Rudaí23, thing #2: On becoming a librarian*

The non-direct route to becoming a librarian

Why did I become a librarian? I would love to be able to say that I had a lifelong interest in books, that I visited libraries whenever I could, and that there was a librarian in my local library that was a huge influence in my formative years, but none of that would be true. I spent most of my teens and early twenties with no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life. By the time I thought that becoming a librarian was something that I wanted to do, I had already done a Masters (not a good idea if you are still unsure of your career path), was working in a bookshop and couldn't afford to do the second Masters that I would need to gain the qualifications to become a librarian.

Fortune (in the form of misfortune) allowed me to complete the MLIS in UCD. But why libraries? I know people say that if books is your only interest, then it's not a good reason to become a librarian, and while they're probably right, it was a start for me. Libraries represented an opportunity to focus on the elements of bookselling that I loved (the power of information, interacting with the public, and helping people to find whatever it was that they were looking for) within an industry that I saw as vibrant and one that was preparing to meet the challenges of the future. 

That all-important qualification

A qualification was absolutely necessary, and there were two options open to me. I could study for the MLIS in UCD, a pretty intensive course or do a long distance option in one of the universities in the UK. I chose the UCD course because it had the courses that I believed would be of use to me in my future possible career, and within an environment that would suit the way I studied (I don't think long distance learning would be my thing). The MLIS in UCD offered courses on social media, teaching librarianship, web design, digital libraries as well as more traditional choices like cataloguing and information services.

And what is it exactly that you do?

I am currently working as a library assistant in a relatively small college library in Dublin (not the one pictured above, which would require a time machine). The day-to-day activities include everything you would think a librarian does: checking in books, helping students find whatever they're looking for, but I've also managed to get some experience doing more specific tasks including looking after different aspects of journal management as well as dipping my toe into user testing.

Am I happy with my choice? Absolutely! It has been a tough few years, and there were times when I wondered whether I had made the right choice, but I genuinely love working in a library. There is a fantastic network of librarians in Ireland and there are so many opportunities to get involved in interesting areas of the library world. There are also some fascinating developments happening in the industry, whether your 'thing' is tech, information literacy, cataloguing, or non-traditional roles. And what's even better is that there are so many people working in the industry willing to help or get involved in discussions. 

*Librarian/library assistant. It's all a work-in-progress.