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Just for an alternate perspective... I am a recently graduated librarian, currently without job. To get some experience, and sort of as an "in-kind" donation, I am volunteering one day per week at my church's private Christian School. The head of the library is NOT a librarian, or even a trained or experienced aide. She is also 100% volunteer, as the administration hasn't figured out that they'll need a librarian eventually. She is the parent of two children in the school. She learned from a former aide (no longer there), who she considered "a real librarian". The library must serve K - 12 in one small room, almost entirely with donated books, and the automation project has been a shambles. There are over 100 students, mainly under gr. 8. No library or research instruction is given by library staff (not even book talks). Each elementary class comes in to check out reading material for 20 minutes per week (no reference help given). Children have no access to a catalogue, because the cards were tossed at the beginning of the "automation" project (sigh) and the catalogue doesn't work yet. Most teachers maintain their own collection of books in the classroom, but of course those are not shared or accessible to others except by word of mouth. Major issues in the library: censorship without process, and strange cataloguing decisions. I am considered an "aide." I get to do basic processing, card stamping, book check-out (manual), shelving. The "librarian" has been there several years, and of course has been given the authority to run the place. My goal is to gradually educate both her and the administration to the potential of the library, and means of making it function. However, I refuse to put in more than my set volunteer time or give professional level work for FREE (when I don't have any children in the school, either). My hope is that they might maybe hire me someday, but no, I'm not banking my career on it. The thing is, about the non-librarian overseer, she's a wonderful & practical lady... but doesn't really WANT to be a librarian. She's doing okay, but makes little effort to push the library forward. KLC Krista Clement Looking for a library to call Home kristac@paragon-pcb.com http://paragon-pcb.com/X_Novels/ Fiction Bibliography for Christians =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= To quit LM_NET (or set NOMAIL or DIGEST), Send an email message to listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST * NOTE: Please allow time for confirmation from Listserv. For LM_NET Help & Archives see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=