Well I blogged my route into librarianship in Thing 10, so I won't repeat it here. If you missed it, here's the link:
http://lyndseygoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/thing-10-routes-into-librarianship-or.html
So, as suggested, I've had a look at some of the links already on the Library Routes Project wiki in order to reflect on how they compare with my own experiences.
I looked at a couple of people in my neck of the woods, and began to feel rather envious, as their library careers seem to have followed a better and more profitable trajectory than my own. There are lots of Librarians, or Assistant Librarians, or Deputy Librarians, who are blogging about their routes into librarianship and it made me think that there's nothing like reading about somebody else's success to make you feel totally inadequate about your own career.
My own path is, I suppose, typical, in that it involved a first degree in an arts subject, a graduate traineeship, a library assistant post and a Masters Qualification, but while others' library careers have developed, mine has stalled and I find myself stuck in the Library Catch-22 and unable to progress to the level at which I am qualified.
I think that I have held myself back from opportunities which may have progressed my career because it's safer to stay in a permanent full time library assistant position than take a chance on a contract or part time job which may give you extra brownie points with future employers, but won't pay increasingly extortionate utility bills. Many new professionals have the flexibility to move around the country to a job that suits, but unfortunately I don't have that luxury.
I think career development in libraries is partly down to luck. You can do all the academic qualifications and CPD courses that you like, but if you're up against a set of people with more work-based experience, it doesn't matter about your transferable skills and academic qualifications: you won't progress.
We're in a recession and public libraries are cutting jobs to save themselves. So all the public librarians are moving into the academic sector, so there's more pressure on university library posts. There are more candidates than jobs available, and there are better candidates from which to choose than in the past.
So based on what I have read on the wiki, I am going to take more chances and apply for more things, even if they don't fit my expected criteria for a professional post. Because you never know what a job is going to be like until you actually do it. And you might be pleasantly surprised.
http://lyndseygoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/thing-10-routes-into-librarianship-or.html
So, as suggested, I've had a look at some of the links already on the Library Routes Project wiki in order to reflect on how they compare with my own experiences.
I looked at a couple of people in my neck of the woods, and began to feel rather envious, as their library careers seem to have followed a better and more profitable trajectory than my own. There are lots of Librarians, or Assistant Librarians, or Deputy Librarians, who are blogging about their routes into librarianship and it made me think that there's nothing like reading about somebody else's success to make you feel totally inadequate about your own career.
My own path is, I suppose, typical, in that it involved a first degree in an arts subject, a graduate traineeship, a library assistant post and a Masters Qualification, but while others' library careers have developed, mine has stalled and I find myself stuck in the Library Catch-22 and unable to progress to the level at which I am qualified.
I think that I have held myself back from opportunities which may have progressed my career because it's safer to stay in a permanent full time library assistant position than take a chance on a contract or part time job which may give you extra brownie points with future employers, but won't pay increasingly extortionate utility bills. Many new professionals have the flexibility to move around the country to a job that suits, but unfortunately I don't have that luxury.
I think career development in libraries is partly down to luck. You can do all the academic qualifications and CPD courses that you like, but if you're up against a set of people with more work-based experience, it doesn't matter about your transferable skills and academic qualifications: you won't progress.
We're in a recession and public libraries are cutting jobs to save themselves. So all the public librarians are moving into the academic sector, so there's more pressure on university library posts. There are more candidates than jobs available, and there are better candidates from which to choose than in the past.
So based on what I have read on the wiki, I am going to take more chances and apply for more things, even if they don't fit my expected criteria for a professional post. Because you never know what a job is going to be like until you actually do it. And you might be pleasantly surprised.
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