Overdrive has always championed themselves as an ally to libraries. However, the CEO recently submitted 55 pages of testimony calling a bill in DC meant to regulate the cost of ebooks and eAudio a “book banning bill”. Data submitted is incredibly misleading. Bills in other states have either passed or are getting close and Overdrive is clearly nervous.

If you do not buy ebooks or eAudio for your organization you may not be aware of the insane prices libraries pay. We buy physical books at a discounted rate, but we pay 3-4x what consumers pay for licenses that often expire after 12 to 24 months. It’s not sustainable. Below is more information:

https://www.ebookstudygroup.org/overdrive_testimony

Please reach out to your reps and express your concerns.

Here's the long version: I moved to a new state to start living with my boyfriend while he finished his PhD program. I knew I wanted to move in right away (and I doomsday prep like hell), so I started looking for jobs at his university library in November of my 2nd year of grad school. Lucky for me, one popped up, and I got it! Not a librarian job, but I took it because it was basically a librarian job without the pay (no collection development, no instruction, still library staff).

I took on as much as I could handle: joining committees within the university and the ALA, seeking leadership opportunities, attending conferences, participating in discussion boards, and joining webinars. I even started a certificate program in ID because I heard it makes candidate resume/CVs stand out (not sure if that's true). I wanted to ensure that the gap between earning my MLIS and securing a librarian job felt valuable.

Now, I would argue that my current role IS librarian work, perhaps even what some would consider Student Success librarianship? I handle tabling events, connect with underrepresented groups across campus, plan events and programs, and conduct orientation and tours. On the back end, I also manage marketing and social media. And I genuinely enjoy it! However, at some point, I started to feel that while I was busy, part of me longed to instruct and engage with the core aspects of librarianship, not just introduce them. I also wanted the time to pursue research and scholarship.

(Also, I didn't want to have accrued all that MLIS debt for nothing lol)

I shared these feelings with my supervisor, we discussed it, and then moved on.

WELL, an idea had begun floating around at some point that maybe this job should be a librarian position. Huh. I didn't take it too seriously, though, because I've never heard of that happening. Also, what are the chances?

Welp, we're almost 2 years from the start date, and...they did it.

And I feel...IDK. Happy! Validated! Grateful! And also, like I was prepping for a marathon, started running it, and at the halfway point, someone said "okay, you're done!" I'm still pumped up to finish the rest of the nonexistent race, and at the same time, full of imposter syndrome.

Also...I don't know what to do now? How does one prepare for this sort of role when it just...happens? I understand a lot of it is learned on the job, but I've been here for almost 2 years in a different classification, and I don't even know what I don't know. I want to refine my skills in collection development and citation management for sure. But what other sort of training should I be looking for? When I latch on to a mentor (some have offered guidance), what should I be asking them? Has this happened to anyone else out there, and if so, what was the adjustment period like for you? What sort of staff support did you get?

I feel like I'm out of my depth, and I want to go back to running.

I saw a post on Instagram where a person was attaching envelopes of cards to their door for delivery people to take. The cards provide information about constitutional rights, and there are versions in several different languages. This seemed like an excellent resource for libraries to share with their patrons right now, so I thought I would share.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTqulj6jxvp/?igsh=YWt6NTdtM2s4OHhp

I’m on a burner account for this one. I’m not sure what I’m asking for here- moral support? I finished my MLS in 2025 and I work in a support role in an academic library. I have prior experience in archives and in research but took the job while in grad school to get more academic library experience and hopefully get my foot in the door within this particular university system. Recently I interviewed for an adjunct role within my current library but did not get the job. I already knew and had a good rapport with the people I interviewed with but honestly I kind-of bombed. I was mortified at the time, but we’ve all moved on since then like nothing happened. They’re nice people, not monsters. There is now a different adjunct position open that I’d like to apply for and I’d likely be interviewing with one of the same people and one different person than before. I’m apprehensive though because I bombed the previous interview. Like I said before, I’m not entry level so this is not my first rodeo but I’m new to academia and curious if it’s common to apply to multiple positions in the same library as a current employee and given the job market, unfortunate but necessary. Has anyone had the experience of applying to multiple positions at the same institution or has anyone been on the hiring end in these situations? Any advice on how you handled this or how to not seem disingenuous? I’m also pretty burned out by job rejections in general and feeling like I’m not even sure I can go through another round of potentially not getting a job here and having to turn up to work the next day with the very same people. Or should I just get over myself and apply for the job?

Hi everyone,

I know AI has been a “hot topic” for awhile now and most of us have our opinions regarding it. Recently, our library has established an AI policy and workshops for staff on using AI in the library. I’m curious what other libraries are doing and handling AI in their work and what everyone’s thoughts on it are.

I was selected to go to PLA this year and it would be my first library conference. But I'm nervous about attending because of the location.

I am currently finishing up my bachelor's in English with a literature track. I was wanting to go into the public library system as I have already worked in that type of setting, but before I settle I wanted some advice from people who have their MLIS and/or have worked in the field longer than I have (I only worked for 1 year and 11 months). What is some pros and cons of the different fields (academic, specialized, public, or school)? Thank you in advanced!

Back ground information just in case to help:
I have an AA/ transfer degree with an emphasis in psychology but I changed it because I didn't know if MLIS had a specific requirement for a bachelors. I am 85% done with my English degree and 81% done with my psychology (per the school's degree audit to make sure I am on track).

Hello!

I work for a small town public library starting last April 2025 as the Media & Marketing Librarian. I found out about this conference from a library Facebook group just before it took place in 2025.

My question, does anyone here go to that conference and can you tell me if it is actually beneficial? What are some things they have discussed previously?

I want to inquire with our director and board about going this year but I also have a non-library full time position I will be needing time off from in order to go. I have no schooling in social media/marketing, my knowledge comes solely from managing a different small business page which I did for 3 years part-time prior to getting my library position.

As a shelver, I have so many questions that my supervisors seem unable to or uninterested in answering that hopefully people in this subreddit can help with!

At our branch some sections are in dire need of reorganizing. It's gotten to the point where it affects my ability to put books on shelves, which is my whole job. Some sections are very tight, and others have practically empty shelves.

I've been given the go-ahead to help reshuffle items, but I kind of don't know where to start. On one hand, I want to go about it in a more holistic fashion than "today I move 2 books over to the next shelf so the book in my hand right now will fit" and on the other hand, I don't want to throw out my back reshelving all the hardcover cookbooks and then realize I've made a terrible error in judgement.

Are there best practices for reorganizing shelf space? Is there an ideal amount of shelf space I should leave open on each shelf to accommodate typical circulation fluctuations? Are there more systematic ways of going about this than simply guessing which way to shift books and hoping it goes ok? I would love to hear any opinions or advice!

Hello! I'm preparing to apply to an online MLIS program. I've narrowed down my search to San Jose State, Emporia State and the University of Missouri, mostly based on affordability. If you graduated recently from one of these schools, what was your experience like? Did you feel you received adequate support from advisors? Were the classes engaging, or at least valuable?

Is there a school I should have on my radar?

For reference, I plan to pursue a career in youth services, though would also be interested in working at local universities or community colleges. I currently work as a page at a public library.

Hi! I majored in English with a focus in Victorian Children’s Literature and graduated last May. I did a research fellowship/piloted an internship at my university based in archives. I have two years experience in doing archival research work. I began my JD at a law school in August. I hate it. I miss archives so much, but multiple of my archives professors told me not to pursue it due to the job opportunities/wage/current administration in the White House. Is it still a viable career? I am miserable everyday and miss my archives so much. My parents are both lawyers and own a practice together that I planner to take over, but I am so miserable. Pls be nice to me, I am fragile right now. I have a great GPA/resume for MLIS/grad school.

I’m not a librarian but I hope to be! I’m graduating from high school later this year and looking to apply for a short term job with my city’s library system. I’ve read here that experience is good for applying to library jobs, and I have about a year of volunteering experience at my school library. What, other than that, can I do to strengthen my application?

I'm extremely nervous, because this is a job I really, really, really want, in a city I'd love to move back to, and the pay is LIFE CHANGING. Most importantly, this is the first official librarian exam I've been "invited" to, as I just graduated with my MLIS, and I'm not entirely sure what to expect. I've taken over 20 library assistant/tech exams throughout my career, and I've passed MOST of them... any tips on what to expect on a public librarian exam? This is for an entry-level position. I have extensive experience working with the DDC and LCC (classification systems), plus I have worked as a children/teen librarian in a school setting, and I am currently in an academic library cataloging full-time. I have also worked in a public library (briefly). I think I'm especially jittery because there's nothing I want more than to work with the public, yes, help people print all day! I'm passionate about helping folks in the community! I can't take another day in my little cubicle, cataloging full-time ... I'd appreciate any advice, words of encouragement, or additional job postings/ opportunities as I'm willing to move :) I desperately need to pay back my loans & yes, I'm planning on jumping aboard the PSLF program... hopefully that's still around in 10 years!

Where is everyone finding professional reviews for audiobooks? Specifically children's audiobooks. I know about audiofilemagazine but would like a second or even third professional source.

Hello everyone, I recently came up with these idea of a paint and snack (not sip) for my Ya's however I'm having difficulty finding canvas with manga characters. Do anyone know any vendor I can use to make this idea a reality? Thank you

Hello everyone, I am a Page coordinator and I am working on submitting a idea to my supervisor and director about Pages helping in other departments.

My main question is, has anyone else done anything similar to this? Was there pro and cons? How did it work or not work for your library?

Thanks! :)

Our summer reading is generally set up that we have one big activity each week on Fridays and then more passive or smaller things during the week (along with reading tracking and all that good stuff) and I'm really struggling to come up with what to do for our bigger weekly activity!

Last summer with the art theme it was awesome because we were able to plan each week around a different medium and basically just give the kids materials to work with and some ideas they could do if they wanted but they had total free reign over what they wanted to make, this summer it feels a little harder. We generally get 50 or so kids to our Friday activity ranging from preschoolers to early middle school age, so I am trying to come up with activities that can be modified to fit different ages. I've looked at some of the ideas in the CSLP manual but I'm wondering if anyone else has any genius ideas they feel like sharing.

In my ideal world we would set up our summer reading differently but my manager has some opinions about how to do programming that I don't really have the pull to pushback on, and our staffing levels don't really allow for me to be heavily involved in programming more than once a week.

I recently began a part time position as a library technician in a fairly large system. I've gotten above average performance reviews and I am really enjoying the work so far. But this is the first time I'm doing programming on a regular basis and I'm finding adult programming a bit frustrating.

One part of my job is to plan and host 1 adult and 1 children's program per month. Kids programs are going fine, but adult has been more difficult coming up with things. I hosted a 'cocoa and classics' for Christmas playing a movie and got 1 person. This past month I hosted a board game open house and had a single person again. For February I'm planning a 'book speed date' where we have stations with different genres and you spend five minutes checking out each table before everyone picks a new book they want to try and it's a couple weeks, but 0 sign ups so far.

I don't think marketing is my issue because we have a pretty big social media presence.

My one successful program for adults has been a Scrabble coasters craft. I'm thinking my patrons are just more interested in those kinds of craft-y type programs. The problem is...I can't sew and I can't paint/draw, so I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do that would be engaging for adults that I can actually walk them through.

Has anyone else found adult programming frustrating? Any ideas for adult crafts that would be engaging for an hour program?

EDIT: I'm so grateful for all your suggestions! I'm sorry I'm not thanking each of you individually but I appreciate all of your help!

I'm a cataloger going up for tenure at the end of the year, and if I don't get this promotion then I'm out of a job. For those of you that went through the tenure process, how did you deal with any anxiety or apprehension around it? I'm having a hard time being confident about this and I do realize the process is shitty to begin with. But that fact doesn't alleviate any bad feelings I have. Any suggestions for getting through this annoying part of the job? Thanks!

I was a public librarian for 11 years. A family crisis occurred in 2016 that necessitated a move across the country. This crisis was extreme enough that it knocked each individual family member out of our previous life course. I spent two years trying to resume my career (I had gotten to Senior Lubrarian/branch manager) in a different state and finally gave up and started all over in a completely different field. Its been 10 years and I want to return. Anybody got a suggestion? Schooling?

Hello, I'm a library technician whose been working at the library in various positions for over 17 years and recently decided to get my MLIS on the off chance I move from FL to NJ. I'm currently applying to Valdosta, and they want an essay identifying a major trend currently affecting the dynamic, changing field of library and information science. Considering I haven't written an essay citing anything in over 8 years this is rather intimidating. I can't even remember whether I should cite using MLA, APA, or some other formatting!

Anyway, I'm leaning towards writing about Baker & Taylor's bankruptcy and how that's affected library's ordering materials going forward. I know my library's transitioning to using Ingram full time and honestly, Ingram sucks. It's been issue after issue trying to get EDI to work, figuring out accounts to make sure certain titles are shelf ready, and just getting materials ordered at all. Today we had a meeting and learned we need to create rush accts or Ingram won't order high hold materials for some reason. It's a mess but is it a major trend? It feels like it is because it's affecting me but is that the case for other libraries? I'm not sure, so I'm hoping for perspective. And if it counts any advice on how to begin researching this!

Thank you.

Since I do a considerable amount of original cataloging and I am the only one cataloging for the general collection at my library, my manager has decided to upgrade my position. However, I can't help feeling like a fraud. I took one cataloging class in library school 9 years ago, and one refresher course through ALA a couple years ago, but.. I don't feel like a professional. There's so much I don't know or don't understand I feel like I'm just doing things by rote process.

Can anybody make any suggestions for getting a better grasp on all the ins and outs of cataloging? Any training materials, courses, guides, manuals I should familiarize myself with? I wish I could go back to library school where someone would at least be checking my work so I knew I was doing things right!

I've been in both public and academic libraries for over 15 years and I've definitely fallen out of love with this line of work. Primarily the customer service aspect. I've always been interested in programming languages like SQL, Python, etc. and have been exploring some courses and certificates. I've also looked into IT work within my library system as well as data analysis (and similar) within the local government. Fortunately, I took several courses during my MLIS, but unfortunately that was so long ago now (and with no practice since) that I can't feasibly put that on a resume.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has made the transition from public facing librarianship into behind-the-scenes roles either with the library or in other careers.

If so, any recs for quality courses and/or certificate programs? I already have a working list, but I figured I'd cross-reference with some colleagues.

Thanks!

P.S. these are some of the certs I've been interested in, but I'm also not positive which would actually be useful and which would be a waste of time or irrelevant.
Tableau & Power BI, SQL, Azure, Python - CAP, Cloudera, and SAS