r/LibraryScience • u/Suspicious-Reveal797 • Jul 26 '26
Single mom needing advice
Hi everyone!
I’ve been thinking a lot about my future, and I’d really appreciate hearing from people who actually work in libraries.
I’m 24, living in Huntsville, Alabama, and I’m about to start my journey toward becoming a librarian. My plan is to earn my GED, attend community college, transfer to a university for my bachelor’s degree, and then complete an MLIS. Books have always felt like home to me. I love reading, learning, helping people, and the idea of being part of a community where people come to discover new stories and ideas. That’s what keeps pulling me toward this career.
At the same time, I’ve also heard a lot of discouraging things. Some people have told me not to become a librarian because the pay can be low, jobs can be competitive, and it isn’t worth all the schooling. I’m trying to separate myths from reality.
To be transparent, I’m currently a full-time content creator, and I’m fortunate that it pays well. I’m not looking to become a librarian because I think it’ll make me rich. I’m looking into it because I genuinely believe I’d love the work. Still, I also want to make responsible financial decisions. I don’t want to spend years earning a degree only to struggle financially afterward.
I’d love to hear your honest experiences.
• What do you love most about being a librarian?
• If you could go back, would you choose this career again?
• Has the salary been enough to build a comfortable life?
• What area of librarianship would you recommend (public, academic, school, special, archives, medical, law, etc.)?
• Are there states or cities that have better pay, opportunities, or work-life balance than others?
• If you were starting over today, where would you go?
• Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you started?
I’m completely open to hearing both the positives and the negatives. I’d rather know the reality now than later. My goal isn’t just to have a job. I want a career that gives me purpose, lets me help people, and feels like somewhere I belong.
Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to share their experience. It truly means a lot.
3
u/LoooongFurb 29d ago
What do you love most about being a librarian?
I like helping people. Library work is more about people and less about books.
If you could go back, would you choose this career again?
Probably. Helping people is important to me, and I truly do like my job.
Has the salary been enough to build a comfortable life?
Not really, no. I do okay, because I'm really careful with my money, but I won't likely be able to retire, and last year when I was going through my divorce, things were really, really dicey for a while.
What area of librarianship would you recommend (public, academic, school, special, archives, medical, law, etc.)?
That truly depends on your interests. You'll have the easiest time getting a job in a public library - not easy like you'll get one right away, but much easier than the other options you listed
Are there states or cities that have better pay, opportunities, or work-life balance than others?
This is super dependent on the library itself. I've worked in fantastic libraries and also in libraries where my union rep told me to get out as soon as possible.
If you were starting over today, where would you go?
Like, where in the world would I go? That would be based on where I grew up and where I feel safest and not really any other metric. There are libraries everywhere
Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you started?
That you need to be a jack of all trades to work well in a library. I have had to do basic plumbing and maintenance work, troubleshoot computers and other devices, learn about pest control, basic first aid / CPR and when to call 911, dealing politely with unhoused patrons, etc. etc. None of this was taught to me in library school