Cafe Hitch-hike

2004-06-09

I'm a librarian, hear me roar!

Ladies and gentlemen, say 'hello' to one of the finalists for a position at a Florida university library. The folks called me back and want to fly me down for an interview. I will be there for about 2 days. I only need to pay for my hotel but the university will reimburse me. Sweet!

Am I scared? Yeah. It's a job interview, after all. Am I? Yeah. What about Johnny? I'm scared for that because I love him. However, it is awfully enticing... Florida. No more winters that foul up my mood. The pay is rather nice. I'd be right by the water. There is something about water that just clears everything in me.

My father's family would not be very far away from me. Damn, I hadn't seen them since 2000. Well, I'd feel a little reservation. I had that dream about them. Yeah, an aunt & uncle think they're royalty. Uncle Jumpranger has ADD. All of them are die-hard AND intolerant repubies (they're probably lamenting the passing on of Ronnie). But at least in my dream, I was able to find my own space and joy.

John's been by every day this week, so I can tell he's afraid. Big Boss looks a little sad. Lady Jane is geeked, but that's okay because I'd be geeked to be away from her as she would be from me (but she'd be glad that one of her hirees went on to better things, you know, as teachers are glad to see their students do well).

I think Ms. Nightengale, my supervisor at the public library, was contacted by the Florida people to verify my employment. She was acting pretty bitchy all week, I bet she was pissed. Oh, well, she shouldn't act surprised. Librarians on average last only 9 months at that library.

Last night, I was so angry with her and that library. I was reading in the library board minutes that they were trying to find ways to weasel out of giving Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time, which I think is absolutely evil. They are trying to find every way possible to screw the employees.

The library cut back the benefits for the full-time staff, and then nobody has had a raise or even a cost of living adjustment in 3 years. One of the members of the library board totally took up one of the librarian's lunch time talking about wages and if having a Masters degree is required to be a librarian. That talk isn't going to produce anything. The board member already has his preconceived notion of what a librarian should do (everything) and what they should be paid (nothing). I think he was talking with her just to persuade her to take scraps for pay. He doesn't care that she has to spend her 50s taking care of her granddaughter and supporting her screwed up teen daughter, and can't even pay her student loans because of economic hardship. Why don't the library board just do what the Walmart people do and tell their employees how to apply for medicaid, WIC, and food stamps? The wages are so wretched there that many of their employees qualify! If my eyes had heat laser capabilities, I'd beam his ass so bad he'd combust!

Librarians at this public library don't get regular hours. The shifts are supposedly rotating but most of the time they change for this reason or that. It's so unpredictable that there is little time to devote for a life. Nightengale claims that the schedule is that way to be "fair" and that "no body gets stuck working weekends and nights." I got very angry about that. John's worked all kinds of places and he thinks our rotating schedule is the most stupid idea he ever heard!

Oh, yeah... they used to give out merit bonuses, but those went to whoever the director and her henchwoman liked best.

We do get vacation and personal leave times but they are extremely hesitant to actually give it. I was lucky I got the damn vacation last month!

I guess what flames me is that place tries to act fair but they really are not. I think they are actually fair in how equally they screw everybody.

Dammit, I just can't wait until I can get out of that awful place! It's a beautiful facility, but a crappy place to work!

So anyway, don't get me wrong, I like being a librarian but the conditions can be pretty crappy sometimes. I interviewed at a library with union representation and I was amazed with these interesting things like due process, vacation, and representation. I never been a part of a union environment, but someone told me, "they don't give you a weekend off, benefits, and vacation just because they like you. You've got to really demand it!"

Amen, brotha! Amen!

The interview is 3 weeks away. I will take the advice of some folks and try for the Florida job. Just to see, just to see. Hope for the best, yes...

Finally, God, finally! A sense of momentum in career opporunities!

downwind | upstream