Screwy Decimal:
Based on the responses and on my own experiences, I’ve broken down the big librarian stressors into 5 categories. These are not exhaustive, and they totally blend into one another, and really I just wanted to capitalize on the list format that is so popular with the media these days. Forgive me for being sloppy and derivative. Also forgive me, Twitter friends, for not including every response yet. There were SO many of them, and they were all relevant (and some were downright disturbing and/or hilarious). Five hours later, I am STILL getting them, and still trying to sift through them, so I will try to add more as the day goes on. However, there were a lot of common themes that were repeated, so it’s my hope that I’ve covered the basic idea. Feel free to add yours in the comments! (And if you’re really curious, take a look at the Tweets I’ve “favorited” on Twitter, it shows them all.)
Stress
There is the stress that a whole segment of the public / politicians / administrators question the role of the library and want to get rid of them.
Because it pays like crap.
At the Public Library in Florida I got paid 23.4 % of the salary I made the day after I left the public library to go work for a private firm. Same skills, better pay and benefits.
A former library colleague is in the process of joining my employer. I will get a 7K referral bonus after she has been here 90 days. That is just under a quarter of her present salary they will pay me for referring her.
My library school asked me to speak at a panel discussion for potential SLIS students. I couldn’t in good conscience suggest that anyone be a public librarian.