Librarians - the original search engines (The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?)

Member Name: Loopylooploo

Product:	The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?
Date:	29/05/09 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can be very fulfilling

Disadvantages: Have to think on that!

1. Where do you work?

I work in a university library.


2. What is your job title?

My job title is Assistant Subject Librarian and I look after a variety of subjects, including Performing Arts; English language and Communication Studies; and Religion.


3. What is your job description?

Essentially, I support the teaching, learning, and research activities of specified subject areas. In more detail, this entails:
* Advocating and promoting library services
* Good ol' shelving
* Keeping up to date with relevant professional developments
* Liaising and working with academic staff over a range of matters, such as new course developments.
* Participating in working parties, project teams, team meetings
* Preparing and providing appropriate printed and electronic publications to support user needs
* Providing enquiry services, drawing on a range of information resources.
* Providing formal and informal education and guidance for library users
* Providing support to the issue desk
* Selecting, relegating, and maintaining a variety of print and electronic materials


4. How long have you been in your current job?

I have worked in the library sector for three years and became a qualified librarian in 2008. Since then, as is typical for many newly qualified librarians, I have been doing maternity cover positions. This latest one began in March.


5. Are you happy at work?

I do enjoy my job the majority of the time. I find that the work can be very rewarding. By making information accessible and available, librarians play a valuable role in helping many people develop new skills and interests.

The major downside I feel is that in an academic setting, the role is very seasonal. During summer time, there is very little to do and this can be a little frustrating. However, it does provide an opportunity to embark on major library projects, such as book withdrawals (and believe me, as a book lover it does sound worse than it is. Weeding helps keep a library collection alive and dynamic. If you are lucky, as I am, I work for an institution that is very responsible when it comes to book disposal; e.g. they make them freely available to charities or students, or will recycle them.)


6. Is it the job for you?

I am happy in librarianship, but I do have an inclination towards Special Collections, particularly rare books. These areas are not particularly easy to get into so the path to this may be long and difficult.


7. Who do you get on best with at your work?

Thus far, I would like to think I get on very well with the majority of people. There is, however, one lady that I work with and I think we get on well because of our circumstances being similar (same types of worries in relation to money etc.). There is mutual understanding and trust. In some ways, she is like another mum to me.


8. Anyone you don't get on with?

As a new member of staff, I will admit that I have yet to come across anyone that I haven't enjoyed working alongside. There is one person though that slightly winds me up because she has a tendency to 'dump' responsibilities on other colleagues, e.g. a customer's problem, and walk away as if nothing is wrong with the world. I do find this annoying, but this is only a minor frustration.


9. Do you like your boss?

Yes. Although at first she appears very hard to read (you cannot gauge her emotions from her expression as she's very closed off), I find that now I have worked with her for a while she is a very professional, honest and sincere individual. She is someone I feel I can respect as an individual as well as my boss. If anything, there are times when she is not completely aware of what's going on. For example, she may arrange a meeting for an inappropriate time - when there are staff shortages.


10. How many days of your holidays have you used?

I have just over two weeks leave to take during this contract and I have already taken three due to a family visit (I had to relocate when I got this job).


11. How many sick days?
None.


12. Genuine or faked?
Not applicable.


13. Do you get a yearly pay rise?
My wages rise in increments (I think every six months) until I hit the top of my level. I imagine that pay rises are taken into account. To be honest, I've not really had much time to investigate this.


14. Do you socialise with your colleagues?
Not really, although we do occasionally go to the nearest park for lunch if it's a nice day.


15. Are you qualified for your job?

Yes. In the U.K., it is now extremely rare to obtain a librarian position without having a post-graduate qualification in library and information science. Even then, many permanent posts require you to have a year's professional experience - hence, all the maternity cover positions.

Once qualified, you can then register with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (C.I.L.I.P.) to obtain Chartered Status, for which you have to have been a professional for twelve months (full-time) or 2 years (part-time) and this is aside from the months it takes to put together a portfolio. Debate over the need for this is prevalent: it is a very expensive thing to do. You have to pay to join C.I.L.I.P., pay to register as a candidate for Chartership, pay to submit your portfolio, and lastly, pay to bind and send your portfolios (yes, you need to have about 3 copies). To top this off, from what I've seen and heard, there is little financial recognition for this status afterwards, although many employers put Chartered status as being an essential criteria on job descriptions. Some may argue the value is not in financial recognition but in the reflections on your professional experience. It's a very individual thing.


16. What age were you when you left school?

I left school at 16 with 10 G.C.S.E.s and then went on to do four A-Levels until I was 18. I then went on study history at university. After graduating, I worked for three years, eventually obtaining a trainee position in a library and then in 2007-08, I worked for and obtained a Masters in Library and Information Management.


17. Did you always want to do what you're doing now?

No, I always thought I would do more things with history, such as being an archaeologist or work for the National Trust. Being a librarian is a related profession however.


18. Are you the main earner in your household?

Yep, I am the only person that lives in my house. As some of you know, being on your own can cost twice as much!


19. Are you a member of a union?

No. I ought to renew my C.I.L.I.P. membership, but it's not really a union.


20. How often do you get paid?

Monthly, on the last working day of the month.


21. Are you content with your salary?

It is far better than I expected at this stage.


22. How many hours do you work per week and what shifts?

I am paid to work 37 hours per week, 08.45-5.00. However, this is on a flexitime basis, so as long as I am at work for my core hours, I have a little leeway. Flexitime is a brilliant system, having never worked on it before, and it has demonstrated to me how much extra employers get out of you when the system is not in place, e.g. simply by starting/finishing work five minutes earlier/later each day, or leaving lunch early etc. Over a period of eight weeks, I have given an extra 10 hours to my job that I haven't been paid for simply because I've given a few minutes now and then! At least I know that I will get this time back.

Summary: A valuable and worthwhile occupation