But I get concerned when I hear that someone wants to be a librarian because they are tired of teaching, because they want a desk job, because it's less work. Because, well, it isn't. Every level is different -- I speak with the voice of a middle school librarian. And I really want you to join this magical field, but I want you to do it for the right reasons. ![]() Tired of teaching? If you are are tired of classroom instruction, school librarian is not the job for you. Sure, we don't have to manage huge amounts of parent communication (some librarians at other schools ARE on the master schedule, teaching technology classes, reading classes, yearbook classes, research classes). We may not do as much grading (although I know that 9 out of 10 of us offer to do grading for the instructional components we support) but we DO spend a whole lot of time teaching. Sometimes I teach seven out of seven periods in a day, without a planning period or lunch. I run a busy, instructionally-focused middle school library and we often have two or three classes in the library at a time. Our kind of teaching is very different from that of a traditional classroom teacher -- I have different kids every day, different subject areas, every day. We collaborate across the curriculum and I find that I often have to change my teaching style to align with the teacher with whom I am working. And sometimes I wish for the kinds of relationships that classroom teachers have with the students they see day in and day out. Are there days when I don't teach? Yes. And I spend those days handling the administrative tasks required of a large library program: ordering, reporting, planning, drumming up business (outreach), managing the physical space, tech trouble-shooting and more. In short, don't make the choice to become a librarian because you think teaching is too difficult or exhausting, because if you do the librarian job right -- you'll be just as busy in a library as you are in the classroom. Want a desk job? Teaching is hard work, absolutely. Some days, I know that teachers don't sit down. I get it. And I get it because I actually never sit down either (I don't have a chair, so that helps). It's not uncommon for me to get to the end of the day and realize that I haven't even been to the bathroom since I left my house in the morning (#bladderofsteel). I move from teaching a class to helping a student find the perfect book to attending a CT meeting to co-planning with a colleague to curating resources to troubleshooting a printing issue. Don't make the choice to become a school librarian so that you can sit behind the circulation desk, checking out books all day. Don't make the choice to become a librarian so you can hide in the stacks on a rolling chair, shelving books month after month. ![]() Dying to work less? Teaching is a job that takes an incredible amount time. Every good teacher that I know spends many evening and weekend hours working way beyond contract, grading and planning, attending professional development sessions, learning and growing, with their students always at the top of mind. And so does every good librarian I know. I am incredibly lucky that I don't feel like the work I do at home is torture (I also know that I come from workaholic stock and I can't help it). I enjoy reading young adult lit. I like to participate in evening Twitter chats with educational colleagues. It's invigorating to attend an edcamp on a Saturday morning. I am often kept up late at night trying to figure out ways to convince library non-believer colleagues that we can support them and their students. I lose sleep over budgets as we work to keep a large library collection relevant and diverse and current. Do I sometimes wish that an idea that changes Monday's lesson completely comes to me before Sunday afternoon? Of course I do. But as is the life of any educator, that doesn't always happen. Don't make the choice to become a librarian because you only want to work bell-to-bell. The case for becoming a school librarian So, why should you become a school librarian? Become a school librarian because you love teaching and learning and teaching kids to learn is the best way to empower them. Become a school librarian because you want to create a safe space for your students to read and think and create. Become a school librarian because you like to collaborate with colleagues, planning meaningful instruction for all students across all content areas and academic levels. Become a school librarian because you want each day to be different from the next. Become a school librarian because you are good a juggling a million things at once. Become a school librarian to build and grow the kind of library that your students and staff deserve. Become a school librarian because it's the best job in the school. I promise. -Gretchen You might also like:
24 Comments
Julie
4/26/2017 09:23:24 pm
Yes. This! All of it! Thanks for putting into words what we believe! Sincerely, an elementary teacher-librarian
Reply
Gretchen
4/26/2017 09:54:27 pm
Thank you for reading the post -- so glad to hear that it resonated with you!
Reply
4/27/2017 01:15:22 am
The TL role is a dual one - teacher and information manager (aka librarian). It is evolving as technology evolves, includes a curriculum design and teaching role as well as the ability to manage a virtual and physical library. It is complex and time consuming and definitely not for the faint hearted. It is the best job in the school, but you will teach and interact with all students and all staff, not just a class or three. Be prepared to be challenged and become a practising lifelong learner. :) BC
Reply
Gretchen
5/24/2017 08:01:10 am
Absolutely! We do so many different things!
Reply
Libby
5/1/2017 02:43:10 am
Totally agree.You gotta be hands on and absolutely creative for this job position. No way around it
Reply
Gretchen
5/24/2017 08:01:37 am
Exactly -- "no way around it!" :)
Reply
Julie in Germany
5/1/2017 03:31:33 am
Thanks for the article. I'm just starting on my journey to become a school librarian. (First MLIS course beginning in 3 weeks.) After working 7 years in an international school as the assistant to the elementary school principal I've longed to teach and am looking forward to learning the skills I will need to join the fascinating, challenging, ever changing field of teacher librarian:)
Reply
Gretchen
5/24/2017 08:02:25 am
Your adventure has just begun! Welcome to the field!
Reply
Angie
10/24/2018 08:57:31 am
I think the role of the librarian is evolving as it should. If a school already has credentialed teachers teaching Computer science and English the librarians job isn't to teach the classes instead of teachers. I have seen elective teachers ...art and music or drama get cut so the librarian schedule can increase time with core academic classes. As much as I feel librarians are essential ...their survival does not mean replacing electives teachers in a schedule. Art , photography and drama taught by experts help students get a holistic education.
Rae
11/1/2017 11:09:25 pm
Hi!
Reply
Rae
11/1/2017 11:14:03 pm
I have a typo!!! I meant to say engaging LIBRARY! Our librarian, again, is fantastic! But, she is a little old school. I want our library to be the heart of the school.
Reply
Gretchen
11/7/2017 06:39:22 am
Rae-
X
12/22/2017 05:25:33 pm
Yeah, just go for the easy job and be something like an engineer.
Reply
Dani
2/16/2021 09:46:56 am
Haha I’m a Software Engineer, who is reading this article, because I’m burning out at my job. But I realize librarians have a hard job too in different ways. :)
Reply
anonymous
12/20/2018 05:48:33 pm
Except it's not the best job... it's the worst. If you are new at it, that is. In every school I've been in, the new librarian is expected to do 3 times the work that the old librarian did. A tenured person who's been there 20 years, and who has done pretty much as they pleased, retires, then they hire the new person and basically make their lives as difficult as possible. Position are also routinely eliminated or combined when someone retires. I've been required to do a physical activity club (???), teach extra classes to fill in "empty" spots in my schedule (although I had no aide to do shelving for me), I've been insulted by staff who feel they should have a say over my schedule or treat me as a glorified clerk. My current district waited until late November to give me access to a printer or teacher computer, or an SLS - I don't even have keys to my 3 libraries (yes, 3 ) in case I have to lock down. It's not just in one place, it's like this almost everywhere now. After several years of giving it my best, I doubt I will last another month at this point.
Reply
Gretchen
1/28/2019 03:31:10 pm
I’m so sorry that you have had such a hard time! Have you tried connecting with some online communities for support? I really like the Facebook Groups Future Ready Librarians and The School Librarian’s Workshop.
Reply
Eden
3/14/2019 02:15:30 pm
I really want to become a school librarian, but wasn’t previously a school teacher. I’m just not sure where I should start. Could you help?
Reply
anonymous
9/26/2020 11:34:52 am
DO NOT do it! I've worked in 4 different districts as a librarian and it's been miserable in all of them. You will receive zero respect, will have the details of your job changed on you yearly, you will be evaluated on only a small portion of your duties, and you will be disrespected by admin and teachers alike. You will hear "well the last person was here for 20 years" and find out they did half the work as you (because they were tenured). If you are going to go into education, You are better off as elementary self-contained. At least then you only have to deal with a small number of students and will have a fairly defined curriculum with plenty of curriculum materials. As a librarian, you will have no curriculum and will be constantly struggling to create new lessons (because, as I said, your job requirements will change yearly). Oh, and did I mention you will be ALONE? You will have no team, no coworkers who understand your position or who can sympathize/help you. You might be the only person in your entire district who does this job. It is lonely and thankless.
Reply
Mbean
5/8/2022 10:40:43 pm
Thank you for this brutally honest assessment. I think you have convinced me to avoid something that would be a very poor fit for me personally and professionally. 4/25/2019 11:23:08 pm
What a terrific post! I am researching for my next podcast episode and would love to cite this and mention a few key points. Thanks so much for all these great ideas.
Reply
Darcy Eisenreich
10/3/2019 10:35:38 pm
Thanks for sharing! These are good things to know, so that I am more prepared when I become a librarian.
Reply
Summer Horton
11/3/2019 09:13:22 pm
Hello! Great Article. My question is, were you a classroom teacher before becoming a librarian and if so, for how long? Also have you only been a middle school librarian? I currently work in an elementary school so I am wondering about the differences.
Reply
Christopher Nowak BFA MLIS
9/22/2022 04:02:58 pm
From September, 1987 to June, 1989, I was a combination part-time carpet and upholstery cleaner/ part-time graduate student in the LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE program at UWO in LONDON, ONTARIO.
Reply
Christopher Nowak BFA MLIS
9/22/2022 04:04:53 pm
I am a graduate of the library school from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) in 1989.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Who We Are
Join our list!Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|