Perhaps I should have had a little more experience before I decided to go to library school. I also should have seriously considered if that was what I wanted to do. I did consider other graduate programs before I chose librarianship. I went to an informational session for a Master of Arts in Writing at Johns Hopkins University, but turned it down because I thought it didn’t guarantee a specific career path. I was sick of floating around. I wanted something concrete. I wanted a specialization.
Oh, I almost forgot, I also applied to NYU for a Masters in Publishing since I had experience in the field, but I was rejected. What an effing relief. I would have added at least $100,000 to my student loan debt!
I still wanted to be in NYC, so I applied to a graduate program in Library and Information Science at Queens College and got in. In the fall of 2009, I packed up my car and tried NYC once again. It ended up being a wonderful experience, but not for the reasons I imagined . . .
Adrienne as Administrative/Production Assistant
The first few weeks of graduate school were hard. I didn’t have an apartment when I started classes, so I drove back and forth from NYC to Maryland for one week. I ended up finding a wonderful subletting situation for two weeks until I got a more permanent apartment share in Queens, thanks to a connection through one of my good friends. Eventually I’d move to a cute apartment in Brooklyn and would live there for a year.
As soon as I moved to NYC, I searched and searched for a job. During my search, I was constantly more excited by non-library jobs. I knew that this was a sign that librarianship might not work out, but I didn’t want to give up. I couldn’t imagine dropping out of school, admitting that I didn’t want to be a librarian and going back to Maryland. No way. Not an option.
After a month with no job in sight, a classmate recommended a work/study position at our school. I went to the financial aid office and found a position in the Creative Services department. I never looked back.
I met my wonderful supervisor and mentor, Stephanie, who is the deputy director of Creative Services and has a flawless reputation amongst the staff and faculty on campus. She taught me so much about professionalism and running a busy department. She’s also just a really great person and someone I look up to immensely. She gives the best advice and continues to support me to this day.
On my first day, Stephanie introduced me to all the designers, editors and the department administrative specialist ("secretary"), Dottie, who was only two months from retiring and who was the glue that kept the department running. Everyone was sooooo New Yahwk (accents and attitudes) and so kind.
I assisted Dottie and Stephanie with administrative tasks, managing projects through the production process and running jobs to reprographics (the school’s printing press). It was easy work and I interacted with awesome people . . . couldn’t ask for more as a graduate student.
By winter break, I was promoted to a part-time staff member. That meant a 50% pay raise and benefits! I was excited. I would be filling in for Dottie for a few months, which was not an easy task. She was an expertly trained secretary who had been with the college for over 30 years. In fact, quite a few people who worked in Creative Services had been working there for the majority of their adult lives. Low turnover is a telltale sign of a good place to work.
I ended up working in Creative Services for my entire time in graduate school. I interviewed for a library internship during this time and then withdrew from it . . . another sign that I wasn’t serious about librarianship. I was balancing a part-time job that I absolutely needed, a long-distance relationship and a full course load. I just couldn’t imagine throwing in an internship that I wasn’t passionate about.
During this time, I also decided that I wanted to move back to Maryland to be with my boyfriend, family and friends after graduation. Home is where your heart is. I graduated a semester early and thank God that I did. Everything happens for a reason. I didn't know it at the time, but graduating early enabled me to be with my Mom for the last few months of her life. I will always be thankful for that.
Next Up: The “Dream” Job from Hell and Nothing Really Matters
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