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The Library & Information Science Professional's Career Development Center |
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A Permanent
Alternative: Temporary, Part-Time Library Work |
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When I entered library school in 2001, I
did so with the impression that jobs would be plentiful after
graduation. I was wrong—incredibly wrong! By the time I graduated in
December 2003, my husband and I had moved to southern California, an
isolated area one to two hours away from Los Angeles, Palm Springs, or
any other major city where librarian positions were bountiful. I first
thought I’d commute, but soon learned that this was not an option for
this terrified-of-California-freeways librarian!
Library employment had also become more competitive. Due to the souring state budget in California, many libraries chiseled their staff down to a bare minimum; others cancelled searches for previously advertised positions. Those libraries able to continue their hiring process sometimes had more than 200 interested applicants. Fortunately, I’ve found that temporary, part-time library jobs can be a good substitute until a full-time position opens up. I now have two such positions. There are some drawbacks, but overall, this type of work offers many advantages to librarians.Benefits of Temporary, Part-Time Library Employment Flexible schedules are a wonderful aspect of temporary library work. In many cases, the library will accommodate the librarian’s availability. This flexibility offers librarians more time to attend professional development workshops, tend to families or take a nice, lengthy vacation! My schedule has given me the chance to do all of these things, as well as work on writing for publication. Another great advantage to temporary work is the ability to “test out” environments. If you’ve worked or interned at a public library but think you might like to try an academic environment, part-time employment is an excellent option. Temping can also be useful in better defining the type of academic library environment in which you might like to work. For instance, with my two part-time jobs, I’ve been able to better discern the differences between tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions, and this knowledge will certainly help me make future employment decisions. Temporary, part-time library work also offers the perfect environment to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in library school. I average about 300 hours at the reference desk each school quarter, and though at times this can be tiring, I don’t know a better way to become familiar with industry ratios, California statutes, and the Social Sciences Citation Index! At one university, I teach bibliographic instruction to undergraduate students and have initiated several projects, including an online bibliography of the library’s art prints and a faculty book exhibit. These activities have certainly helped strengthen my resume and solidify my love of librarianship. And the Disadvantages Temporary jobs can sometimes impede professional progress if your position is in only one area of the library. For example, I sometimes worry that my reference duties keep me from learning other areas of librarianship, such as collection development, acquisitions, or management. However, you can overcome this limitation by working with your supervisor to see if there are any projects available to expand your current role. You can also think up your own project ideas to present to your supervisor when you feel comfortable. Another disconcerting factor is feeling “out of the loop.” Because a part-time schedule might include erratic shifts—working three hours one day, eight hours the next, then having two weeks off for a quarter break—it’s very easy to feel excluded from communication among regular library staff. One way to stay on top of things and feel more involved is to subscribe to your library’s news forum, if they have one. Also inquire whether your email can be included in essential messages to library staff. The biggest disadvantage to temporary, part-time work is the little security it provides. Often there are no benefits such as health insurance, sick and vacation leave, or paid retirement. (One exception is being hired through a staffing agency, which does sometimes offer benefits to employees). Most part-time employees are also not reimbursed for attending professional development classes or conferences, placing a taxing strain on the librarian who has to dip into his or her own pocket to attend these functions. There are also no guarantees that your job will be there next year, or even next month. Because of the bleak financial situation in California, my position at one university was in jeopardy; they have since found funding to re-hire me next fall, but who knows if I’ll dodge the next budget bullet! How to Nab These Positions Although there were no full-time jobs available, I found myself in an extremely fortunate situation when I graduated from library school: the institution I had interned at during my last semester offered me a position from their part-time pool after another librarian left. It was simply good timing. So when I decided to look for another part-time job in addition to my present one, I didn’t know where to begin. After several months, I finally realized some methods are better than others when scouting for this type of employment. Though they are a good resource when looking for other professional jobs, newspaper classifieds rarely contain advertisements for part-time librarians. Library employment web sites, like Rachel Singer Gordon’s Lisjobs.com, sometimes include temporary part-time work - but I’ve found the best place to start is by going to libraries’ individual web sites. Do a web search to compile a list of local public, academic, and special library home pages - or save some time by using Libweb.com, where much of the work has been done for you. Keep in mind that you can also contact libraries directly and inquire whether they need part-time assistance. I know several people who have successfully done this. Staffing agencies are another alternative; they usually hire librarians for temporary assignments. Most agencies are in larger cities, though, so if you’re as geographically challenged as I was, this won’t be the best option. Conclusion They certainly aren’t for everyone, but temporary part-time jobs can be invaluable for the flexibility offered, contacts made, and experience gained. For those graduating from library school or making a career shift, this type of work presents opportunities to experiment with different types of library environments or build upon skills and knowledge already acquired. Part-time employment also outnumbers full-time positions in many areas, making it a viable option for many librarians—especially if the full-time jobs are a hundred miles away. Jennifer Johnston works as a part-time reference librarian at both California State University in San Bernardino and Chaffey Community College in Rancho Cucamonga. Visit her website at www.jenjohnston.com. Article published August 2004 Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.
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Page last updated
10/03/2005
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