cleonor

"I was wondering if they had any opinions on the industry or useful skillsets/et cetera that they'd recommend?"

"I was also wondering if they knew how the field was in terms of mental health/disabilities."

shurimon: your time has come

can I ask what you mean specifically in question 2? Do you mean benefits? How mental health/disabilities are viewed by the library community?

(am a librarian btw so happy to answer questions)

I'm a librarian, and I'd be happy to answer questions too.

As for the first question, I'd say the most valuable skills you can have are customer service skills, and an understanding of computers/general use tech like cell-phones, computing, and web-browsing.

A lot of what library workers that aren't specifically working with children/teens do is help people with their technology related issues, or just coach them through creating a word document, etc. Those are by far the most common questions that come up at the the 3 libraries I've worked at.

going to preface my answers and say these are coming from the perspective of a librarian who has worked with techs but I've never been a tech myself, and librarians and librarian techs are two different jobs

I agree that people skills and customer service skills are very, verrrry important. The library world is a small community so being able to work very well with not only your coworkers but patrons is important

data entry skills are a given. Being able to work quickly while on a deadline as well, while still remaining flexible and able to pivot to different projects/tasks when necessary. Also having multiple tasks/projects going at the same time and being able to juggle them and their priorities (esp if their priorities) change are important

^ Basically any skill you'd need in an office, really.

yeah!

Being able to work consistently and accurately too while doing stuff like cataloguing. Re: cataloguing and tasks like it - there's stuff librarians and techs do that are very subjective

a basic rule of thumb w/cataloguing specifically is that a dozen cataloguers could all catalogue the same book all in different ways, so being able to back up your decisions with reasonable logic based off best practices/standards is pretty important

problem-solving skills are also really good to have, being able to think outside the box when you might not necessarily have all the tools you need (something something underfunded libraries)

the focus of these skills also varies depending on what kind of library you're in. If you're in a public library you'll be interacting with patrons a lot more than a special collections library, where you might interact only a little with researchers

The tech I work with works exclusively with other librarians, she has no access to our users

honestly the best advice I've gotten is if you're interested in a specific area or library, reach out to the librarians there and ask them out for coffee and to chat about their experiences

the same might go for techs??? That is me assuming tho

It really depends on where you wind up working.

I guess these days it would be virtual coffee lol

Thanks so much! Not sure when she'll be around exactly, but i really do appreciate people taking the time to share thoughts & experiences
(and feel free to keep talking if you want just didnt want you to feel like y'all are talking into the Void)

I'm not in a public-facing position but I'm on good terms with friends who are and will agree with good customer service skills

If you work in a public library especially, you will be dealing with a lot of different people with different needs coming to you- one person might want help finding a book, the next might need a phone number, the next might need tax forms etc., so being able to think on your feet and adjust quickly is a must!

And yes, if you can be more specific about your second question I may be able to help! I have a minor physical disability and so can at least give my perspective and experiences

Replurking this as I think I know some folks who are involved in library science but my mind is blanking on me

I'd also say knowing people in the local library world helps, though maybe that's only because I live in an area with a major library school I didn't happen to go to (and am no longer in libraries). So get to know people!

withsyrup

i went to library school but have not actually worked in a legit library in years

this is a good plurk

Public librarian and branch manager thirding those customer service skills, but also leadership based ones too. In the interviews for any position they are going to be looking for people with both who can lead in place. Flexibility is important too as you will likely be called upon to fill in for your absent coworkers sometimes with little notice.

If you work for the government in some capacity you will also be considered disaster essential which can mean serving in shelters, manning hotlines, reviewing grant applications, working vaccine distribution points, etc.

As a side note expect variety in the field depending on the type of library and individual library system/cooperative. The library tech II in our system supervises her circ desk as well as overseeing volunteers and doing all the usual cataloging and tech services work.

^ Yeah, a job description often doesn't go into everything you might end up doing

Tazrael??

I'm a page, and one thing we do as we process items, for instance, is pick out which ones are damaged and need to be sent to repair or discarded, and we can do things like replace CD jewel cases and DVD cases on the fly

It sure does not begin to describe what anyone who works in a library does on a daily basis, or the fact you never know what your day is going to be like or even what your next interaction is going to be about lmao

So being detail-oriented, being able to observe the condition of items and judge whether or not they'

re fit to end up in a person's hands helps, as well as keeping an eye out for stuff like records or labels that need correcting

i went to library school but the library i work in is actually for digital radiology imaging at a hospital... my advice is not all library jobs are in what could traditionally be called a library, and not all of them are called librarian/librarian tech

this may be 40 year old advice but my mom was in libraries for most of that 40 years and she's always emphasized 1) customer service, customer service, customer service, 2) being able to adapt to new technology and techniques, and 3) intellectual curiosity and clear willingness to really dig into a stubborn problem

she also always points out that when she decided to go to library school she got a part time job at first the local hospital's library and then the county system she'd end up working in

and then made a really strong impression as someone passionate about the work and reliable

by the time she was done her degree they were just waiting for an excuse to hire her

also, I'm decidedly not a librarian but I've worked with them in a research capacity and while this is more my own observation than Field Experience, I would bet good money that in today's library systems, a really strong understanding of data management and the architecture of information storage will avoid some doors you come across closing for you

I'm only an lis student, but it does seem that data management will help you

I think that understanding how databases work and link up to each other and being able to sort and clean data is potentially a HUGE help for when things go wrong if nothing else, so much of the information that gets managed in libraries is happening digitally now

pings ghoulfriend here when she's finished with work

according to a recent US report (citation needed and I can't find it) the field of librarianship is likely to grow somewhat in the future.

there are jobs I see posted for librarians that are actually like "manage this database for this government research institution" for the ones who have experience designing HOW all that info gets sorted and PRESENTED to the public

yeah there’s a lot of jobs getting posted that are looking for people with the librarian skill set even if they don’t say they’re looking for librarians

urbaninja (Question is up at the top of the plurk)

Assistant manager for a rural public library. A lot of people have covered the first question but yeah, customer service skills, detail oriented, and adaptability are all very useful skills worth cultivating

Technology Librarian here! If you're interested in going into library tech, things like Server maintenence, Active Directory, Group Policy are super helpful. Basic things like troubleshooting, setting up/fixing computers. Happy to answer questions!

With regards to the mental health question, is there a possibility for more context? Because it's not like there's industry standards as far as I know and it's probably going to vary from library to library or job location as the case may be.

Also realize that half the job is not only hte hard stuff, but helping people who think the computer is broken because its off.

But I'm available to answer more questions (though I am from Canada so idk if that changes anything either)

Hi there! Wow, so many answers. Thank you so much, everyone!

I was wondering when in comes to customer service.. Is the treatment by the public about the same as retail? I read one post by a library tech saying that people generally treated them better than when they worked in a big box store. Is this true? How does the library compare to retail?

99% of people are very happy to come to and be at the library, interact with the staff, etc. There are the one percent who will argue until they are blue in the face about a twenty-five cent fine or tell a yarn about why it wasn't them who dropped a book in the bathtub etc. but in general people are great and

I have found that even in these cases most are simply upset on principle and will often come back and apologize later. Have there been extreme cases where someone was so disruptive I had to ban them from the library? Yes. Have there been creepers and other characters or threats where I've had to call the police? Yes. But that is very, very rare.

^^^Libraries have a lot of public good will, so drama from the people your helping tends to be rarer.

Our patrons are usually pretty friendly and I think most people know they're using the library, which is a public service. I think it's easier to form relationships with your regulars as well. As above, there are still people who will be dicks, and more extreme cases, but it's definitely different from retail

urbaninja: shurimon: diremuta: Hi, thank you so much for answering! I have a diagnosed mh issue that sometimes affects my work. I know that obviously treatment or the potential for discrimination can differ significantly based on the individuals in charge, but do any of you feel as though the industry at least tries to accommodate?

someone above mentioned there aren't industry standards for dealing with mh issues so it'll vary across types of libraries and individual workplaces, and my experience lies in government and academic libraries which are generally pretty open about trying to work with their employees

I'm also in Canada for the record, it may differ in other countries

Thank you, Pan! I'm in Canada, too.

I would say it depends on where you are and what job you're doing. I work for a public library in a small town, so what we can accommodate is probably going to be different from a library in a larger city or an academic library.

I think most libraries try to be as accommodating as they can?

urbaninja: Ryokoful: kawaiigami: Wow, that is encouraging. I thought perhaps it was a myth that there was any difference.

Idk other systems but I have a coworker with schizophrenia. Actually he's our tech person and no one treats him any differently for that. I have some mh stuff too and I feel comfortable discussing this and any other health problems I might have with my supervisor. In general, the library community are a bunch of open-minded, caring people. I'm from FL, USA.

It's not a myth! And the flip side is you do not have to put up with someone being extremely rude to you. I have hung up on people before who I could not get to successfully calm down and treat me like a person

urbaninja: Oh, a small town! I was hoping to be able to find work in a small town someday. Do you feel as though there are any major differences in comparison to work in urban centres?

Ryokoful: Wow, that's really great to hear on both fronts. Thank you so much!

For the first one I work in a public library, and for sure any tech knowledge you can grab is pretty vital. A lot of patrons at my work have specific technology based questions, and while a lot of them are easy fixes, a lot require library staff to become IT helpdesk staff too. We specifically have hired on members of staff who have backgrounds in computers

in order to fulfill that need for patrons, and there's a lot of scheduling specific times in order to talk to one of our tech experts

As for the second I don't know if you mean among staff or among patrons. I can't say for every library, but the one that I work in a lot of the staff suffer from mental health issues, and tend to be extremely understanding and supportive of each other for it. The library does provide free counseling services for staff that need it as well

For patrons I don't know how much is proactively done. We get a lot of various pamphlets and contact information that can be found at various points in the library for services that could help people, but it's a much more passive thing that patrons have to seek out.

And things within the building and outside of my building at least are built specifically in mind for easy physical access for all, but I know I work in one of the newest buildings in my system, and some of the older ones are a little trickier to navigate

I think, with our library, we're limited in what we can do. Like, a more urban branch can probably have lots of space, lots of programs, lots of material, and while we have all that it's on a much smaller scale. We only have one programmer and one librarian, where larger libraries might have a dedicated children's librarian or teen librarian

So what we can do is limited, but at the same time, we can make it work. The upside to working in a smaller library is you get to wear a lot of hats. I've helped out with storytime and kids programs, I can cover the circ desk, I get to see all the new material. There's always something going on

I'm lucky in that I have an understanding supervisor, but yeah, you're right in that accomodations for staff issues can vary. I think in general people tend to be supportive, though!

You're welcome! Any other questions I'm happy to answer.

From a large system here, oftentimes we have a guild that can help advocate for benefits or accommodations. Lucking out with an understanding supervisor is the best bet, but if you have an organization like that I'd suggest reaching out to them too.

estamir this might be a field you can give input on unless i have deeply misunderstood half your work plurks

to pinball off everyone saying customer service i would also add that it's holistic customer service. everything is customer service! so an understanding of equity and how it affects the populations all of your services - values in design, basically, when turned towards "okay so we do [x] thing, who can/can't do that, and why?"

there is an amazing it guy at my library who is constantly screaming LIBRARIES ARE THE LAST BASTIONS OF OUR DEMOCRACY and you know what, he's right. where else do you not need to purchase anything or be a certain person in public for it to be okay to be.

ltmutiny I summon theeeee

so i would really say that any library position, in front of the desk or behind the desk, if you are always able to look at what you're offering and how you're offering in terms of "how do we have this set up? who can't access it this way?", you will be contributing to the library really properly BEING what a modern library can be

sorry i'm kind of a library evangelist if i'm spinning in an unhelpful direction i can go

but basically like. look at all your systems and wonder. who will struggle with this, and why? because that is ALSO customer service.

then do what you can within your own position to mitigate that.

^ i absolutely agree with that

...and everything in the plurk, really. I'm very specifically a teen librarian in a large system! Definitely agree that customer service skills are like 90% of what you're going to be using on a daily basis.

ghoulfriend: clasps your hands Helping to close the digital divide, benefit diverse populations, and providing access to free and unbiased information across all spectrums.

You're speaking my language.

One thing within that that I think would be super useful - if you're customer-facing - that you might....not get taught on the job but PROBABLY SHOULD BE is deescalation techniques. Again, AGREED that most patrons are going to be pretty good and considerate but knowing how to react when they're not is...very useful

and not something I was taught in library school.

(that also might be too specific, idk!!)

Ryokoful /clasps back in solidarity from a rural county with 40% internet connectivity

ltmutiny agreed that for front-facing jobs, deescalation is going to be a very useful skill. compassionately and non-judgmentally setting boundaries where appropriate while still trying to serve those same people. if we can't do x for you, can we do y? [this thing you want] will not be feasible, but let's see what else is

idk how much of his stuff is available for free but if you want to get a sense for what empathetic library service in action can look like - which will both make your own job less stressful and provide a better experience for your customers - i really like ryan dowd

his focus is on libraries helping homeless populations but like, surprise, people who currently don't have a specific place to sleep tonight are people! so much of what he says applies to a number of other populations too

he's also been expanding the topics he speaks about

...on the topic of libraries and accommodations for mental health, since there is no blanket answer for that, unfortunately, you could possibly try inquiring what sort of support they offer the community if you make it to an interview. a place who doesn't have a ready answer for how they're helping or supporting...they may not be bad actors

but they also may be disappointingly ignorant, which is a warning sign in several regards. (also plz note that idk how feasible this is in your situation so massive grain of salt)

Hi sorry just saw this. Librarian here but going to bed but feel free to pm me on any questions.

I think my retail experience was actually more important when they hired me than the fact that I have an MLIS, so...yes +1000 to everyone emphasizing customer service

I feel like my district has been pretty solid re: mental health; they set up some optional group sessions when we had a member of our staff pass away and the wellness stuff they send out addresses self-care along with the exercise and whatnot

I work back and forth between two small town branches in my county, but I have also previously subbed at our bigger ones down closer to the city. My experience has thus been that the bigger branches, de-escalation is increasingly more important (came in one day to sub and they were like "we had a pepper spray incident up here last night")

("pls tell us if anyone's eyes start watering WE THINK WE CLEANED IT ALL UP THO" so that was...exciting)

but even up here we have the occasional Moment. We finally joined the club of "patrons calling us Nazis over mask-wearing rules" the other week, everyone else in the county was months ahead of us!

but MOST PEOPLE ARE GREAT and I always just try to keep the good ones at the front of my brain when a bad day happens