Category: Library Monk News

And it’s taken me just over 3 full weeks to post anything. I find that most of my “what am I doing” type posts are now handled by Twitter. As far as LIS content goes, I’m not actively involved in LIS education anymore, I haven’t taught since 2005 or taken any classes since 2006. So my LIS content is limited to the occasional job related post.

On that score, my attempts at getting a tenure track library job have met with little success for various reasons. I’m geographically limited by choice, so those jobs are rare. Although I occasionally look at jobs in other states and ponder the possibilities.

In late 2007 I passed up an opportunity to leave library life for a much higher paying position with UT, all because I was chasing a tenure track job. It’s a decision that little over a year later I regret, given how 2008 did not work in my favor employment-wise.

So I’m left with a few questions for 2009. The first is: “What’s the purpose of this blog?”

I do work in a library but I’m not as connected to the happenings in LIS land as I once was. At one time I got a few mentions as a LIS blogger. (Thanks, Walt.) However,with the sparse postings around here, my readership is probably nil, and rightly so. The hosting costs of Library Monk are now essentially zero, so another than the domain names Library Monk costs me nothing to keep running. But does a sparingly read blog need to exist?

The second question is “Do I need a new job?”

I’ve had my current job for a about 2.5 years now. I’ve changed departments and gotten a couple small pay raises but with the current economy I have no idea when I’ll see another raise. I’ve recently picked up a freelance web design job and it’s made me ponder leaving the relative safety of my academic library staff job for a higher paying private sector job.

My only issue here is that while my take home pay stinks the benefits are quite good. The medical insurance benefit alone is worth several hundred dollars a month. So while I might gain take home pay, I’ll probably lose at least some benefits.

So that’s what I’m ponder here in the early days of the Obama administration. I guess Tuesday’s momentous change has me pondering changes of my own.