bad time to look for librarian job?

useless

This may be slightly off topic, but I just wondered if anyone here works in a library or has a sense for the job market in academic, public and any other libraries at the moment?

I am specifically looking at a qualified librarian job rather than library assistant.

Are there just as many librarian jobs about as there was a year ago?
Are there job freezes where you are?
Are people generally staying put in the permanent posts?
Or is the library sector pretty much uneffected for now?

Thanks for any info

MsChazzer

Hi, I'm a qualified librarian as well and I've been looking for a new job for a while, I was only really half looking a year ago so it's hard to say.

Do you get the email alert from LISJobnet at CILIP? Most professional library jobs across the country are there and I don't think they have lessened in the last year. I suppose it depends on the institution and what state their funding is in. But then my local library service (Edinburgh) has started offering free reserves so something must be going right for them.

Good luck!

ilikedrawing

Look on jobsgopublic i found a few in my local area on there, other than that i dont know about the crazy world of libraries!

useless

MsChazzer wrote: »

Hi, I'm a qualified librarian as well and I've been looking for a new job for a while, I was only really half looking a year ago so it's hard to say.

Do you get the email alert from LISJobnet at CILIP? Most professional library jobs across the country are there and I don't think they have lessened in the last year. I suppose it depends on the institution and what state their funding is in. But then my local library service (Edinburgh) has started offering free reserves so something must be going right for them.

Good luck!

Cheers guys. Interestingly I was chucking out some old issues of the CILIP job thing from 2004 and counted over 80 jobs listed in one random issue. I'm sure there isn't that many coming out now. It's only because a librarian friend commented as well that I started to notice!

cannycat

I'm also a qualified librarian and though not seriously looking yet am starting to think about my next career move... I can't speak for public librarian vacancies, but on the academic/health side I've seen a steady increase in part-time/job share vacancies over the last year. And I agree that 'Gazette' seems thinner than it was this time last year... I think it depends what stage you're at in your career, I know anecdotally from colleagues that entry level vacancies always get lots of well-qualified applicants, but mid-career and senior vacancies don't get so many. 60-65% of jobs are in London anyway, in all library sectors, so unless you live in easy reach of the capital, finding a new job can be pretty tricky and often involve a move to another part of the country if you're able. I also know very few people who've managed to change sector; once you're stuck in a sector, you're stuck in a sector! Although certainly in my sector, about 60-70% of my colleagues are likely to reach retirement age in the next 3-4 years; whether they'll retire or, if they do, their posts will be filled is another debate though. A friend who works in government libraries has mentioned there's a recruitment freeze on there at the moment.

Sites I've found very helpful - obviously lisjobnet; the various jiscmail mailing lists (lis-link being the cross-cultural one, I'm sure there is one for public libraries as well); employmentservice.gov.uk; sector1 (north east only); fish4jobs; and occasionally monster.co.uk and guardian.co.uk. Good luck!

useless

Cheers Cannycat for all your advice - yes the changing sectors one is an interesting one!

I've accidentally ended up in the academic sector so far and another librarian friend has mentioned a few times about how hard they've found it trying to get a job in the academic sector (they've worked in several other types of library but never academic). I'm pretty sure I have pigeon-holed myself as all my jobs have been in one specialist subject as well, which undoubtedly means problems with finding other jobs in my local area if I want to stay in that subject.

Annoyingly there was a library job in a completely different sector recently advertised in my actual home town on a decent wage! And like a fool I didn't even test the water and apply to see what they thought of me, because I had somehow convinced myself that the extra opportunities opening up at my current work were worth all the extra stress and of course because I really don't have the slightest clue about this other sector!

I really think my line manager would be annoyed if I left at this extremely crucial time and after all they've done to help me - without going into too much detail. Eek.

Anyway, a long ramble about personal circumstances of interest to no one!

bunny999

I'd say it was a bad time to look for any job. A lot of libraries are employing more library assistants and fewer librarians. Most of the jobs are in London.
You could try agencies - TFPL and Sue Hill are online.

Good luck