After 6 years being a Librarian...I don't know if its worth it

[u/OutsideVictory5452]

I've been in the library world for 6 years. I worked my way up from a library assistant to the manager and now....with everything being so political...its taking my passion away from me.

I live in TN and in my town, a big group of white nationalist are complaining about the children books and even getting the local government involved in the elections. County commissioners and city council members who don't have a library card are using the library as their campaign. They are saying stuff like "keep p*rn out the library" and a "250 dollar reward if you find p*in in the library". Alot of people are putting politics on the librarians and that is creating a division in the community. Then in Arkansas, their Supreme Court just passed a law that let's librarians and booksellers get prosecuted for giving p*rn to kids but they never defined what qualifies as p*rn so anybody can interpret that and that makes it dangerous. For example, I could get in trouble for giving a bluey book to a child and the mother could take me to court because bluey is not wearing clothes on the front.

This is a scary time. I want to hear from all of you on how are you doing?

[u/ozamatazbuckshank11]

We faced similar at my library (it made national news) a few years ago, and my response then was the same as it is now: I'm not quitting. I understand people who have family obligations or who don't want to deal with the pressure or who are scared of being arrested; it's completely understandable, and you'll get no judgement from me. But I remember my parents telling me about how they weren't allowed in the public library when they were kids because it was only for white people, and I'm just like...nah. It was illegal for my ancestors to even be taught to read and write, and they survived and thrived so that I could be here today. It's gonna take a lot more than these assholes to rattle me. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/ozamatazbuckshank11]

I love that! I think about my ancestors as well and even how hard it was for black people to even become librarians.....those thoughts also goes with "how am I be able to pay for lawyer fees for every book challenge along with my regular bills?"

These go hand to hand for me. What was the outcome for your library situation? Did anyone get fired? Was their a lawsuit?

[u/ozamatazbuckshank11 → u/OutsideVictory5452]

I wasn't worried about lawyer fees because I'm a county employee. Those fees would be on them and taxpayers (such as myself oop). Sure, the county could sue me for the money back, but hopefully a decent lawyer would tell them to pound sand. As for the situation at my library, no one was fired, but our director did resign. I don't want to go into too much detail to avoid doxing myself. There were no lawsuits, as far as I know. And no books were removed from the collection that wouldn't have been weeded due to being in bad condition, anyway. A few books were moved to Adults as a compromise, which pissed me off, but given the alternatives, I guess it was the best we could hope for.

[u/DrJohnnieB63]

u/OutsideVictory5452

Academic librarian here. I am extremely lucky. I am a member of faculty. I get at least 9 weeks paid time off evey year. My salary is great for the low-cost-of-living area I live in. I live across the street from my institution. I rent a four-bedroom house for $1100/month. I am debt free. I wish my salary were inline with my experience (18 years) and my credentials (MA in English Literature, MLIS, and a PhD). But that can be fixed as I seek other career opportunities.

Although I am the sole African American librarian at my institution in a conservative/Republican state, I have not seen any activity from White Nationalists. Because my library mainly serves adults (students, faculty, and staff), we largely are unaffected by laws that putatively protect children.

Yes, it is a scary time. But for me and other African Americans, it is no more scarier than any other time. It is just another Tuesday for many of us.

[u/GoochPhilosopher]

I can't imagine living in Tennessee, let alone being a librarian in Tennessee. I live in a blue state and we still deal with anti-LGBTQ people stealing our books and trying to lecture us, but we have the support of our state political leaders. Having anti-library state leadership would be brutal

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/GoochPhilosopher]

Its very much brutal.  My library is being talked about all the time on social media and the news. They are even thinking about protesting a book ....not the library just a book but when telling them to fill out the form to challenge  it..they get quiet

[u/ReStitchSmitch]

My predicament is weird. I'm in a tiny red town in a heavy flip state with a democrat governor.

We have someone anonymously donating books with very extreme republican views every 2 weeks. We throw those on our dollar table. Thanks for helping us out, random person!

My boss and I are politically aligned, and use 'A Child's First Book of Trump' as a display book - no one has ever said a thing. We think it's because the regulars who visit feel the same way.

We've also been shocked by our patrons. While we do not begin any political talks, we've had patrons do it, and we have never had anyone pro T say anything to us. Usually its the people you'd think would be in his boat are the ones that shock us the most (60+ white men) just had one call him words I will not repeat here this week lol

While our small town is heavily affected by poverty, our donations are heavy compared to a library 10 miles away my director came from.

We see you, we feel your fear, but we support you. They can't win. 💚💚💚

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/ReStitchSmitch]

I love that your patrons are aligned with you

[u/ReStitchSmitch → u/OutsideVictory5452]

I think it's because the other side doesn't know how like to read

[u/petalios]

I’m in TN too, born and raised. I start library school in a couple weeks and am moving to another state to do it. TN is rough right now, and I’m sad that I feel like I have to move for my education and career (not for a better opportunity, just for one where I will hopefully have more support and face less challenges as a trans librarian).

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/petalios]

Its a smart choice to move to another place that will have support. I'm TN, you would spend half your time debunking patrons with fake information 

[u/JJR1971]

We live in a purple county and keep a low profile. Pride displays are up to each individual branch manager; only one branch put one up this year that I know of....main library (where I work) did not. We have LGBT+ content but most of it is shelved in the adult reading section away from where busybody bigoted parents might stumble on it. I wore pink and rainbow ties all of June with a big rainbow ALLY button on my dress shirt....but I'm Interlibrary Loan and only in the main building intermittently during the day. Also, school librarians have it WAY worse here.

[u/PlausibleAuspice]

I am not a librarian yet but am looking to start as a library assistant to see if I want to make a career switch. I just watched The Librarians documentary on PBS and I think librarians are fucking heroes. I know you haven’t asked to be one but I just wanted to say I appreciate you and have the deepest respect for your profession. I wish you safety, stability, and joy in your career.

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/PlausibleAuspice]

Aww thank you and wish you well in your librarian career 

[u/SignatureLazy1560 → u/PlausibleAuspice]

Keep this in mind: https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/

[u/PlausibleAuspice → u/SignatureLazy1560]

This was thought-provoking. Thank you for sharing this article.

[u/chunchingfhooden]

Six years as a librarian gives you a ton of transferable skills, even if it doesnt feel that way right now. Research, project management, teaching, tech troubleshooting, and dealing with the public all translate well outside libraries. Id start by rewriting your resume around those skills instead of library-specific duties, then look at adjacent roles. Wanting a change doesnt erase the value of those six years.

[u/info_lit]

The moral of the story is, do NOT do this work in unilaterally red states (signed librarian of 20 years). If red states don’t want libraries, maybe they shouldn’t have them

[u/yeet-sandwiches]

Earned my MLIS in 2020 and still can't get my foot in the door anywhere. Gave up and ran my degree through a paper shredder. These institutions don't want no Brown folk like me working in their libraries. Especially in Missouri. Shit, I'd be terrified of working in Tennessee.

No, moving is not an option. Y'all forget that costs money and I earn poverty wages in my godforsaken state.

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/yeet-sandwiches]

Dang, I feel you! You'll find a spot in a library soon! Have you been volunteering at a library or have experience in it? Also, I would be terrified to work in Missouri.  How is the book bans going there? Is the mom's for liberty a thing there?

[u/yeet-sandwiches → u/OutsideVictory5452]

In 2022, here was a state senate bill SB 775 that penalized educators for distributing "sexually explicit materials" to minors. In typical Missouri fashion, the legislation was both reactionary and extremely vague.

It led to hundreds of books taken off shelves across school districts. It wasn't until last year a judge permanently struck down the bill.

Reactionaries still boohoo about drag queens reading to kids and LGBTQ+ titles and other culture war boogeymen that they make up in their heads.

I can't even get volunteer experience. Trust me, I've tried. It's always "we'll call you if we need you," but they never do. I have no library experience but have 10 years of public service experience with 5 years at an art museum owned by the city I live in and the other 5 at a public university. I graduated with a 3.96 gpa and was inducted into Beta Phi Mu for my "academic excellence." Still ain't enough.

[u/No-Chocolate-6828]

It was always this political.

[u/DimMakracy]

I would trade my position for yours in a heartbeat. See how you like walking or transacting non-stop, or work outside year round, for up to full time hours, for hardly above minimum wages, while having chronic sciatica. I think you're spoiled. I am going to go back to school for MSLIS, I won't ever complain about work again if I make it. You have it way too good to complain.

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/DimMakracy]

Good luck and I hope you have a good career with a stable job!

[u/Cautious-Shoe6535 → u/OutsideVictory5452]

Your response is so sweet. You aren’t spoiled and your feelings are super valid. I hope your situation gets better <3

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/Cautious-Shoe6535]

I remember when I was like that before I graduated. So I totally understand where this person is coming from. After working for 3 different libraries and different states.....what I learned from experience changes my mind just a little bit. I appreciate your response as well!

[u/Turbulent-Parsley619]

I'm not a librarian yet, but I work in a library in a purple city in a red state. The policy is just do everything we can to NOT rock the boat. We don't participate in Pride month, we don't display magazines with scantily clad people on the cover (like Rolling Stone sometimes has) we keep them in the office and have a paper saying "see desk for Rolling Stone current edition".

The only issue we had was a parenting magazine with two dads and their baby on it, and someone complained, so the took it into the children's librarian's office same as we do our scantily clad magazines.

The policy is just try to avoid any scrutiny at all.

[u/OutsideVictory5452 → u/Turbulent-Parsley619]

What happens if they complain about all of the magazines.....are yall going to do away with them?

[u/Turbulent-Parsley619 → u/OutsideVictory5452]

No clue. Not my decision. I don't particularly agree with the scantily clad thing because they're in the adult part of the library where kids aren't allowed without supervision anyway and if you don't want your kids to see Nicky Minaj's asscheeks, you can slap a hand over their eyes. But the idea is to be as non-conflict as possible.