Still job hunting

I received another rejection email, amazing I am not qualified enough. I'm okay about it though, its just so tiresome this whole process. My part-time job is temporary till the end of September, so that gives me two months to get a full time job.

Uncertainty

Before I made the decision to go to library school, I was working two jobs just to make it. I was a full time Library Associate at a public library and a part time night supervisor at an academic library. I was making good money, but I was unhappy having to work so much just make ends meet and to top it off there was no room to grow in either position. So, I had a huge choice to make stay in my current state or change my status. Of course I chose school as I wanted to put myself in a better position to move further in my life. There are times when I question myself about my recent choices as I live at home with my grandparents, well grandparent since my Nana passed a couple months ago. I have many bills to pay and am working part-time temporarily, which is not enough to do much. I have wonderful friends and family that help with food sometimes but mostly I just make it day by day.It's tough, and you learn how strong you really are in times like these. I am trying to remain faithful and trust that things will be fine, however the majority of the jobs that I see on the job boards are academic positions and they take forever to go through the application process and for someone in my situation I need a job now before I have to start back paying loans. I am now back where I started in 2004 when I got my Bachelors (just more qualified or too qualified for some jobs) and it took me six months to get a job, well actually two jobs. I sit here thinking about what happens next and my future as a Librarian somewhere.

It's been awhile, but I'm still here

Since graduation in May I have been working part-time temporarily at my old job. In that time I have read about 20 or more books, I know greedy for books. I must say that school kept me pretty busy and away from the pleasures of reading, but so many books and I have nothing but time now. The job hunt is going slowly as I had to make sure my resume was professional and all, which took forever as I dragged my butt doing it. It was more so that I was so burned out on the experience of it all and I also lost someone I loved a month before graduation, my grandma. Needless to say many emotions and exhaustion all came crashing down on me at once. Yet, I'm still here not a hopeless librarian, WOW! I'm a librarian, but one with big dreams.

Book Review: Mare's War

Davis, Tanita S. Mare’s War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. 341pp. Ages 11-17

Mare is not your ordinary grandmother. She doesn’t sew or knit. She wears stiletto heels, drives a flashy red sports car, and believes she is too young to be called Grandma. Ocatavia and Tali have the opportunity to spend their summer getting to know the grandmother they never knew, yet neither is thrilled about the idea. Tali had planned to spend her summer saving money for a car. Octavia hoped to hang with her friends. However, Mare has other ideas, such as driving from California to Bay Slough, Alabama, for a family reunion. The journey will be one they never forget as Mare tells stories about her time in the Women’s Army during World War II. Wittingly charming and hilariously intriguing, this book’s storytelling style will grab tween and teen's attention until the very end.

Book Review: After

Efaw, Amy. After. New York: Viking, 2009. 350pp. Ages 14-18

Devon is determined, driven, and pregnant at fifteen. She has everything going for her until she is arrested for the attempted murder of her child. Devon has blocked out her pregnancy, as she is unable to face the reality of what has happened. She begins to withdraw from everyone and everything she loves. Even after she has the baby and dumps it in the trash, she remains in denial of her pregnancy and murder. However, as memories of that night come to light, does Devon really know what she did? The front cover of the book displays a reflection of the truth that Devon hides from herself. Teens will likely find the book topic vividly realistic and appealing, as they are drawn into the mind of Devon from beginning to end.

Book Review: Almost Perfect

Katcher, Brian. Almost Perfect. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. 360pp. Ages 14-18

Sage has a secret. Logan has a problem. He is still in love with his ex-girlfriend Brenda even though she cheated on him; Logan hopes Brenda will come back to him. Sage is the new girl in school, strangely beautiful and the perfect girl to help Logan get over his feelings for Brenda. Logan is instantly drawn to Sage, but she is not allowed to date, so they decide to be friends. The chemistry between Logan and Sage becomes too much when they kiss and Sage reveals her secret. She is a boy. Struggling to come to terms with this revelation as his world gets turned inside out, Logan’s strength and understanding is tested. Witty and heartfelt, this is a must read for any teen coming to terms with their sexual identity or the acceptance of others.

Internship Day 3

I learned how to archive maps today. Jason, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens(BBG) Library Archivist showed me how to clean and repair maps of the gardens. We used this funny looking sponge and shavings, which I was told are just ground up erasers. I removed tacky stuff with this neat little rubber cement eraser. I also got to play with this really expensive tape to fix the tears in the maps. All the maps today were of the Japanese Gardens, that I have yet to see, but it looks pretty on paper.