Pros
There are some very lovely people working here, and there is usually food in the Circulation workroom.
Kontras
The Peter Principle rules supreme. If you get a job here and think that your resume, education, and desire to succeed will help you climb the ranks, think again. Although every department is a little different, let me fill you in on what I've experienced and learned working here: 1. Promotions are NOT based on merit. My boss told me that when they’re deciding who to promote, they do NOT consider the following: education, previous work history, longevity at the library, or work performance. What do they consider, you might ask, if objective criteria and merit do not matter? Well, I have no idea; my boss can't seem to come up with an answer to the question. From what I can tell, favoritism is the name of the game. 2. The schedule is dreadful and ever-changing. In my department, my shift will be changed without my knowledge or consent. I’m often left in the awkward place of either having to rearrange my personal life (doctor’s appointments, travel plans, etc.), or make a stink about the change. I’ve asked many times not to have my schedule changed without asking me first, but the problem persists. The scheduler moves around employee shifts like it’s an elaborate chess game, and the department supervisor sees no problem with the situation. You'll work weird shifts eight days in a row, have one day off (unless the schedule changes and that's taken away from you), and then work another seven days. Also, it’s very difficult to get time off approved. 3. The patrons of the community are extremely rude and inappropriate. You'll have people yell at you over things like the weather, regularly harass you at the public desk (they’ll trap you in conversation for thirty minutes telling you all about their sex life, or they’ll just complain the person next to them was breathing too loudly), and (if you're female like me) you will be subject to sexual advances from many of the gentlemen who come to the library. (There is one patron in particular that management is aware likes to bother female employees with the intention of making them uncomfortable, yet nothing is done to expel him from the library; we’re just told to “deal with it”.) If you're okay being told you're incompetent because it's raining outside, yelled at because a book is checked out, and then asked if you're single (and if you are single, what's wrong with you?), you'll enjoy working here.