Job hunting sucks. Finding yourself doing something other than what you had planned can be scary, or awesome. No one knows this better than I do.
My name is Gretchen, and I am a Rouge Librarian located in Minnesota. I graduated from St. Catherine University in May of 2012, now 2 years later I have just started to gain traction in my career path. This is due to multiple things; some of which is my fault, some of which is from outside influences.
After attaining my undergraduate degree in English Literature from Colorado State in 2009 I decided to go to Library School. (I loved reading, books are pretty, so why wouldn't I want a job where I get to talk about books all day? This is not what librarians do) Regardless of the amusement of some of my fellow Rams I decided to venture North to gain my Masters degree from St. Catherine University in Minnesota. Of course St. Catherine's had it's own issues; mainly with accreditation with the American Library Association. Luckily I stayed in the program and was in the first class to graduate with an accredited degree from the ALA in 2012. The problem was simply that EVERYONE (or at least 97% of people) who graduate from St. Catherine University decide to stay in the Twin Cities.
Now, as one of these people I can't blame anyone. Though I regularly curse them for making my career path so difficult. Even though there are times in the winter where I wonder why I am living someplace where taking a step outside hurts my face, I do love living here. However this has made the job hunt a seemingly never-ending struggle for most of us. How were we to know that our career path in this area of the country would make library jobs even scarcer and the job market filled to bursting with graduates looking for jobs?
As many of us Librarians know, we don't always end up where we thought we would. I was going to work for a corporation -- no children, no longer working with the public, doing real research.
I was so very wrong.
What I am actually doing is working in Public Library systems. There is an underground society of Rouge Librarians, though our group is always changing and the members are generally hidden from each other, we exist as part of every Library System, regardless of county. We travel where needed, doing whatever job is required for us at various public library branches across the metro. Yes, you could also describe us as Substitutes (Library Associates, Librarians, Pages, Library Service Assistants, etc.), but we are one of the most valued parts of the library staff. We know more about what is going on at the different branches than most other staff.
The problem with being a Rouge Librarian is that you are never sure of your schedule, never given a large amount of responsibility, and you generally are still on a constant search for permanent employment. Some of us are forced into this (I find myself lucky that I was - I have far more patience for children that I thought I would have while I was in Library School), and some of us are just happy with whatever work we can find. The length of time you are a Rouge varies, some stay for years, some leave in a matter of weeks. This blog is my effort to show how being a Rouge Librarian can be one of the best experiences you can have.
Regardless of what brought me into this crazy schedule of balancing multiple systems and picking up shifts like a fat kid goes after candy on Halloween, I can happily say that I enjoy what I do, and honestly - being a rouge is pretty fuckin' awesome.
