At the library... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

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  • DUKE
    DUKE Posts: 7,360
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post I've been Money Tipped!
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    Our library's great, but it did go through a phase of having someone in there who loved the sound of their very own loud voice :rolleyes:
  • What I find sadly amusing is the number of librarians who use this website! Clearly it reflects the poor wages we receive - well below the UK average - yet we have to deal with some pretty unpleasant situations day-in-day-out, particularly those in public libraries. Fortunately I got out of public libraries early on in my career, did my degree, and got into academic libraries; the wages are still well below average, but at least we don't have to put up with the same hassles as those of our colleagues in the public service! I can't remember when I last went into a public library, but I do remember it certainly wasn't quiet, peaceful, not conducive to study/work. That is NO reflection on the staff, but is a reflection on those misusing the valuable service offered.
  • bigpat
    bigpat Posts: 328
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    windywendy wrote: »
    some staff have had their cars damaged,some are on drugs etc.


    Hee hee....I'm sure you didn't mean to phrase it like that...but then again?

    I'm a regular at our library and I love it there!
  • Well SparkyG, your thread could have been written by me! I have worked in the library for 22 years and my colleagues and myself have said exactly the same as you - we are childminders, social workers etc. and the public seem to think we know about everything from A to Z. I tell my family about things that have happened in the library and they have said that nobody would believe me.If we didn't laugh about the situations we find ourselves in, we would despair. It certainly isn't like the good old days!

    By the way - I love red wine too!
  • roger_c
    roger_c Posts: 320
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    I've got some work-related exams coming up and I chose to study in my local library - Hillhead Library on Byres' Road in Glasgow primarily because I thought library = peace & quiet with no distractions.

    Like some of you have said, the first day I arrived I thought I'd never be able to get anything done, because there was no susshhhhing by a scary librarian and people were just talking at the normal volume all they liked! But after a couple of days I've gotten used to it and it's been a productive few days.

    I think the library is a great resource with free wi-fi and internet access for all and it's great to see parents bringing their kids to encourage them to read. Although I've had no action interaction with the staff, I've seen the work they do and I must say I wouldn't frankly have the patience, but good on them!
  • gracie83
    gracie83 Posts: 301
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    Time4Tea wrote: »
    I agree with all of the above. I'm a newly qualified librarian and am struggling to find a job, despite working as a library assistant for 4 years. I can't wait to get somewhere but it is challenging, and rewarding, work.

    I am in the same situation if you don't live in london, are a qualified teacher or a librarian with many years of experience - forget it! Been looking for near two years now since i qualified and so far there has been 1 new librarian post in the Birmingham area!

    I have just shown my library collegues the library work recommendation and they are getting strange looks from the students as they are laughing so hard!
  • i also work in a public library and can vouch for the fact that it is not peaceful anf relaxing! The job is more like a bouncers job, as half our time is spent trying to stop fights between teenagers who tend to come in out of the cold and rain, use the internet for 10 mins get bored and start irritating each other! i have just got a job in a university library I am hoping it will be slightly calmer!
  • I know a lot of the larger libraries are busy places, and some sound awful! But my local village library looks like a nice place to work, always quiet and peaceful, and the librarians don't seem rushed off their feet (always time for a chat which is nice). And the library at my school seems like the best place to work ever! There's the occasional idiotic child that needs to be dealt with but most of the time (I'm in there a lot doing homework etc., and at lunch time with my friends) the librarians just sit back with a cup of tea, occasionally tidying up the newspapers etc! A family friend covered for one of the usual librarians while she went on maternity leave and said it was a fab job. I think the ideal of a quiet, peaceful library where the work is interesting and not at all stressful is rare, but they do exist and there are a lucky few who manage to get jobs at them! :D
    :j:j:j
  • Ha ha! I am only reading this thread now, as I was browsing through the boost your income article and was puzzled by the seemingly random inclusion of the suggestion about working in a library.

    Having worked in the library sector for 15 years, I don't know what to be more amused by: that it is an easy, peaceful way to earn dosh? The implication that there are lots of part time posts available? That it is good money? Oh dear!

    Thanks for giving me a good laugh this morning anyway.
  • Can I just add - if there are any budding script writers out there, it sounds like a good source for a new sitcom. If you can find a programme maker willing to spend money for new british sitcoms that is.

    I use two of my local libraries. One is in an affluent area and is always full of au pairs emailing home by day, small children toddling through the kids area while mum chooses a quick paperback (it's next door to a hall that does tumble tots, so a great way of luring the kids in early) the ladies who run it are great and very helpful. The other is just off a busy high street, has a much more mixed clientelle and the staff are great there too. I thought they did very well when there was a council organised chinese new year celebration going on in the adjoining hall and the lion decided to dance through the library and over the tables.

    Keep it up all of you, you do a great job and my kids love their library. Just as well, we're all voracious readers and it would cost us an absolute fortune otherwise.
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