I've had a hard professional life the last few years. I don't feel comfortable putting it all out here but suffice it to say that I have had to leave the library where I thought I was going to retire. I had to leave because there were *no* opportunities for advancement. I waited three years after getting my MLS for any kind of opportunity but it never came.
I've spent three years feeling very bitter. So it was nice to read Meredith Farkas' blog post about her lack of advancement opportunity. I feel a little less alone now.
It's long but there was one section that rang true for me:
"I’m one of those people who needs to feel useful and encouraged. When I do, I will put everything into my work. A colleague suggested that if I could make myself not care as much about my work maybe I could be happy staying. I can’t do that. What’s the next step after that? Taking sick days when I’m not sick? Not doing my best to help students at the reference desk? Just shrugging when I see negative comments on a student satisfaction survey? No one would be served by that. There have been times when I’ve been so excited about a project that I came to work on the weekend or worked at home on it during the evening. I don’t want to not have that enthusiasm for my work. I just want to come to work knowing that I’m doing my best work and that my work is valued."
Amen. Where is the motivation for anyone to do a good job without excitement, positive reinforcement and loyalty? Multnomah County Library , in the interest of it's stellar national reputation, taking away opportunities for internal promotion.
What's the point of being loyal to you if you will not be loyal to me?
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