little life updates
job hunting, trying not to despair, etc.
As many of you know, I graduated from my Master of Library Science a couple of months ago. Since then, most of my time has been spent working at an academic library, finishing up a contract I began last fall. My job will conclude two months from now, and I don’t have a job lined up for after. I’ve been applying to full time roles at public libraries, academic libraries, and archives, slowly coming to terms with the fact that my true calling — rare book librarianship — might have to wait. I’m still proud of my qualifications, and while I’m embarrassed to call my knowledge of rare books “expertise”, perhaps I should: I have spent years of my life — throughout both my Bachelor’s and Master’s— learning about bibliography and the history of the book. I have conducted research on topics within this field, and had the opportunity to contribute to rare book and print projects through my student jobs. I am capable and committed. I have to keep reminding myself that my existing knowledge will not dissipate if I can’t immediately find related employment.
A lot of people have been asking me if I plan on applying to a PhD. My answer is, and always has been, a resounding “no”. I have no interest in becoming a professor. The things I would enjoy doing as a professor— like research, or occasional teaching and instruction— I can also do as an academic librarian/archivist. The most I would undertake is another Master’s, perhaps in history, media studies, or literature, and probably not in the near future (unless it’s funded)!
So what do I have planned for the months that follow my contract’s conclusion? First, I’m giving myself some time to travel— my partner and I will be going to Ireland for eight days this autumn.
Aside from applying to several jobs a day when I return, I’ll probably put more time into my monthly LGBT craft event series, which I’ve been doing for over a year now. We regularly sell out— the venue can only hold 60 guests and there is such a wonderful community of sapphics who bond over crafts. Recently, my co-host and I facilitated a big book swap and a tea-based watercolour painting session at a local teahouse. Next month, we have plans to host multiple events, including a cyanotype workshop.
Somehow, I’ve also lined up 4 volunteer roles, two of which will probably recur weekly. One is with a group of music archivists, and another involves organizational tasks at a small library whose holdings pertain to a very specific period in history. I’ll also be returning to my weekly shifts at a library’s used bookstore and a local letterpress studio. Even if it takes me a while to find a job, I want to stay immersed in the library and book arts community.
One thing I’m particularly excited about is the prospect of being able to take dance classes during the day? I’ve never truly been unemployed and out of school at the same time, and while it may sound frivolous, ballet has always been a very important part of my life. I love taking classes right now and would love to take multiple a week.
Maybe this period of my life will allow me to regulate my nervous system a bit, and do some things for my health— I’ve already made a habit of working out in ways that I enjoy regularly, but I want to cook at home more and fix my sleep schedule and vitamin deficiency. It might also be nice to focus on literary content creation for a while— I’ve really missed making book recommendation videos, and I want to do some independent research on book history topics and write about my findings on Substack.
More soon! If anyone has any tips on staying sane and fending off despair while job hunting, feel free to share them ⭐️📜📖💿
You should absolutely own your expertise!
i tried cyanotype before! made a keychain from it heheh