I’m sure most of you know based on my profile bios across social media that I work as a librarian at my local library.  This job was a blessing that came to me nearly four years ago and it’s led me to meet some amazing people, including one of my best friends.  It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost four years since I got this job becuase it sure doesn’t feel like it.  I guess that’s how you know you’re in the right place!

Working in a library has some perks though.  I mean, a lot of jobs do.  And while there are some things I would change, there are more positives than negatives to this workplace.  And let’s be honest, as a bookworm, there are many perks to working in a library!

Perks of WORKING IN A LIBRARY:

1. Surrounded by books.  I mean, the obvious one, but contrary to the public belief, we don’t sit around and read all day.  Trust me, we wish we could.  Still though, seeing all the books going in and out is amazing to see, plus this is the reason why my TBR pile just keeps growing.

2. Talking about books counts as work.  This is one of the best parts of the job.  Patrons will come in and rave about how much they loved a book or rant about how they didn’t like it, and they love to see what we like as well.  We get asked a lot about what books we’d recommend, and it’s great because we all read different genres of books, so each librarian is sort of ‘specialized’ in a genre or two.

3. Being the first person to check out a brand new book.  Usually when the new books hit the shelves, the staff are the first to go through and see what they want to check out from the pile.  Soemtimes we’ll even place a hold on them if we see them in the tech services office before they’re put into the system.  And as much as I love to see people checking out the books, it’s nice when you get to a book first before it’s taken out and comes back smelly or *gasp* damaged.

4. No late fees.  Pretty much explains itself.

5. The staff.  Trust me when I say that librarians are some of the weirdest people you will ever meet.  I love my coworkers; we’re a crazy, dysfucntional little family.  Best of all, we’re a bunch of crazy nerds.

6. Nerding out in public.  This relates to above… the librarians are all very nerdy here.  We geek out over books, movies, technology, etc.  The best part is that you don’t get judged for it.  While we might not like all same things, rest assured we’ll connect with some patrons that do!

7. Learning & Creativity.  You learn a lot while working in a library.  Whether it’s new computer programs like Publisher or Photoshop or new technologies, you definitely are not bored at the job.  Since working here I’ve learned to use a microfiche (which I did use once in college, but it was an older one) as well as some marketing techniques to bring more people in.  That said, the library is also a very creative space and encourages it, especially with children and teens.  But even among the staff, we’re always looking for new, creative displays to catch people’s eyes or  some new programs to bring patrons of all ages in.

So yeah, working in a library is pretty rewarding.  I mean, I didn’t even mention how great it is to be able to help those in the community.  The homeless, those struggling to find a job, people who don’t know much about technology, etc.  We are helping people every single day, and that’s the number one reason why libraries are still so important to communities.

Do you enjoy your job?  What do you think you would really love to have?