised her with the old one to help curb some of her excess energy, something to pour her extra time into fixing up and making her own. It became her favorite pastime, almost more than swimming. She had gutted the thing from the ground up, learning all about the mechanics, the plumbing and electrical aspects. The perfect tactile outlet.

On her seventeenth birthday, she finally admitted to her parents that she wanted to leave the village, to pursue a career in Marine Biology and had no wish to marry, or have children. Their response came from a place of fear, as it was rare for a Selkie to want to leave the family group. They tried to persuade her, argue with her, guilt her, but in the end they recognized their daughter was not going to change her mind. Reluctantly, they let her leave for Quebec City on her boat after obtaining the proper licenses and permits.

She enrolled herself at a local high school to finish her last year, and got a job under the table at a seafood restaurant shucking oysters and gutting fish. She had stayed on her boat, continuing to renovate it while she worked and studied, became fluent in French and English, and eventually graduated with top marks and a full ride scholarship all while keeping her Selkie identity a closely guarded secret. College took her to Boston University in Massachusetts, where she pursued a Master’s Degree in Marine Biology and was quickly recruited by The Maurice Lamontagne Institute, or MLI, a state of the art marine research institute. 

At 25 she was given the opportunity to outfit her boat, the Tiriarnaq, into a partial research vessel backed by the Arctic Research Foundation. Multiple organizations were generous enough to loan her various pieces of equipment, and an onboard laboratory. It gave her the chance to complete some of her Doctorate requisites whilst simultaneously traveling along the coast, collecting valuable data and conducting multiple studies. Reports of strange underwater phenomena had brought her to White Crest upon request, where she’s eager to discover what mysteries lurk in the deep…

Character Facts: 

Personality: Ambitious, intelligent, capable, genuine, passionate, intuitive, self-reliant, confident, complex, private, enigmatic, stubborn, careful, blunt, untrusting, self-critical, workaholic, standoffish

Yura definitely has a hard outer shell that’s tough to crack, and it does take a bit of work to really get to know her. Leaving home hadn’t been as rose-colored as she’d imagined, and she quickly became disillusioned by humans and their cruelty towards the earth and each other.

Along with her partial deafness, Yura is red-green colorblind. Her vessel is specifically modified to blink White/Blue instead, in case of any issues. She can hear and see perfectly fine as a seal.

Currently, Yura’s research is Deep-Water Frequencies, how sounds change, how far they travel and how deeply they can be found. By extension, what marine creatures are making said sounds.

Lives on her research vessel full time, though she does venture out for necessities every now and then. She can cook pretty well considering her restrictive diet, and even prefers to hunt for herself when given the opportunity. 

[acecademia]

Do you have any theories for why some people who have ADHD do better with online asynchronous classes, some do better with online synchronous classes, some do better with in person classes, and some do better with hybrid classes (a mix of online and in person and the online format can be asynchronous or synchronous)? I have several theories. (I feel like some of the things I said about how people who have ADHD learn can be applied to a number of other disabilities as well and not just ADHD).

Hi, nonny!

Obligatory disclaimer: while I do have ADHD, I'm definitely not an expert on it and can only speak from my experience

I think for me, I have a lot of issues with executive dysfunction. It's hard for me to start a task. So when the entire class is just me doing stuff whenever, things get left to the last minute, and I don't even usually read or watch all of the class materials because I can't make my brain cooperate with me.

I do best with in-person classes. When I'm in an online class, it's very easy for me to get distracted. The number of times I've legit been reading fanfiction or even watching Netflix while in an online class--sometimes with the camera on--is staggering.

I think it also depends on the topic of the class. If it's something I'm super into, I'm more likely to be able to get into the class even if it's online and asynchronous, though I really do need at least some level of synchronicity. On the other hand, we had a live Zoom every week for my stats class that was optional, and I only went to that once. (Though, admittedly, that was because the TA running it was a little dismissive when I asked a question and then needed follow-up clarification when I didn't understand her answer.) Also, I Did Not Care about stats at all. I liked it in high school, but the way it was taught in this class was not vibing with me.

Also, learning styles come into play here, ADHD or not. Idk if they've been debunked or anything, but my middle school in Virginia went through this phase where like every single teacher had us take a test to determine our learning style preferences, ostensibly so they could adapt to our needs but that never happened. This was like 15 years ago, but basically every one of those tests said that I was a kinesthetic learner, which means I learn best by doing rather than listening to an explanation or reading about a concept. I need to actually do the thing to learn it. There's less of that physicality and engagement in online classes, and especially in asynchronous online classes.

Some of it may also just be convenience? Like, I'm a full-time student. I work a 20 hr/wk job at the university and attend classes, and that is my life. That's been my life since I started my MLIS in 2018 and remains the same in my PhD program. When we're not in covidtimes, I'm on campus and attending classes and going to work. If I were working a full-time job elsewhere or had kids or something, then online classes might be more convenient. However, I know my limits, and I know that I would not be able to handle that at all. I need to be a full-time student because I don't have the ability to split my attention in the ways that would be necessary to pull that off, and I would be dropping balls left and right while I tried desperately to keep them in the air.

What are your thoughts, nonny? Or if anyone else has thoughts, feel free to chime in!

[theancientgeekoroman]

While this might not be your area of expertise could you lend any advice to a high school senior (almost college freshman) planning on going into History, looking at a masters in museum studies? I’m a bit over whelmed and not entirely sure I know where to start

Hi, Nonny!

Okay, I did actually get an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma, so I do have some experience there :3 I work in a museum professionally at the moment as well.

For History in general at the university level is a lot of analysis and reading and a lot of papers. If you’re in the US, I would suggest looking into CLEP exams for the introductory courses (History 101, 102), depending on your university, if you want to skip over the beginning courses. CLEP will help you test out of courses before you go into courses and can save you money in the long run. (If you’re not in the US, you can always look into an equivalent program that lets you test out of lower-level courses in your country if your university system works that way).

One of the things I’d suggest before going to your university is to e-mail the professors in the history program (look up and see what courses they teach) and express your excitement of working with them. You can also see if they list any of their syllabi online to get an idea of the kind of workload they assign and what textbooks they expect you to have for their courses. One of the most useful thing I did as a history major was keep all my textbooks because I needed them again - one of my undergraduate textbooks I had in 2015 I ended up needing this year for graduate school! So, you never know.

The other thing I did was I color-coded my notes/highlighter for different eras for my classes. It helped a lot because my ancient history was always yellow, Medieval was blue, Renaissance was orange, etc. That worked for me, but remember that you have to try and figure out what works best for you.

I know that my history homework (in 3-credit American courses) always had about three hours per course each day I had class - so if I had it three times a week, I was reading about 9 hours a week. I have dyslexia and ADHD, so I had to make my schedule to accommodate for that, so the three hours, depending on the day, it might take me 6 hours for something that would usually take half that time. Make sure you take a lot of breaks during the readings because it can really get overwhelming. Stand up, stretch, get a glass of water, and if you have trouble concentrating on one of the readings, don’t be afraid to change which homework you’re focusing on.

As I’ve said with other advice, remember to talk to your professors. This is especially important in history because it can be overwhelming. One of my favorite professors was a Medieval professor, and I kept in touch with him well into graduate school. As you go through the program, don’t just meet with your assigned advisor, but talk to all of your professors. A lot of them will be good for recommendations in the future, and a lot of them give invaluable advice about how to proceed in your career.

Here’s the thing about Museum Studies degrees that I didn’t realize before I was already halfway through my program: the field is exceptionally over-saturated with people with museum degrees. However, having said that, if you want to get the degree, I wouldn’t blame you. I got mine because I wanted it and then I decided to pursue my MA in Classical Studies. So, I’m going to give you a couple of options because I know this is overwhelming, but remember, you still haven’t even started university yet, so grad school is still a bit away for you, and there might be even better options once you’re graduating!

The first thing I would suggest is that if you can, over the summer, try to volunteer at a local museum and see if they’ll let you float over different departments to see what you like best. Related places like local art galleries are also an option! A lot of places also have internships, but you might need a little bit more experience before an internship (high school internships happen, but it’s been my experience that many museums prefer interns that are enrolled in college already). 

Most universities have galleries and museums so you can volunteer there, too. Some university museums have front desk paid positions for students, so check that out as well! 

Museum Studies isn’t the only graduate degree to consider when you’re thinking about working in a museum after graduate school. Another thing to consider is getting a graduate degree with a Museum Studies graduate certificate to complement it could be an option for you. 

If you’re thinking about working in a science-based museum, multiple different science degrees would be applicable. One of the jobs I looked at ended up requiring an Entomology degree, so you never know! Other degrees that might help would be a graduate degree in Anthropology, Art Conservation, Art History, Education, History, etc. One of the things you should do is look at the museums you would like to work at and see the educational background of the current employees and the openings there to see which is the best route to take. (Additionally, if you have an MA in any of those fields, depending on where you live, you could also teach community college in addition to or while you’re searching for a museum position). 

Another degree to consider that I think is applicable is a Master in Library Science, some degree programs of which have a Museum Studies specialization (such as the one at Kent State University: https://www.kent.edu/iSchool/museum-studies). The good thing about pursuing an MLIS with a focus on museums is that you can apply to public and academic libraries as well as museum libraries, which gives a little more flexibility.  

The reason why I give you all these other options (I know it’s a lot) is that I didn’t get a museum job until six months after I got my BA degrees and moved across the country - twice. This was also after having an apprenticeship, several internships, and uncountable volunteer hours as well. So, that’s a lot to consider. Once I got to where I live now, though, I got a museum job almost two weeks after I moved here, so you have to take where you live into account, too. Las Vegas is a pretty transient city, and a lot of people here don’t have Museum Studies MAs, so it’s a rarity. Other places that I lived (like Chicago) have so many people vying for the same jobs, it’s difficult to get your foot in the door. But, that’s why the volunteering, internships, and networking is so important. Professors are part of your networking, so keep that in mind, too. If your university has an art history club or history club or museum club, join it/them. Go to the museum and gallery openings at your university and talk with the people there. Usually, they have a lot of the professors and upperclassmen there, as well as local museum professionals. Go to events at local museums and art galleries, too! One of the things I wish I had done before I did that was make business cards that I could give to the people I met there, which is what I do at my current place of work when I meet people who want to keep in touch with me. Small things like that could go a long way. 

I would spend some time researching the schools that you’re interested in for graduate school (as I assume you’ve already chosen which university you’re going to next year already) and compare their programs. While you’re an undergraduate, try to take one course in other fields that might interest you. A lot of times you can take courses in Anthropology or Art History for general education requirements and sometimes they’ll count towards a history major. Don’t be afraid to explore outside of your comfort zone. 

The last thing I would recommend is after you do all this research, and you still want to go to graduate school specifically for Museum Studies, then you should do it. I loved my program, and although everyone told me once I graduated that I would not see a good ROI (return on investment), I had wasted my time. But one of the things I did during my program was an internship at a museum on the same campus where I would get my first full-time benefitted position. I learned how to run a museum. I learned best practices and how to curate. I learned basic exhibition design. I learned art and museum law. There was a lot that was covered in the program that was generalized that will help me in any museum I work at in the future, which is part of why I liked the program. The MA in Classical Studies was my next move because I would like to be a curator of Ancient Greek and Roman art eventually. 

Just remember, take a deep breath, and you don’t have to worry about graduate school quite yet, but if you want to make sure you’re keeping up with the job market, keep an eye out and follow positions you want on sites like Indeed.com so you can see what people are looking for and begin to gain skills in those areas. 

Also, and this is weirdly important for a history major, but I have seen current university students not know how to do it - learn to write and read cursive, in your native language and the language of any historical figure you might be studying. Somehow this has become a special skill, but I know it because we were required to use it in Catholic school. 

I hope this wasn’t too overwhelming, and if you want to ask me more about my MA in Museum Studies, feel free to do so. Let me know if you want any clarifications on what I’ve outlined here; I know it was a lot. 

All the best,

Tychon, the Ancient Geeko-Roman

[historyhermann]

Lacking "proper, consistent representation": Librarians in popular culture

As I continue to chronicle mentions of libraries and librarians in popular culture, mainly in animation, I came across an article in Book Riot by Rachel Rosenberg, who says she enjoys "storytimes, books, movies, travel, cross-stitching and sarcasm," calls herself a "library tech & soon full librarian" on Twitter, and has written about children's books on libraries and librarians, quaranzines collected by libraries, picture books written by librarians, NYPL-recommended books, the first Puerto Rican librarian in NYC (Pure Belpré), and many other topics. [1] The article, published back in March, is titled with a valid question: "Why Aren’t There More Librarians in Pop Culture?" She begins by saying that librarians are still "lacking proper, consistent representation in pop culture," asking how "many librarian characters can you name," specifically not those librarians who are in a scene either running or shushing people, rather someone who is "interesting and funny, perhaps with nuance and more to do than just reminding someone about fines or telling them to be quiet." She goes onto say that "librarians often get a bad rap," saying that librarians are "information detectives" and "Knowers of Things! Doers of research! Creators of fun, free programs!," adding that the characters she will highlight are those which "reflect aspects of the real job of a library professional," lamenting that her list is very White, arguing that "pop culture needs (a) more librarians and (b) more POC librarians," an argument which I completely agree with. She goes onto mention the following librarians on the silver screen in-depth, complete with relatable moments: Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lizzie Benson in Jenny Offhill's book (Weather), Mary in Party Girl, Tammy Swanson/Tammy II in Parks and Recreation, and Bunny Watson in Desk Set.

She concludes by telling people to ask librarians about their daily work, expanding the understanding of the "strange and delightful lives" of librarians, saying they can "probably tell you some very interesting stories that you won’t soon forget." While I can't comment on any of the examples she pointed out, as I haven't watched any of those series or films, I would like to provide ten examples of positive librarians [2] in Western animations and anime. Merriam-Webster defines librarians broadly as anyone who works in a library, specialists in care and management of a library, and as library directors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also defines the word broadly as those who help people "find information and conduct research for personal and professional use," typically needing an MLIS or MLS, with some positions having additional requirements. Similarly, the now-defunct LISWiki describes librarians as those "responsible for the care of a library and its contents, including the selection and processing of materials and the delivery of information, library instruction, and loan services to meet the needs of its users" with most possessing some type of library degree. [3] While this definitely differs from archivists, scribes (defunct profession), and superintendents of documents, one could say that library technicians (formerly a BLS category) easily fall into the category of librarians (as they would be paraprofessionals) and librarianship as a whole. As such, I am using librarian broadly here, as Hisami Hishishii, Yamada, Azusa Aoi, Fumi, and Chiyo Tsukudate are student assistants, while others (George, Lance, Dr. Oldham, and Lilith) are self-taught. Perhaps "The Librarian" in Hilda is the only one with a professional degree, and a presumed reference librarian, along with Myne in her former life. None of those on this list, however, are bibliographers, reader's advisors, interns or those with a practicum. I thought I'd point this out before going forward.

Anyway, like Rosenberg's list, my list is composed of mostly light-skinned, with the exception being George and Lance. So here it goes! Enjoy! Comments are welcome.

Dr. Oldham in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

Dr. Oldham is a light-skinned Japanese male sage and medical doctor, who works in a library on a spire, an equivalent to an ivory tower. They spend over two and a half minutes in the library, with bookshelves shown, with Oldham having a shelf of books nearby, which could be called a reference shelf. In this way, he does fulfill his library duties as he is serving a patron, although not in the way we usually envision. In another episode, a library is shown which has data files and not books. Sadly, he does not appear in any other episodes. Still, this laughing librarian (laughing at Ledo, who acts arrogant and declares that the social organization of Gargantia doesn’t make sense) lives on for me in so many ways.

George and Lance in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Lance (on the left) and George (on the right)

This show, which is known for its LGBTQ representation, included two characters which can arguably be seen as librarians, although they call themselves historians. They are George and Lance, the middle-aged Black dads of series protagonist Bow, and they run a library in a magical forest called the Whispering Woods. In the season 2 finale, Bow and his friends, Adora and Glimmer, work with them to translate an ancient message. Adora accidentally releases a monster into the library and Bow reveals his true identity to his dads, who end up embracing him for who he is, accepting it, something which many see as echoing family coming-out stories from the LGBTQ+ community. In a later episode, Bow and Glimmer meet George and Lance who tell them about an ancient rebellion and fail-safe on a superweapon, information which becomes vitally important going forward.

Myne in Ascendance of A Bookworm

Myne loudly declares she wants to reorganize the church library

Myne, the protagonist of this anime, advocates for re-organizing all the books in a temple library using the NDC (Nippon Decimal Classification) system, the Japanese version of the Dewey Decimal System" and even though she is unable to organize all the books she wants since magic books are "off-limits," she still makes her "mark on this society," with libraries shown to have value various times in the episode. Myne, a librarian in her former life, tries to make books so she can share them with others, creating a library. Anyway, she is dedicated to reorganizing information, first by her own design, then following a library classification system, which is amazing, as I haven't seen any animation to date do this, or have a PSA about it, so that's cool.

"The Librarian" in Hilda

While she has not yet gotten a name in the show's first season, she has become a fan sensation, is a feisty character, and has been a subject of a lot of chatter on the fan base. She is, so far, a mysterious librarian who has an extensive, and unmatched "knowledge of cemetery records and mystical items." In one episode, she drops a book on a nearby table, telling Hilda and her friends that it might be of interest, giving them what they need. In another, Hilda comes upon the hidden special collections room, and she is told that reference books cannot be circulated, so she copies a page from the book, able to lift the enchantment on her friend and mother just in time thanks to the information she learns in the episode. In yet another episode, the librarian anticipates her question, able to draw upon her expertise to help them, even giving Hilda the necessary materials to raise the dead, even while warning her, doing so in order to help Hilda, a patron, with something important. In the final episode of the first season, we see her walking across the streets of Trolberg, and she will likely have a role in the show's upcoming season, which will begin streaming sometime in December 2020. The series is popular enough that it even spurred a fan-made cartoon titled Zilda which is inspired by the show, ha.

Hisami Hishishii in R.O.D the TV

Hisa in various episodes of R.O.D. the TV

Although she only a library club member at a high school in Japan, she still seems to fulfill her library duties to the best extent possible and likes to hang out there with others. She never shushes anyway and helps other patrons, although she is not seen in her library duties as much as I would like. Even so, she is friends with the protagonist and Anita King (a papermaster), who puts on the persona, at times, of a bratty young girl. This series also features an episode which focuses on the National Diet Library, the equivalent of the Library of Congress in Japan, which was awesome, and book burning by the villains who want to "make a point" and engage in thought control in a plan which is megalomaniacal from the start.

Lilith in Yamibou

Lilith is a caretaker of the Great Library, a repository that contains "all of the worlds in the universe within books." While much of the series is her traveling with her crush, Hazuki, searching from book world to book world looking for Eve, which Hazuki knows as "Hatsumi," who she has romantic feelings for. Later, it is shown that Eve is another caretaker of the library. By making sure that the worlds within the books are secure, in this sense you could say that Lilith is doing her duty as a librarian. Libraries don't come up in this series as much as I would have wanted, but they are still a key part of this series as a whole.

Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words

In the episode "Did You See the Rain?," Azusa Aoi serves as the librarian in this episode, while the Girls Club members go on a treasure hunt to find a message, coming in and out of the library throughout the episode. Later Azuza joins them in their quest to discover what the message means. Azusa is a studious person who reads during breaks and takes an interest in learning, perfect for a librarian!

Yamada in B Gata H Kei

In the episode "Boy Meets Girl. Please Give Me Your 'First Time'!!" [part 1], Yamada is assigned to be a school volunteer at the library as is her crush Kosuda. Yamada says she didn’t like the library because it smells but fantasizes about hiding spots to have love with Kosuda. She tries to seduce him there and it fails. In a later episode, "A Valentine of Sweat and Tears! Love(?) From Yamada is Put Into It" [Part 1],  Yamada and Kosuda are volunteering in the library together. Then, in "Improve the Erotic Powers! It's My First Time Feeling This Sensation…" [Part 2], they are both in the library again, with Yamada trying to get Kosuda interested in her romantically again. This doesn't work, leaving her alone in the library after he leaves, he then comes back and is embarrassed by her actions. In the first of these episodes, she does perform some library duties, but she is mostly trying, and failing, to get Kosuda to like her in a long list of failed attempts, as she learns more about herself along the way and who she is as a person. In a later episode, of the show, "Throbbing Christmas Eve. What Does a First Kiss Taste Like?" [part 1], Yamada and Kosuda are volunteering in the library together. The scene of them in the school library is noticeably short.

Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers

In the episode "Winter Fireworks," Fumi does weeding of books in the library and remembers her kiss with Sugimoto. Later in the episode, she later talks with other students about the role/influence the Literary Club has on the library. In another episode, "Adolescence is Beautiful," Fumi and Sugimoto go to the library and kiss there. In any case, Fumi at least knows some library skills, in terms of weeding, which is an important part of library work, even if it can be controversial at times (if you get rid of the "wrong" books).

Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!

In the library, doing her library duties

In the episode, "Hydrangeas," one of the places they look for Nagisa's umbrella is at the library and there is a librarian named Chiyo Tsukidate, a fellow student at the school. She is a member of the Library Club who works as a librarian in Astraea's Library, looking up to people like Nagisa and Tomao, likely having a crush on Nagisa. She is shown, various times, engaging in her librarian duties, checking out books and the like. She is such a nice person and does her library duties well and efficiently, as shown in the episodes.

Closing words

And that's all I have for now. There are many other series I mention on my pages reviewing animation and anime, but none of them have librarians I can remember by name, just featuring libraries. [4] One exception to that is Cardcaptor Sakura. In the episode "Sakura and Her Summer Holiday Homework," the protagonists (Sakura, Tomoyo, and Kero) look for the piglet book, the librarian tells them that one copy should be there after looking at her computer, saying that it is still within the library somewhere, so they look through the stacks for it. Later, Sakura looks through the main study area, to see if anyone has the book, and the book somehow teleports across the library, probably with the use of a Clow Card. In the episode, various librarians are seen going about their duties. Unfortunately, I don't think any of their faces are shown, so they are basically in the background. However, this is better than other anime or even Western animation.

© 2020 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] This includes posts celebrating NYPL's 125th anniversary, drag queen storytimes, NYPL and mental wellness, books that could be included in kindergarten libraries, and a variety of other posts.

[2] As such, I am excluding the unnamed librarian in Steven Universe, the librarian made dumb in Futurama, the old librarian in She-Ra: Princess of Power, Turtle Princess in Adventure Time, the curmudgeon librarian in DC Super Hero Girls, the elderly librarian in Zevo-3, the librarian susher in The Owl House, and the curmudgeon and smug librarian in Mysticons, along with a woman in a cloak, presumably a nun in the stacks of the library, in Aoi Hana (also known as Sweet Blue Flowers), The Mystic Archives of Dantalian (if Dantalian is considered a librarian at all), and a small mention of a librarian in Little Witch Academia.

[3] According to the Australian Library and Information Association [dead link], librarians and information specialists have a "strong focus on assisting people and organisations and possess unique technical skills to manage and retrieve information. They thrive on change and seek challenges that require creative solutions." In addition, the Special Libraries Association notes that librarians are among those who have "responsibility for elements of knowledge and information management," putting them into the category of "information professionals."

[4] For Western animation, this includes LoliRock, RWBY, Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters, Carmen Sandiego, Neo Yokio, OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes!, Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths, and Legends, Sym-Bionic Titan, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Glitch Techs, Bravest Warriors, Amphibia, Victor & Valentino, and Tangled. For anime, this includes Read or Die, R.O.D the TV, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Manaria Friends, El-Hazard, Classroom of the Elite, Kandagawa Jet Girls, Ice (anime), Kampfer, Macross Frontier, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Bloom Into You, Kuttsukiboshi, Lapis Re: Lights, Paradise Kiss, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Wandering Son, and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches to name the ones I have listed so far.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Library Review and Wayback Machine.

[chochmah-binah-daas]

The months since elul 5777 has been a hugely transitional time for me for so many reasons. I’ve been meaning to write about this since, well, late elul, early tishrei but I never had the energy to do so. I broke this up into chunks for easier reading but this is still quite an essay…

I know this is long but please like if you read even a part of this and if you have any insights or advice to offer me, my askbox is open and I’d love some support of any kind!!

Children

I always wrote off the idea of having children, even to the point of being one of those people who thought it was funny to be somewhat hostile towards kids. I did have some legitimate reasons for this, mostly sensory issues, being that I’m autistic and am sensitive to many sensory experiences; however, most of it was me just stubbornly holding onto a general distaste for children. Through the course of my retail job, I found myself more and more warming up to the kids who came into the store to the point where I would go out of my way to make faces and wave at babies at the expense of doing my actual job (not to worry, my job was literally completely ineffective). As I realized just after the High Holy Days began, I didn’t just not hate children anymore, I liked them. I actively like and desire to have children now.

If someone had asked me if I really thought I never wanted kids, I would pretty adamantly say I didn’t, though sometimes I’d admit that I could see myself maybe adopting one child in the future. Now it actively pains me that I don’t have children. Plural. Children. My only image of my future self is me, happily married and raising at least 3 or 4 good Jewish children.

I’m only 23 so I know that I’m not expected by secular society to have kids but seeing my more observant Jewish cousins around my age pursuing marriage really gets me down a lot of the time. I want nothing more right now than to marry a nice gay Jewish man and adopt a few kids. This leads me to my next sections…

Career goals

I never settled on one single thing I wanted to do with my life. I was one of those kids who, probably due to being autistic, was always getting deeply invested in something and then flitting off to another after a couple months. For the last year or two I did have a decent idea in my head that I wanted to get a Master’s of Library and Information Science degree and work in a library or archive. I’m good at that kind of work. It allows me to be quiet and a bit neurotic about my workstation because I’d largely be working alone, away from the general public and most of my coworkers.

After my graduation, my mom and grandma suggested that I consider going to law school. I agreed to at least take the LSAT, which I will be doing in February and oy am I nervous!! My mom, who went to law school, says that she thinks I’d be great at it, that my mind is so well-suited to that type of thinking. I don’t disagree with her but I also can’t imagine myself doing anything with a law degree.

In fact, I can’t imagine myself doing anything in the future. People think I’m joking, but I really do just want to marry someone with a steady, well-paying job and be a house-spouse. I have a deep passion for learning but I have no passion for an actual career that comes along with any path of study. In a perfect world where my mental illness didn’t destroy my ability to read, I would love to go get an MLIS and/or a law degree. I’d even consider going to a yeshiva and studying Torah, Talmud, contemporary Jewish issues, all that. But once I’m out of school, I have no clue what I’d do besides sit at home with all that knowledge swirling around in my head.

Education is never a waste in my opinion, but also formal education is expensive and I’d never be able to afford it without having a prospective career in my future to provide the income for paying off the student loans.

Gender

I never understood the concept of gender. All I know is what language I’m comfortable with, how I like dressing, and what I want my body to be. I am AFAB (assigned female at birth) and I medically transitioned through hormones, chest surgery, and a hysterectomy. My pronouns are they/them or he/him. I am now legally male with a traditionally male name. On most days, I enjoy wearing skirts though I do occasionally choose to wear pants. I could never be cis-passing unless I stuck with wearing pants all the time, which would make me very uncomfortable. If you asked me to get dressed without thinking about it at all, my first choice would be to throw on a skirt, t-shirt, and cardigan. It’s comfortable, psychologically and sensory.

None of this changed during elul 5777; what did change was how my gender and my Judaism were connected. Before, they weren’t. Now, I am working on becoming shomer tznius which involved a major overhaul of my wardrobe, particularly the skirts and dresses. I got rid of almost all of my short and revealing articles unless they could be easily layered and bought a lot of long skirts, three quarter sleeve shirts, cardigans, and other tznius layering essentials.

When it comes to my religious observance, I mix and match though I do mostly connect with the mitzvos for men. In shul and at home, I prefer not to light the shabbos candles if there is a woman who would be able to do it instead. I wear tallis and tefillin to daven and I leyn torah. But I also enjoy occasionally wearing a tichel and being the one who cooks for shabbos, plus the aforementioned movement towards being shomer tznius.

Religious observance

I currently attend, and work for, a Reform shul. I adore my community and the rabbi there. It’s such a loving and supportive community with a small but fantastic group of regulars at Torah study. I’m fortunate in that my community has no problem with the way I present myself. They accept me as a queer Jew who expresses their queerness and their Jewishness in a unique way. But I worry about how other Jewish communities might react towards me, especially since I can see myself being much more observant than I currently am.

Ideally, I would have a kosher kitchen and fully observe shabbos. I would live close enough to walk to shul and I would make sure to raise my children with a strong Jewish identity, and of course a Jewish education. I don’t know if I could have that kind of life while being involved in a Reform community, largely because they don’t tend to celebrate every holiday and also when they do, it can be too lax for my tastes. For example, even in the winter our shabbos services don’t start until 6 or 7 PM, a solid 2 or so hours after shabbos actually begins.

As a queer Jew, who is very obviously gender nonconforming, I don’t know how I would fit into a more traditional community that would probably be more regimented in its separation of genders into a binary. I wear tallis and tefillin when I daven but I would be seen as a woman by some men so I would be immediately singled out as an other. I do wear skirts but I also have a deep voice and facial hair (and my name is Zack) so I’m automatically too male for women-only spaces. Not that I feel entitled to men- or women-only spaces, but I do fear how I could become more observant, when doing so tends to mean an increase in that kind of separation.

Relationships

This is probably the trickiest and most personal portion of this whole shpiel. I’m currently… somewhat in a relationship, I guess? When I transferred to HSU, I thought I was aromantic-asexual and I have since realized that I am neither of those and now identify as someone generally attracted to men. But soon after starting at HSU, I met someone else who identifies as aro-ace and we became really close friends, hanging out all the time in one of our dorm rooms. They were in a non-romantic, queer-platonic relationship with two people and suddenly, they started including me in this relationship. I didn’t mind this so much at the beginning but the more I come to understand my identity and my vague goals and dreams for the future, the more I realize that I just can’t go where I want to go in life and be tied to this relationship.

I know that the longer this goes on, the worse it will be to break it off but I’m terrified to do so, for various reasons I don’t want to get into here. As I said earlier, I want to marry a Jewish guy and have Jewish kids and live a Jewish life. I obviously can’t do that in a household with two pagans and a Catholic, none of whom want kids at all. I know I’m probably becoming one of Those Converts who gets super zealous about Judaism and defensive of their Jewishness but over the last year or so, and especially since elul, I have had this image in my head that I just can’t shake. And that image doesn’t include the people I currently feel tied down to.

[theravencroft]

How to Apply To Grad School If You’re Me And Don’t Know How

SHOULD YOU GO TO GRAD SCHOOL?

No, probably not unless you have a good reason or your employer will pay for it or it’s job-related and will advance your career. Even then, probably not. And don’t do it to hide from the real world and the tanking economy. 

However, I’m working in health now and my eccentric employment background and sketchy schooling background are...everyone’s happy with my work, but I want to know more about what I’m doing. SO...

FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO PURSUE

In my case, a Master’s in Public Health, a Master’s in Health Administration, and assorted Master’s degrees in various fields around health care (Informatics, etc.) were of particular interest.

Actually, to be completely honest, I was looking at a MLIS, but then the pandemic hit and people were talking about making librarians do health screenings and deal with sick people on top of librarianing and all the librarians I know don’t make enough money as it is, so if I want to deal with sick people in person I’ll at least go to nursing school and make bank. 

If you’re looking for an advice for a more academic field: don’t do it, there are no jobs, and you’ll die alone. SORRY! You’re not going to be a professor at a New England university strolling campus in an jacket with leather patches on the elbows giving a sly nod to the undergrad you’re banging on the way to class. 

Also quite banging undergrads, sicko.

FIGURE OUT YOUR CRITERIA 

What’s important to you? 

Well, that’s on you, but I’ll give some obvious ones. 

Accreditation: Obviously you want a regionally accredited school that’s actually a real school not a for-profit fake school in a strip mall...

Accreditation 2: Now an interesting way to cut it down is if there’s a professional accreditation group that certifies programs and has a directory of those programs. For example, for an MLIS, you want an ALA-accredited program. For an MPH it’s CEFPH. For an MHA, it’s something I don’t remember off the top of my head. But that can cut your choices down significantly and/or give you a handy list to pull from. 

Specific Program: Is there something you specifically want to DO? For example, in my field, there are things like epidemiology or biostatistics or more generalist tracks or global health or urban health or even veterinary health. If you want to do a specific program and only 3 schools offer it, you’ve saved a bunch of time. 

“What do you mean by online, exactly?”: Again, if you want to work assistantships and go to on-campus and teach a class to meet undergrads to bang, this isn’t about that and also quit preying on your students. I have found universities vary in what they mean by “Online.” For some, that means “Oh, over 51% of your classes are online but the other 49% you have to be here.” For some, it means “Well there’s no classes required, but you have to come to campus several times for things.” (Which isn’t bad, but if you have to fly or drive cross-country regularly, it helps to know that in advance). Sometimes even something like “100% online” means “But you have to come to campus for orientation or mandatory workshops.” Again, know what you’re getting into. 

“What do you mean by online, exactly, exactly?”: Again, this is where universities get tricky, because sometimes “online” means the professor sets up a Zoom session from his laptop’s webcam but you have to be in front of the computer every afternoon from 4:00pm-7:00pm (which is good to know if you’re planning to work) and sometimes it means they actually know how to use online courseware and run an online program. Pro-tip: Synchronous usually means you have to show up at a certain point and asynchronous means you do not. Choose accordingly.

“What do you mean by online, exactly, exactly, exactly?”: Many online programs require an internship or co-op or work experience, so if you’re planning to hop fields or need to disappear for a month to go work at a different job, it’s good to know that. And it’s also something to consider if you pick an out-of-state university, in that they may not be able to place you if they don’t have contacts in your area. 

Part-time: Obviously, you want to go to a school that offers part-time options if that’s what you’re intending to do.

State authorization: Sometimes, a school may not be able to or authorized to operate in your state. Good to know in advance! 

Admissions criteria: It’s good to know if you can actually get in, if you have to take the GRE/GMAT, if you need written recommendations, etc. 

How much does it cost?: I’ll give you a tip: I made a huge spreadsheet of potentially cool programs that came to like 50 programs, which I then cut down to about 35 programs that looked really interesting. It was only when I started filling out some details on those programs that I realized, well, that program might be interesting, but it’s not $70,000 interesting when there’s another school offering the same program for $25,000. Culling on this criteria alone cut that list from 35 schools to 10. 

I should’ve done that first.

WHAT ABOUT RANKINGS THO?

I mean if you’d be applying to your first job and it’s a choice between School Everyone Knows Is Good and Dickhead Stripmall For-Profit, that probably matters. Or if it’s the US News and World Report rankings, though I think that’s more of a law school/first law job thing. 

But if it’s one of those “Best Cheap Online Colleges Dot Com” sites that give ratings, I’ll tell you a secret: I freelanced for one of those for a while and did exactly as much work as they paid me for. And they didn’t pay that much. 

Now what?

Well I’m not done yet, but using the criteria above, you can probably build a shortlist of maybe 5-10 schools to give a serious eye to. 

I would SUGGEST setting up a burner phone and burner email (or good filters) because once you’re on their prospect list, they won’t leave you alone and you’ll get newsletters and emails until the end of time. 

Then I’d mash the REQUEST INFO button. Usually you get a nice shiny PDF that’ll answer most of your remaining questions. If need be, ping the recruiter person from your burner email, and you should have a pretty good idea of where you’re going. 

[thisiswhymomworries]

hey can I get some good vibes?

I’ve been trying to move out of my parents house in a very small town to a larger city (Tulsa) for a while now, but that means getting a liveable-wage-paying job there first, preferably in my field

which like,, obviously hasn’t been easy

I’ve worked as a librarian for almost two years now getting experience bc I can’t afford to get an MLIS degree without going into debt, but that also means nearly two years of living with my parents after graduating college :/

I just put in my resume to four different part-time jobs at the big library system in Tulsa, and if I can get hired for just ONE of those, I’ll move down there and work a shitty retail job to cover for the rest

and hopefully a part-time job will get my foot in the door so I can advance to a full-time job in a year or two

anyway

I know the neighborhood / apartment complex I want to live in, I have my own car with no payments, the OU branch campus in Tulsa does offer an MLIS degree, so I do have a Serious Plan for what I want to Do with the rest of the my life

it’s just

fucking getting to Tulsa first :/ :/

please send me whatever kind of good vibes you got for getting a job down there! 🙏  🙌

[intothestacks]

The Not-so-Secret Life of Librarians: Community Librarians

Some of you may remember a post I wrote a while back lauding seasoned librarians who take us newbies under their wing and mentor us (bless y’all to the moon and back). Well, my mentor is Claudio Bringas, a community librarian at Edmonton Public Library’s Enterprise Square branch, in downtown.

But what does a community librarian do? Aren’t all public librarians community librarians? I asked Claudio if he’d be willing to answer a few questions, and he very graciously agreed.

What does an average day look like for you?

It depends. Some days are mainly about contacting people, emailing, making phone calls. Sometimes you could spend the day writing reports, and other days you would be delivering programs outside of the library. It’s difficult to describe an average day—it varies day to day.

Sometimes we have internal team meetings, and also meetings with different community members. For example, this afternoon I have to meet somebody from a community league and also the Community Recreation Coordinator for the City of Edmonton. They’re planning on setting up an English language training program (something like a conversation circle) at the community league, and are interested in knowing what the library can do to help. That’s an example of what a community librarian meeting outside of the library would be about.

In some branches, community librarians have to do more desk hours than others. When I was at the Stanley A. Milner branch, I only had to do one day every so often. Here at Enterprise Square, it’s whenever I’m needed, so I’ve been doing much more desk hours than I used to.

You became a Community Librarian back in 2008, when the EPL first started hiring for such a position. How would you say community librarianship has changed since then?

Well, one thing is the perception of the people outside of the library. The different community groups are more aware of community librarians and have a better understanding of what we do, whereas at the beginning it was very strange. People didn’t know why we wanted to attend certain community meetings, go to interagency meetings, or participate in this or that event. Now they’re always inviting us to go. I think that’s because they’re more aware of what we do, and aware of the library services as well.

Before, people would think, “The library’s there, they have their books and collections, and that’s about it, right?” Now the public is starting to become aware of the changes. I think it’s because the community librarians are engaged with different groups, and we’ve been doing a wide variety of activities that people wouldn’t see as traditional library programs.

Internally, for us, I would say that in the beginning we had much greater freedom to do different things, explore different programs, whereas everything is now more regulated and has to be justified. For example, as far as programs: if you want to create a program, it must be approved and follow the appropriate channels. Your proposal has to go to the teams that oversee certain types of programs. In the beginning, it was like, “Well, this is something new, and we’ll just try it out.”

A cast-out-a-net-and-see-what-comes-back kind of thing. See what sticks.

Yeah. And that’s pretty much what I did when I moved to the Stanley A. Milner library from the Londonderry branch. My manager said, “Basically, there’s this area that the Downtown library serves. We’ve been focused on one specific area (which was the inner city, the East side of downtown), but there’s also this whole other side where we have lots of organizations and different places. You go and explore to see what’s there. Go and.… do whatever.”

If you had to give one advice to hopeful community-librarians-to-be, what would you say?

That they would need to have a lot of experience in different community initiatives. Just a library degree by itself isn’t enough.

So the message is, “get involved”—right?

Yeah. The people they’ve been hiring lately are people that have all these great experiences and have done all these wonderful things, internships here, setting up libraries there... It makes it very difficult for other people to compete if they don’t have those experiences.

When I got this job, I was one of the first five, and I don’t think any of us had those types of experiences. We were just straight out of library school. I think if I were to apply now, I wouldn’t have a chance. So that’s what I would suggest: Get involved with community groups and initiatives, whether it’s a paid job or volunteering.

The other thing I would say is that if somebody likes a job where they’re always in control of everything, everything has to be a certain way, this job is not for them. [laughs]

About Claudio: Claudio Bringas is one of two community librarians at Edmonton’s central public library branch. An Aussie by birth, he mostly grew up in Chile before moving to Canada in 2001. He graduated from the University of Alberta’s MLIS program in 2007.

About the Edmonton Public Library: The EPL currently has 18 branches spread out across Edmonton, as well as a few lending machines in busy areas of town. It has a full-time Community Librarian per branch, except for its central branch (which has two) and Highlands branch, which has two part-time community librarians instead (co-community librarians, if you will).

Want to learn more about the not-so-secret life of librarians? Check out my first post on what librarians do and my posts on my volunteer job as a spider librarian (part 1, part 2, part 3)! :)