Forums » Smalltalk » AMA: Ask The Librarian

Hey!

So I graduated with a BA in Liberal Arts and ending up working as a Library Associate II at the New Orleans Public Library until Hurricane Ida hit the area. A total of about 4 years. I was on a couple different program teams and worked the front desk most days. I've done everything from clean the bathrooms to shift and recognizing half the library lol.

What's something people can do to support their local libraries?

Oh use them!
I can't speak for other cities but in NOLA every time you check out a book, use the computer, go to a program, ask a reference question even just walk through the door; all of that gets counted and is factored in when it comes to setting our budget and planning out how we can best help our community.

There are lots of things the library offers beyond books, too. For instance, the libraries where I live now offer meeting rooms for pretty much anything. It's all free and some of them are big enough to have a birthday party in lol or DnD session

I haven't been to a Library in years. When I was a kid my aunt took me and her kids to go check out some books and well her kids being, not well behaved in most cases, took and tossed out the books we had borrowed from the library. A fee years later I went back and they told me I had a doubt of over $500 so I could not check out any books. I was jobless at the time and so it just wasn't going to happen. I have not been to a library since. Will that doubt follow me for the rest of my life or can I just never go back to that one library? (Ik it doesn't transfer to other libraries but going to one just makes me feel like a terrible person so I avoid them all)

Awe that sucks! Im sorry that happened to you ♥️

So every library system can be a little different, but just recently most have started doing away with fines. So like in NOLA and where i live now, you have 90 days to return the book. After that you can either bring the book back or pay for the cost of the book. Most libraries will let you continue to check stuff out as long as your fines are under $20. When NOLA implemented the new system they forgave everyone's diet. And even before that, after a certain amount of years, the diet would have been forgiven anyway.

So chances are, depending on how long ago it was it was probably forgiven.

But i would totally encourage you to give libraries another try 🥰 you're not a terrible person and no librarian would ever think that♥️

What are your favorite books or series you've encountered working there? Why?

What does it take to be a librarian? What did you go through to become one?

Oooh this has the potential to be a very long answer 😂

ok soo like ALL of Mark Lawrence's books. My absolute favs being the Book of the Ancestor trilogy. He's just an amazing writer and he brings the characters and world to life in a way that had me, at least, not wanting to put the books down.

Brent Weeks' Light Bringer series is also amazing lol. I always find my own writing improving after i've read one of his book. He's just amazing at discribing emotions and actions with out like out and out saying 'this person is angry' or whatever and it's a really good story.

The witcher was also a really good one i was suggesting at the time. It's of course better than the Netflix show lol

Annnd we're going to stop there because i could go on and on lmao 🤣

So i found out my library was hiring from the city job page. The requirements for a Library Associate was a Bachelor Degree. After i applied i had to take a civil service test with the city. It's pretty easy just basic customers service, math, and probably solving stuff. If you pass that then your app get's transferred to the library and you wait to see if they call you. Not every city makes you take a test.

Now! Because i didn't have a BA in Library Science this ment i couldn't be an actual Librarian. Basically i probably wouldnt be able to be a branch manager or the Chair. But they also had a program where they would reimburse me if i wanted to go back to school and get my library of science degree. In my experience i pretty much did all the same work as a Librarian in tital. I just got paid less lol

Do digital loans from programs like Libby count toward a library's budget?

Yep sure dose! ♥️

So the library basically buys a subscription through programs like libby. And there are different subscriptions that's why different library systems will have different books available through libby.

On the topic of Brent Weeks, have you read the Night Angel Trilogy? I've only ever finished the first book and a bit of the beginning of the second one, mostly due to unrelated things going on around me. That said, I really do enjoy what I have read.

yeah the night angel trilogy is a great series! I hope you're able to pick it back up and finish it. He just came out with a new book called the night angel nemesis and it continues on were the trilogy left off.

Ooohh this reassures me greatly and also explains so much!'

yeah! no problem happy to help