:The Young Librarian Series

Molly Kelly is 29 year old Library Intern at Rolf Jensen & Associates in Chicago, IL. You can contact her with questions at: Molly[dot]K[dot]Kelly[at]gmail[dot]com or follow her twitter: @checkedoutbyme

The Young Librarian Series invites you to check out the blog Checked Out penned by Molly Kelly. Here is what she has to say about it:

Finding a job is hard.

Finding a job in this current economy is harder.

Finding a full-time job in this current economy is the hardest.

But I am not here to dwell on the difficulty of finding a job; it is a bit of given, if you will. What I am here to say is: Don’t give up. (I can say that because I’m in the same boat. Sometimes I even say it to myself.) If I’ve learned anything from my job-hunting adventures, it is the fact that I have chosen the right profession. I say this because even though it is difficult at times to keep the momentum going, I’m still incredibly passionate about where it’s taking me. And right now it’s taking me many places.

Some of the best advice I’ve received from fellow librarians is to go out there and meet and talk to other librarians. Following that advice has allowed me to not only meet exceptional people doing amazing work, but it has guided me in the direction of creating projects of my own such as my blog: http://checkedoutbyme.tumblr.com.

I created this blog to highlight materials I have personally checked out from my public library (Chicago Public Library). While it is still in its baby stages, I’m excited that I can now share some of what public libraries have to offer their patrons. Since I have always been a fan of libraries, it’s easy to forget that many people do not know what they are missing. I wanted to create an online presence with this blog to demonstrate not only my passion for the profession, but also my passion for libraries on a personal level. As time goes on, I’m sure it will evolve in directions I am not even aware of now, and that is part of the exciting process for me. It feels good to actively participate in the profession I love.

The job hunt may be hard at times, but it’s pushing me to be strong, creative and looking at the big picture. What better preparation could I get?

This is just one in a series of blog highlights from young librarians in the blogosphere. If you are interested in having your blog highlighted on the Young Librarian Series, please send your blog’s URL and a brief description to: younglibrarianseries@gmail.com. Or just head over to the Submissions page. Thanks! ~leah

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Hello young librarians!

Leah here! Just wanted to announce that the National Book Foundation is giving away their annual Innovations in Reading Prize and the money is ripe for librarians’ picking!

The prize is given to “to individuals and institutions–or partnerships between the two–that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading” with prize values of up to $2500. So if your library has been searching for funds to develop that Teen Collection or invest in a new Periodicals subscription, you should consider submitting an application. It’s a great way to score some extra cash for the library!

Sidenote: feeling the urge to write an opinion piece or record a podcast? Send us your submissions! Or contact me with questions: younglibrarianseries@gmail.com

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Carrie Straka is a 32 year old Adult Services Librarian at Vernon Area Public Library District in Lincolnshire, IL. She can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/librarybug, or you can read her blog at http://librarybug.wordpress.com.

I’ve been searching for a book club for a long time. Since I haven’t been able to find one, I decided to establish a new book club for young librarians. The club will give young librarians a chance to connect and gain experience with book clubs.

Here are my goals for the Young Librarians Book Club:

• Rotating Leadership: Different discussion leaders at each meeting will give everyone more experience.
• Various Meeting Locations: Meetings at different locations around the Chicago area will make it easier for more people to take part.
• Broad Genre Exposure: Books from many genres, as well as non-fiction, will be covered to give everyone experience with unfamiliar genres.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, and you’d like to join the Young Librarians Book Club, or you have questions, you can contact Carrie at ca_straka[at]yahoo.com.

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