Where do we come from?

[Business Library <BUSLIBR@MAIL.STARTRIBUNE.COM>]

I have been reading these stories for weeks and it is leaning me towards
making an important decision in my life.

In college I got a B.A. in advertising with a minor in psychology because I
figured I would need at least a Masters if not a PhD in psych. to really do
anything in psychology and I wasn't (then) prepared to spend the time
and money on an advanced degree. I don't know why I chose
advertising, I only remember that my dad said it didn't really matter what
the degree was in, just that I got one in something. I had been on the
yearbook staff for 4 years during high school, so after college I ended up
as a sale rep. for a yearbook publishing company. I spent 2 painful years
deciding sales wasn't for me and decided to find out what I *really*
wanted to do with my life. My aunt suggested the book "What Color is
Your Parachute."  I faithfully did all the exercises and "Librarian" just
popped into my head one day after reading over a list of things that
interested me: books, magazines, computers, the Internet and helping
people. I finished my MLS last August and even though I knew it was a
tight job market here in Minneapolis, I decided to move here to be near a
man (no engagement ring yet, but we're getting closer!) I've been
working nights and weekends as a paraprofessional in a public library
and have had a variety of temporary full-time special library positions.
I've interviewed for other public library positions and they are all the
same: part-time, no benefits, nights, weekends, sitting at the reference
desk all day. When I evaluate what I don't like about the special library
positions I realize that although I like computers, I don't like sitting on
Lexis/Nexis all day doing research for other people in my lonely little
cube. I don't like quiet libraries! When I evaluate what I like about my
public library job it is helping the students with their projects, teaching
people how to use the CD-ROMs and OPAC and working on collection
development. I had always thought I would get the education degree
some day in the future when I had kids I wanted to stay home with and
when my desire to travel overflowed my 2 weeks of vacation a year.
But to be a certified Media Specialist in this state, I would need to turn my
pych. minor into a major, get a teaching degree *and* see if any of my
credits from my Masters would count for their 36 credit program for
Media Generalist certification. Since I am already in major debt for my
MLS, it is really hard to think about going back to school again so soon
and for a job that hardly pays a bountiful salary. But all of your
wonderful stories have really been making it very difficult to resist. I'm
trying not to make any rash decisions, but I'm thinking about it a lot...

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Corey Current
Temporary Business Librarian
Star Tribune; Minneapolis, MN
Library Associate
St. Paul Public Library; St. Paul, MN
612-535-9277
c.current@juno.com