You know how people like to say, [insert ridiculous comment], and then, "I bet no one's ever said that sentence before!" Well, I'm doing two things simultaneously that I don't think anyone else has ever done: watching NFL preseason and reading library blogs. Go figure.
I'm reading Swiss Army Librarian (which is pretty much the only librarian blog I can handle) and in a very interesting post the Swiss Army Librarian mentioned that his library has not hired anyone since 08/06. Let me repeat that: AUGUST of TWO THOUSAND AND SIX. In other words, three years ago. Jesus that sucks!
I keep casually mentioning the crazy debt I'm getting into for library school as a big joke, but I honestly have not begun to deal with the reality of those bills coming in my very near future. It's terrifying and may prove to render this whole experiment the biggest mistake of my life. The only ray of hope I see is how happy being at my internship has made me. I feel at home behind the desk and so, so grateful for everything I'm learning. This will be useless and horribly depressing, however, if I can't get a job...
On the NFL front, it's the preseason opener for my Hawks and I couldn't be more excited about the season starting. My lost year in NY still pains me and I'm so glad to be around this year for every game on TV and in person. I certainly won't be taking it for granted!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Today's events have forced me to write this blog...
What do you do when you are an unsuspecting library-student interning at the library and a nice old lady asks for help finding a book and it's by Bill O'Reilly? I know I have to be tolerant, I know I believe in freedom of information, and certainly the freedom to disagree with me, but I HATE helping people find LIES! She also wanted this book, which is by Michelle Malkin, an author whose previous works include a book entitled: In Defense of Internment: The Case for Racial Profiling in World War II and the War on Terror. I'm sorry, what?! Internment! Crazy whore! How can it be my job to provide this woman's psycho hate speech to a little old lady?
This is the reality of the (expensive) path I have chosen and I know that. I truly know, in my heart of hearts, that this is a small moment and that the alternative to open access is something I am not interested in. However, anyone who knows me even a little can imagine how difficult it's going to be, every day, to bite my tongue in these situations. Maybe my student loan payments will be a big motivator to keep my job (should I ever find one)? At the end of the day, I like that I have no choice but to be as friendly and helpful to this conservative patron who reminds me in bad ways of my grandmother as I would to a young, Obama-shirt wearing chick looking for information on vegetarian dance shoes. This is inherent to librarianship and I do believe in it. I just have to remind myself (frequently) I guess. Plus, it has to be good for my character, right? Good, but not easy.
This is the reality of the (expensive) path I have chosen and I know that. I truly know, in my heart of hearts, that this is a small moment and that the alternative to open access is something I am not interested in. However, anyone who knows me even a little can imagine how difficult it's going to be, every day, to bite my tongue in these situations. Maybe my student loan payments will be a big motivator to keep my job (should I ever find one)? At the end of the day, I like that I have no choice but to be as friendly and helpful to this conservative patron who reminds me in bad ways of my grandmother as I would to a young, Obama-shirt wearing chick looking for information on vegetarian dance shoes. This is inherent to librarianship and I do believe in it. I just have to remind myself (frequently) I guess. Plus, it has to be good for my character, right? Good, but not easy.
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