Dear Applicant

May 3, XXXX

Dear Applicant,

Congratulations on your recent graduation from college.

Thank you for your interest in the REDACTED Public Library and in the position of Librarian. We received applications from candidates whose education and experience better suit this position, so we will not be scheduling an interview with you at this time. We will keep your application materials on file for one year and encourage you to continue to check our employment page for future postings. I will point out that this position requires a Master of Library Science, or “MLS.”

While not a requirement of any of our library jobs, many of our applicants note that they believe their primary qualification for applying to a position in a public library is being "an avid reader." This is an understandable misconception. The irony of working in a public library is, actually, that staff read less. True, staff are initially attracted to library work because they love literature, but a successful candidate has experience in customer service. Lately, I’ve compared it to working in a fast food chain. We work with the public. The “public” can be rude, entitled, and demanding, especially in these times when instant gratification is the norm. There have been days when I silently ask myself, “Would you like fries with that?” Of course, I am referring to “the public” in generalities; there are individual patrons who are truly lovely, and staff have built relationships with them over the years. This, too, can be a dual-edged sword, which is why I’ve also compared this work to that of a bartender, who (at least in stereotype) listens to the customer as she drowns her sorrows in a glass of bourbon. We listen to the patron’s life story while submitting a request for an item through ILL (Inter-Library Loan), assisting with a computer question, or while stopped on our way to the restroom. Applicants are surprised to discover that working in a library is more stressful than they imagined. Experiencing a library as a patron is very different from working as a staff member who works very hard to create that patron experience. You do not experience the work that goes on behind the scenes.

When you write about your childhood in the library, getting lost in the stacks, and being concerned that you might be distracted from the actual job of shelving materials, I need to stop you right there. As I said, people assume that staff read books on the job, looking up only to peer through our spectacles and shush the noisy pair at the study table. Why this assumption is made in this industry baffles me. One would never assume a baker eats all their cookies while on the clock or that a lifeguard spends the entirety of their shift swimming for pleasure. Staff do not read books on the job. If you were unable to shelve a cart of books because you had started flipping through a new book and then forgot about everything and got lost in the stacks reading the book, we would need to schedule a meeting to put you on a Personnel Improvement Plan. The books on the shelving cart need to be returned to their appropriate places on the shelves as quickly as possible so that patrons may find them.

I thank you for your support of the library. I agree with your assessment that public libraries are a misunderstood gem. I prefer the more current description as “the town’s living room” or a “third space.” We are one of the few remaining democratic institutions where we celebrate free speech and make no demands from patrons other than adhering to our Patron Code of Conduct. I can attest, aside from collecting payment for damaged books, occasionally cleaning up bodily fluids, and confronting patrons circumventing our computer use policy, "being surrounded by rows of books all day long" is the dream job you describe. It is exciting to have access to a diverse collection of books and work alongside others who share that excitement. We all check out way more books than we can get to because at the end of the day, we’re all tired, and our to-be-read pile continues to grow.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors.

All Best.

P.S. Including a quote about literature from an 18th or 19th-century British author will not inspire me. Unfortunately, my current workload doesn't allow me time to Google your obscure reference.

P.P.S. I don't take "walk-in" interviews. I guarantee you that you will not persuade me to change this practice.

September 26, XXXX

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the REDACTED Public Library. Unfortunately, your application materials do not meet the requirements that were posted on our employment page. Since you have applied to our library in the past, I thought I should point out a few suggestions in the hopes that they will better guide you in the future when applying for work.

Please do not use my job title as an honorific; it doesn't really work, and I don't like it. Ms/Miss/Mrs is fine. When you address your cover letter to “Director REDACTED,” it evokes a visceral reaction in me. This could be because I was a history major, and using a work title like that reminds me of darker times in our nation’s history. Some of my colleagues worry, as you do, that our nation’s leadership is toying with fascism. While this may appear so, I believe we are still many steps from that, and there is still much good that we can all do to defend the Constitution and the ideals that this country was built on. I believe even if this democracy goes down in flames, we will go down fighting. I can recommend “On Tyranny” by Timothy D. Snyder, which may offer you some practical guidance so you won’t feel so helpless. Oh, I will also respond to “Mx” even though that is not of my generation.

It's prudent to take a few minutes to research an organization to which you are applying for a job. It does kind of count against you when your cover letter or email includes a hearty greeting to a different organization. It's awkward because the job description lists "attention to detail" as a desirable skill.

When writing your cover letter, please don't feel pressured to tell me about:

1. Your life story

2. Your love of reading

3. How you could read for hours

4. How taking this part-time job in our little town is a stepping stone toward fulfilling your goal of “opening the world of literature to all God's creatures, and thereby, enabling them to reach their full potential.”

In my previous email to you, I mentioned my thoughts on 2 and 3, so I encourage you to please reread that email. In regard to 4, I commend you for developing a personal goal, but to be frank, it reeks of BS. A cover letter is very different from an essay for English class. This can be forgiven since you are new to the professional world. I suggest you start simple: apply to a decent company where you can do honest work, learn some skills, and earn a paycheck.

As a potential employer, all I need you to do is show me that you can be pleasant, smile to the patrons, and have the professional awareness to wear clothing that doesn't expose butt crack when you're shelving materials on the lower shelves. The field of librarianship is nothing if not practical.

And finally, in closing, here's a gentle tip on a few things that make me instantly suspicious: fancy resume formatting, including your school transcripts, and reassuring me that you'll be applying to library school in the near future. None of these is necessary. It makes you appear to be padding the application or overcompensating. Better to Keep It Short and Simple.

All Best.

April 28, XXXX

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in our organization. Unfortunately, we do not have any openings at this time. At the recent Town election, our budget failed, which means that we are again, for the third year in a row, on a default budget. Most of us believe that residents who came out to vote (sadly, a small portion of registered voters) were really focused on voting down the school’s budget, and when someone votes No, they pretty much vote No all the way down the ballot. If voters are uninformed (which seems to be a trend), then they don’t know that the municipal and school budgets are totally separate. Anyway, what this means is that I’ve had to go back through our proposed budget and find lines to cut so that we can bring it back to last year’s level. What makes this challenging is that some lines have increased - like health insurance, electricity, etc., and we don’t know what the effect the President’s tariffs will have - there’s also the Executive Order eliminating the IMLS - Institute for Museum Studies - which had granted funds already approved by Congress that pay for services up at the State Library. Our ILL vans, some staff positions, and the platform for Libby. All this is to say that until staff decide to quit because they can’t afford to work here anymore, I won’t have any openings. And when those open, I may need to eliminate them to bring us back to last year’s level.

I apologize for the dark opening to this letter, but if you are keen on pursuing a career in library services, you probably should learn about how the sausage is made.

I’m glad to see from your resume that you have gathered some experience since our last correspondence. I have colleagues at the REDACTED Town Library, and I am confident that you will continue to learn in that environment. I am truly relieved that their budget passed. REDACTED is a fairly prosperous town, and they are very fortunate to have a new building. Our building is over 130 years old, with an addition over 50 years old that was constructed with quite a few shortcuts. I discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic that the building was built without ventilation. We spent about $1500 to purchase air purifiers and still have these operating throughout the building. I have said all along that we need to be good stewards of our building, but that means that I spend a fair amount of my time chasing after building issues.

If I may be candid, your use of fluorescent green font color on your contact information was, while certainly a creative choice, QUITE AN EYE OPENER. I thank you since I am limiting myself to one cup of coffee per day. But seriously, no special font is necessary - please refer to my last email.

I appreciate you pointing out that you are familiar with internet software (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Explorer, etc.). Occasionally, we do need to address questions concerning the “World Wide Web.” I caution you against leaning too heavily on AI to craft a resume or cover letter; while some of my colleagues believe AI is a valuable tool, in my experience, it doesn’t replace the unique voice of an actual human. A potential employer does want to get a sense of YOU in a cover letter. For example, you do list hobbies and groups you participate in; good. However, you should be cognizant of not including information that might give away anything too personal. For example, if a candidate includes “Singing in a Gay Men’s Chorus” vs. “Singing in a Chorus,” each one communicates to the potential employer that this person enjoys singing, probably works well in a group, probably can take direction, etc., but one brings attention to a protected class while the other does not. It’s really what you’re comfortable with, and at least, as of this writing, sexual orientation is still a protected class.

Additionally, you should cultivate a life outside of work and continue to participate in activities that bring you joy. I facilitate a non-fiction book group that focuses on work/life balance, and we just finished reading “Work Won’t Love You Back” by Sarah Jaffe. She presents a history of work and how our society places value on both the work and the people who do that work. To be honest, I wish I had learned some of this information when I was younger and just starting out.

To address the brief statement at the bottom of your resume, "Personal and professional references available upon request" (I'm referring to the line in hot pink scripted, bold, italicized font); typically our job ads ask that a candidate’s professional references be submitted together with the cover letter, resume, and our application form. Personal references are not requested.

All Best.

October 28, XXXX

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in our organization and in our two very different available positions.

As requested, I am replying to your email to confirm that I received the photographs of your resume, cover letter, and completed application that you attached to your email, but being photographs, they are quite large and printed off in what I might describe as quadrants. If you can resend them as a Word or PDF attachment, that would be ideal. I can also accept these via the US Postal Service. I have not checked today’s news, so to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if the current regime is still funding the USPS or if it has gone the way of the NOAA. You are welcome to drop them off in person, but it is not our practice to grant "walk-in" interviews. If you're up for the drive to our town, I can suggest that you might enjoy a visit to our outdoor outlet mall, which might make the trip worthwhile. Our town also boasts multiple cupcake stores.

It will be helpful for you to specify which position you would like to apply for. I will encourage you to refrain from sending five letters of recommendation; we only ask for 3 names of your professional references with their contact information. I can handle the rest.

I would like to commend you for including your "Q and A" about yourself, a simulated list of interview questions paired with your responses. This will not be necessary in future correspondence. Please note: the list of questions for me will also not be necessary in future correspondence. If your qualifications suit the position, we will contact you for an in-person interview, and we are quite capable of supplying our own interview questions.

I am sorry to hear about your mother. I imagine that it cannot be an easy time for you, and the stress you must be experiencing shows in your application materials. Give yourself time to review everything before you hit send. I hope she will continue to recover, and it’s good that you are there to help her.

All Best.

November 15, XXXX

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for resending your application materials and for specifying which position you are interested in. I have forwarded these items to our Hiring Committee, and they will get back to you one way or the other. We never leave applicants hanging.

I am sorry to say that this will be my last email to you. After the last local election, one of the Trustees who was elected to the Board turned out to be someone who actually doesn’t support the library, and the past couple of months have become very challenging. The only requirement for a Trustee is that they need to be a resident of the Town who is registered to vote. That’s it. They don’t even have to be someone who uses the library. There has been a growing movement in this country on the conservative side of politics of people who want to limit access to library materials - you have probably seen news reports about book banning - it’s something we’ve always had to deal with, but under the current regime, these people have become bolder. It’s one thing when a patron or resident complains about a Pride display or a Human Library event, but it’s very different when the complaint comes down from the Trustee Board. I’ve been under a great deal of stress, and it’s started to affect my health, and my husband and I decided it would be best for me to step down and take some time away from the library world. This is a challenging time for many, and while I am stepping away from fighting the good fight directly, I believe that putting positivity and love into the world in a practical way, like helping family or creating art, is another way to fight that good fight. It reminds me of Tolkien’s “Fellowship of the Ring,” when Frodo goes off on his adventure to save the Shire. I have to remember what I am fighting for.

I don’t say this to discourage you. I’ve worked in this field at different libraries for nearly 30 years, and it is truly a career that will cause you to grow professionally and personally. For me, our son recently had a daughter, and overall, it’s a good time for me to step away because I can help them out.

My last day will be next Friday.

Since I will no longer be employed by the REDACTED Public Library, I wonder if you would want to meet up sometime for coffee? I would be honored to continue our relationship if you want, a mentor/mentee relationship of sorts? In the time that we’ve exchanged emails, I’ve seen evidence of your growth. The library field certainly needs level-headed, compassionate people at the helm, but the path forward will not be easy. Please let me know if I may be of service.

I wish you luck with your future endeavors.

All Best.