Interviewing
Enough said. Really. I have spent the last few weeks sending out cover letters and resumes, setting up phone and in-person interviews. Sitting in front of panels listening as they explained what my job would be and asked me questions about everything from what I would do if a student removed all the balls from each mouse in the computer lab, if the county I worked in withdrew all funding, or how I would work a children’s program for high risk kids. I have received offers and feel fortunate that a few places think I would be a good fit for their library.
Finally, out of eight interviews, one interviewer asked me why I would be the best fit for their library, and why they should choose me. I wish it were obvious what was going on in my head. I am a good fit because I am young but not too young, I have fresh ideas, but I’m thrilled to be learning from those with more experience than me. I am a good fit because once I dug up a rare article on Colombian guerrillas written in Spanish, found a translation into English in the Netherlands, and got it to the patron who needed it for his dissertation. I am a good fit because the patrons needs come first. I am a good fit because I will stay after hours to answer questions for the next day, because I firmly believe there is a book for every reader. I am a good fit for childrens services because I never pass a lemonade stand without buying something, because I do voices in storytelling, and because I listen to their ideas and try to use them. It’s their library too.
I never thought it would be this hard. I never imagined I would be going on interview after interview for jobs that pay barely enough to scrape by and involve public service. I thought that libraries would want me. I thought they would see me and realize I am a good fit because of who I am, because of what I believe, because I am patient and because I believe in giving more than I receive. I thought it would be evident when I walked into a school or library that I belong there. That I have been groomed to be a librarian since I was a kid, cataloging books in third grade, setting up personal libraries my whole life, organizing based on genre, then alphabetically by author. I thought it would be evident that I was born for this, that my professor who said he thought librarians may be genetically formed was right.
Trying to figure out where to go from here, and what to do if a job doesn’t come through is a frightening prospect. Starting from scratch. I am writing as much as I can, but know that things won’t be ready for a few more months. Who on earth takes away a librarian’s right to a library?
