"It Never Ceases To Amaze Me": Librarians Are Sharing The "Staggering" Truths About Working In A Library That Are Shocking, Fascinating, Or Plain Wild
Note: This post contains mentions of substance abuse and abuse.
The library is a magical place to many, but there's a lot more to working in one than just shelving books and handing out library cards. Recently, I asked BuzzFeed Community members who work or have worked in libraries to share the inside secrets and surprising everyday experiences of working in a library, and the responses were so insightful. Here are some of the most fascinating and shocking stories:
1."There's a difference between a library assistant and a librarian. The person you see at the desk or stacking books is most likely a library assistant. If you're interested, it's a fun job, and you don't necessarily need any specific qualifications to get it. A librarian will most likely be in the office and most likely have a whole host of duties the public never sees."
—Anonymous
2."As a children's director in a public library, the book challenges always break my heart. I'm trying my best to develop a collection that not only reflects the community I'm serving but also the marginalized people of said community. Being in a conservative part of the US, I constantly have to defend my choices of diverse and inclusive books. It's such a fine line of making sure each side of the divide can find what they want/need in our collection. So many of our youth have to hide parts of themselves from the world, and I want them to know that the library is a safe place for them."
3."People who ruin books by marking out words and scenes they don't like. Not only does it take money to replace the book, but the staff has to take the time to try and track down the person who did it to try and recover the cost."
4."Circulation clerk here. The amount of sneezed-in or sneezed-on books I've seen is staggering. And it's not just kids' books — adults are just as gross."
5."I work at a school library. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about what we do, especially in school libraries where we have to do all the library jobs alone or close to alone. One of the things that I will highlight is the Scholastic Book Fair. Since I receive such a small book budget, I HAVE to run a book fair to supplement that budget. Scholastic Book Fairs are admittedly the best but also a ton of work. I have to do all the hype, setup, and sales, stay open extra late for a night for no extra pay, and clean it all up. Thankfully, I have some wonderful volunteers, but for one week a year, it is admittedly exhausting. We also don't know what books are coming until they arrive, and what we get out of it completely depends on the sales. Always support your school book fair if you can!"
6."As an archivist (a section of librarianship), people think everything is online and that everything under the sun needs to be digitized. But they never realize how long it takes to digitize collections, how much manpower it takes, and how much money it takes. Plus, digitization is NOT preservation! Also, it gets really old assuming I love the smell of old books. In reality, I find it gross, because it means that there's something wrong and that the book is breaking down."
7."Being a big reader does not necessarily mean you would love to work in a library or be a librarian. I have worked in book retail and a public library. Now that I work in an academic library, I can say from personal experience that I recommended more books and dealt with more book-related matters when I worked in book retail. In libraries, my job has very little to do with talking about books and more with assisting patrons with the library's programs and services. It's great if you love to read and want to work in a library that spreads the joys of what a library has to offer, but please don't go into a library job thinking it's all about reading and books, because the reality is that libraries shifted away from collection-based needs to community-based needs a while ago."
8."The amount of times customers have physically assaulted me. I've been punched, spit on, and tackled just for asking guests to follow the rules. That, and the amount of poop we (and our staff) have to deal with regularly. For two years, we had a mystery pooper who would leave poop right in the stacks, just out of camera range. We finally caught him and had his ass thrown in jail. I quit and went into social work because it's easier."
—Matt, 38, Oregon
9."Former university library technician here. I was surprised to learn how very little of what humanity has written is actually online — and that so much of that is behind a paywall. To university students, you might not know it yet, but the access you have right now to your school's library and its resources is one of the great privileges of your life. Also, nothing is ever too obsolete or too niche to be useful to a future researcher!"
—Anonymous
10."Being a librarian requires a master's degree. No, seriously, a master's degree in library science (MLS) is required for most professional librarian positions. I found that out when trying to apply for a fun, low-key, part-time evening job. Working the desk to help people check in and out books and sign them up for library cards requires a bachelor's degree. An actual librarian? Master's. I was floored, especially because of how low the pay was compared to the degree required."
11."I am a children's librarian in the busiest library in my state. What never ceases to amaze me is the behavior of some parents. They act like the library (the children's floor, in particular) is a literal playground and that we, the library staff, are the babysitters. After we have to tell their previous baby angels for the fifth time to stop yelling, throwing things, and running, the parents have the audacity to get mad at us for 'being rude' to their children. Meanwhile, they sit in the corner on their phones or with their friends, gossiping and not paying attention to their kids."
"I understand getting a little 'me time' while your child is otherwise occupied, but when you hear them screaming from across the floor or notice that a librarian has had to talk to them SEVERAL times, it's time to handle your kid and be a parent. There are times when I want to lock myself in the storage closet and scream into a stack of carpet squares. One time, a mom told me, 'I understand that you have specific rules here, but those just don't align with my parenting style.'"
—Anonymous
12."We get all sorts of people asking for book recommendations every day, but when a sweet older lady asks you for a book that has a 'gangbang romance,' you have to keep a straight face."
—Chanel, 32, Canada
13."Public librarian here. Libraries are classic third places offering information on anything you can conceive. I've hosted programs on floral arranging, food insecurity, basic computer skills, and cake decorating. We offer notary services, legal forms, language classes, instrument lessons, baking tutorials, movie nights, an even concerts. All for free!"
14."Academic librarian here working at a state university. I work in purchasing library materials, aka acquisitions. We still buy lots of print books, but, holy cow, those convenient online resources we make available for patrons are expensive and messy to deal with. Besides what we buy, it's much like working in any other business office. My library degree got my foot in the door, but my undergraduate degree in business does all the real work. Not all jobs are service jobs, though! We have many 'back of the house' jobs with virtually zero contact with library patrons. Cataloging at a big university is a great gig for detail-oriented introverts. It's not all bad. I do like working for a place that isn't exclusively motivated by corporate greed. The majority of my coworkers are awesome to work with."
15."I'm normally in technical services, but collection development is a very challenging part of the job. (Due to the small size of our library, everyone multitask in several areas.) You have to analyze reviews and take your own community and their reading preferences into account so that the books you buy circulate, and you don't normally get feedback on whether a book was a good purchase or not until months later when the statistics come in. Every year, our city does a budget, and every year, they shave money off our book budget. Plus, it feels like politicians are just outright trying to get rid of us."
—Mike, 53, Florida
16."The amount of people who think our jobs are obsolete because of Google. Google can give you a million answers, but a librarian can find you the right one. Also, we DON'T get paid to read all day! The politics of an institution can be tedious to navigate, especially in academic libraries. Libraries are one of the last places that are free to just exist in. They are welcoming, no matter your socio-economic status. Some of the most dedicated people work in the field, and they strongly believe in your rights to read what you want and access the material you want."
17."I work in a public library. Just like working in a public school system, working in a public library system means you have to deal with all of the challenges living in America brings. A lot of the time, it's not about providing books. It's about helping people who do not have it at home access the internet. It's about helping people apply for jobs, food stamps, and public housing. Sometimes, it's really about providing a place where everyone is welcome, and someone can just rest, escape the weather, and be comfortable for a few hours. We deal with violence and drug overdoses; we report crimes and abuse. At my location, we even hand out free gun locks, condoms, and pregnancy tests. Libraries are the last bastion of socialism in this country and one place where you can just exist without needing to pay any money. People do not realize how important they are to communities."
—Anonymous, 46, Indianapolis
18."Most people, including many fellow librarians, have no idea what running a small, rural library is like. Our total annual budget is $132,000. Total. For everything: materials, payroll, craft supplies, utilities, insurance, programming — you name it. And that's an increase thanks to the arduous process of becoming a 'school district public library,' which people also don't understand. I LOVE my job, but it is stressful. I'm guessing my job is close to nothing like what many think it's like."
19.Lastly: "We don't often think of library work as life or death, but sometimes, we are lifelines. I work with teens, and even though we are a public building, we found a way to make a safe space for a community of teens looking for places to go after school. This opened the door to teens feeling secure enough to share things with us that made them feel seen, heard, and valued. There were teens I worried I'd never see after summer break because of all the awful things they had going on, but they came back, and eventually, years later, as adults, they'd update us on how they've grown and how much the library meant and means to them."
"A good library gives teens a space with resources to learn about themselves and how to work through big and strange feelings and feel like valued members of their community. In turn, it creates adults who value the resources the library provides, and that all trickles down to other members of the community — of all ages. So, yeah, we're more than just books."
—Anonymous
Aside from being incredibly grateful to libraries and librarians, I am so glad the mystery pooper was apprehended. If you work in a library, what's the wildest thing you've seen or experienced? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit using this form!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
