I work in a middle class small town library. i am a circulation clerk. i do not have a degree of any kind. i make about $11 and hour. circulation handles EVERYTHING in this library. we not only check in and check out books and media, we handle any circulation issue from renewing material to calling patrons to let them know their reserved items are in. we also shelve books, clean, place holds, and do what should be reference work. we are the front line and all the morons get to us first. we get shit on, even for other libraries' mistakes and bad service! we all have other jobs, too. i mend books and do some processing when tech needs a hand. i make sure the applications are in order and i send out notices. i'm responsible for my sections which are fiction Mc-Z, mystery, sci-fi and new fiction. we also process the daily delivery of interlibrary loans, something that is handled by paraprofessionals at other libraries. to make it short, circ does all the dirty work and if it weren't for circ, there would be no library. okay, we need books, too. so, if it weren't for books, DVD's and circ, there would be no library. and don't get me started about the DVD's!
if you want to "see" the library and what is going on, you can find us at (deleted). we have many programs and we are always busy doing something. we badly need a new library and more space. we service Lincoln and several other nearby towns where patrons prefer our service to their own town libraries...many of them have NEW facilities. between 300 to 700 patrons walk through our doors almost daily and we are part of the Clan network that allows libraries to share materials via interlibrary loans.
i have to say that i do enjoy my work, though i long for retirement but that is mostly because i deal with illness daily and some days are killer. it is hard, physical work and taxing on the brain and dealing with the public, especially a public that believes everything in the library is donated and, therefore, not worth any care because it's FREE, is very difficult. ("fines? FINES!!!????) but, it all works out, somehow.
if you want to "see" the library and what is going on, you can find us at (deleted). we have many programs and we are always busy doing something. we badly need a new library and more space. we service Lincoln and several other nearby towns where patrons prefer our service to their own town libraries...many of them have NEW facilities. between 300 to 700 patrons walk through our doors almost daily and we are part of the Clan network that allows libraries to share materials via interlibrary loans.
i have to say that i do enjoy my work, though i long for retirement but that is mostly because i deal with illness daily and some days are killer. it is hard, physical work and taxing on the brain and dealing with the public, especially a public that believes everything in the library is donated and, therefore, not worth any care because it's FREE, is very difficult. ("fines? FINES!!!????) but, it all works out, somehow.
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