Position...still...Vacant!
Is it coincidence that this month's Incite has a summary of the age distribution of Australian librarians, which gives the somewhat worrying picture that as well as most of them being over 46 (nothing wrong with 46, 46 is nice!), 32% of librarians are planning to retire in the next 10 years? The apparent shortage of librarians has hit home after being unable to attract a successful applicant for a general library job at our library recently. Despite advertising via ALIA, we had 3 applicants in total - 1 withdrew before interview, 1 accepted another job closer to home, and 1 was a mature new graduate who obtained employment at a neighbouring local authority. Woe is us!!! So the next person who walks in the door with a library qualification...
However, the next job vacancy might be my own! Not that I'm thinking of retiring (far from it, still got a good 20 years left), but because our local government is staring down the biggest calamity in its 100+ year history - yes, forced amalgamation. I am personally convinced that we will in fact be amalgamating with our neighbouring area, Rockhampton. Not that I'm against it in principle. And knitting together 2 or more library systems could be quite interesting. For someone else. Sitting through endless committee meetings nutting over the detail is not my thing (been there done that). I prefer the instant gratification of having a good idea in the morning, implementing it in the afternoon. So...while I love living in paradise, and intend to return to DIE here (with a longish retirement first!) there are hopefully 20 or so years that I could be...somewhere else for a while.
Scary but also strangely liberating...like being 20 again. Will I upgrade to a Masters degree? Will I study something completely different? Will I step into a similar job elsewhere (in which case I hope there really IS a shortage of librarians out there!)? Or try a different sector? Or career? Looking forward with anticipation...
However, the next job vacancy might be my own! Not that I'm thinking of retiring (far from it, still got a good 20 years left), but because our local government is staring down the biggest calamity in its 100+ year history - yes, forced amalgamation. I am personally convinced that we will in fact be amalgamating with our neighbouring area, Rockhampton. Not that I'm against it in principle. And knitting together 2 or more library systems could be quite interesting. For someone else. Sitting through endless committee meetings nutting over the detail is not my thing (been there done that). I prefer the instant gratification of having a good idea in the morning, implementing it in the afternoon. So...while I love living in paradise, and intend to return to DIE here (with a longish retirement first!) there are hopefully 20 or so years that I could be...somewhere else for a while.
Scary but also strangely liberating...like being 20 again. Will I upgrade to a Masters degree? Will I study something completely different? Will I step into a similar job elsewhere (in which case I hope there really IS a shortage of librarians out there!)? Or try a different sector? Or career? Looking forward with anticipation...
posted by Deb at
6:42 PM
|
8 comments
