Turning your book passion into an occupation

[FrodoLIVES]

Fret not FrodoLIVES! Keep reading and you will see the possibilities that life has to offer just jumping off the page!

Thanks Grit! With as much reading as I do that shouldn't be a problem

 

[lady.cordelia]

Who here has thought of transforming their love and passion for books into their job? Perhaps you thought of going into teaching, setting up your own bookstore, working for someone else's bookstore, or you may have even desired to become a librarian. Has anyone do this or know of others who have? Any drawbacks?

Found a good article that highlights how libraries have become oddities in our contemporary culture. Section 9 of the reading is definitely one of the more interesting pieces written.

well, i have already done that - sort of. i homeschool my kids using a classical approach with a HUGE emphasis on literature (and history of course). everything that is to be learned can be learned from books. they ARE the center of the universe!

oh, and i have an idea for a novel in my mind that has been stirring for about three years. i have been collecting research on the topic (which will have to be extensive as it involves a culture i don't know much about) and hope to have an outline within two years. whether it will ever get written, i have no idea, but i love the story in my mind anyway!

 

[SFG75]

Either that or a teacher, probably in either the english or history field. There's so many choices. I'm very confused about what I want to do. Hopefully time will tell.

Glad that you are considering teaching Frodo. It is very rewarding and often times, it's easy to overlooks all of the positives and focus on the few negatives that there are. I've known people who have traded working in the corporate sector for education and they wouldn't give it up for the world. The best part is relating your passion for a given subject to someone and to see them progress with that knowledge. I'm in my seventh year now, and I just do not see myself doing anything else. The "baby boomer" generation teachers will be retiring in droves over the next decade, so the market is good, even for history teachers. Oh, and check out this group, THE best one for teachers by every measurable standard.

 

[FrodoLIVES]

Thanks for the tips SFG. Teaching seems like it would be a job that I could really relate to. I could give my enthusiasm for a subject to others and it seems like that would be well worth my time.

 

[Thursday]

I am a Librarian. I have a degree in Library and Information Management, and since graduating 4 years ago I have achieved my Chartered Librarian status.

While I absolutely love my job, I am beginning to feel quite disillusioned with the future of Public Libraries in the UK. There are a lot of changes under the guise of "modernisation", many of which I cannot see are for the better. A lot of library authorities do not have professional librarians, and we truly are a diminishing breed.

We have recently been advised that professional librarians are no longer allowed to help staff enquiry desks in libraries - apart from at critical periods or as a back up when the poor (much underpaid and undervalued) library assistant can't cope any more!

As I say - I love my job, I love what I do, I love my contact with the reading public (and the computer using public!) but I don't know how much longer I can work for an organisation who cannot give my job and the service the respect I feel it deserves.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

over the last six months or so I'm starting to develop such a burning desire to get out of my current field (finance) and into something that I would be happier doing for the rest of my life. My current daydream involves my wife starting work again, me quitting the bank and getting a job at Chapters and then proceeding to work my way up to buyer.

My love of book goes so far beyond just what's inside the cover. I literally have been known to PET my books when I really want to be reading and have something else to do. I love the way books feel in my hand. I swear someday they will kick me out of the bookstore for fondling the merchandise.
Awww, someday.

 

[KristoCat]

While I absolutely love my job, I am beginning to feel quite disillusioned with the future of Public Libraries in the UK. There are a lot of changes under the guise of "modernisation", many of which I cannot see are for the better. A lot of library authorities do not have professional librarians, and we truly are a diminishing breed.

We have recently been advised that professional librarians are no longer allowed to help staff enquiry desks in libraries - apart from at critical periods or as a back up when the poor (much underpaid and undervalued) library assistant can't cope any more!

Thursday, you might want to think about moving to the U.S.! In our public libraries, professional librarians are not just allowed to, but a preferred choice when staffing the reference desk. There are a fair number of library assistants as well, but in my experience they handle basic circulation and direction-giving tasks while the professionals tackle the more interesting reference and reader's advisory questions, as well as all those other activities like collection development and cataloging. The big exception is academic libraries, where the professional librarians don't normally staff the reference desk (the library grad students get that job).

I just graduated with a master's degree in library science and am searching for full time professional employment. But I've worked in a lot of libraries in lower-level positions and that's pretty much what I see.

 

[Wintergreen]

well, i have already done that - sort of. i homeschool my kids using a classical approach with a HUGE emphasis on literature (and history of course). everything that is to be learned can be learned from books.

For arts subjects, maybe. But you can't get a well-rounded science education from books alone.

 

[lady.cordelia]

For arts subjects, maybe. But you can't get a well-rounded science education from books alone.

i said everything that can be learned can be learned from books. i didn't say all books would be appropriate for learning science. HOWEVER, if you are creative you can find ideas to make science projects out of the simplest of books. for instance, Make Way For Ducklings is one that we did when my kids were in preschool and kindergarten. for science, we talked about how ducks have oil glands, we talked about anatomy and the anatomy of ducks, and we did a little science project where we dipped a cotton ball in oil and then another one we left plain. we put both in a glass of water to see what would happen. we talked about mass and bouyancy and how things float. we talked about gravity. there are many things you can do. from harry potter, you can make your own potions and learn about the property of chemicals and chemistry. from The Story About Ping we learned about China, about the Yangtze River and how it became yellow. we reviewed the concepts we learned about ducks. we learned about boats and how they could stay afloat, etc. i could go on and on.

we don't use the same curriculum as we did when they were from preschool to first (Five In A Row was the curriculum we used - which is where i learned how to take a simple book and create an entire week's worth of lesson plans for every subject imaginable. you read the same book everyday and then do 1-2 projects out of that book. we also used enchanted learning.com for printables, as well as many other web resources).

 

[SFG75]

well, i have already done that - sort of. i homeschool my kids using a classical approach with a HUGE emphasis on literature (and history of course). everything that is to be learned can be learned from books. they ARE the center of the universe!

oh, and i have an idea for a novel in my mind that has been stirring for about three years. i have been collecting research on the topic (which will have to be extensive as it involves a culture i don't know much about) and hope to have an outline within two years. whether it will ever get written, i have no idea, but i love the story in my mind anyway!

I have to apologize for overlooking this post after my previous one. The library is perfect for home-schooling!. Books, computers, and a curious mind-you can't get much better than that. I've started to take my kids once a week to our local library and we check out books, along with one or two educational DVDs/VHS tapes. We are looking to move to a larger city in the coming months, so our opportunities in regards to library quality will only get better. Kudos to you for making your children's education a top priority.

 

[lady.cordelia]

thanks! since you are moving to a larger city, find out if any local colleges will allow you to use their libraries. a community college close to our house lets us check out books from them, too!