What They Don’t Teach in Library School

A special blog in honor of National Library Workers Day

We all understand the transactional nature of work. We exchange a third or more of our day and a not-insignificant amount of energy for a paycheck, which we, in turn, convert into things like food, shelter, and that cool pair of boots we saw in our FYF.

We rarely think about the stuff we're not being compensated for. Whenever we take home an unkind comment, and it gnaws on us all weekend, we are doing unpaid labor. When a repetitive task leaves us with an ache that becomes a constant, unwelcome companion, our work is taking a literal toll. When we lie awake at night worrying that the company we’ve invested years of our lives in may be slipping, and we try to think of ways to fix it, we don't clock those hours on any timesheet. These are the hidden costs of working life. If we’re lucky, we absorb them while doing something we love. Sadly, many people don’t even get that consolation.

Librarians, at least most of the ones I’ve known, tend to count themselves among the lucky. Librarians love being librarians.

And yet.

Most librarians at Harris County Public Library and other systems have earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree (MLIS). As the name suggests, it is a highly technical field of study. They learn cataloging, metadata creation, collection development, and information ethics, among much else. They are trained to organize, preserve, and connect patrons with information. But the job is about people more than about books and information.

We asked librarians a simple question: What are aspects of your job that library school did not prepare you for? The answers were candid, funny, and moving in equal measure.

Real People, Real Lives

As has been said many times, a public library is one of the few places where everyone is welcome. No purchase is required, and no appointments are necessary. That openness is part of what makes libraries so amazingly singular in this day and age, where that "free WiFi" sign comes with the understanding that it comes with the cost of a frappuccino or two. It is also what makes library work different from most service-oriented careers. The MLIS doesn't prepare you for how much life you see in the day-to-day interactions that make up the job.

Again and again, librarians described a kind of labor that isn’t listed in any job description: emotional labor.

“One thing my library degree never prepared me for was how deeply attached I would become to my library family, the patrons,” one librarian replied, describing the joy of watching children progress from baby time to preschool story time and beyond. “I celebrate with them as they head off to kindergarten...Watching them grow and continually make their way back to the library has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. It’s bittersweet, but mostly, it’s beautiful."

Others described moments that carry a different kind of impact.

“One day at the library, an older couple approached me. He had a dazed look in his eyes and said he'd just learned the day before that his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. He said he felt alone and wasn't sure where to start with being a caregiver. Although library school had developed my reference skills for connecting them to resources, the emotional weight of feeling you can't do enough to help was real.”

One librarian summed it up: “Sometimes our job is to provide a listening ear, a hug, or just a place free of judgment.”

Another listed some of the job duties that didn't necessarily make it to the job description: “I served not only as my team’s branch manager but also as a bouncer, counselor, confidante, cheerleader, mentor, mediator, and negotiator,” one former manager wrote.

This work happens not so much behind the scenes as quietly, almost imperceptibly, in plain sight. It ranges from teaching basic computer skills on the fly to simply sitting with someone who is overwhelmed by circumstances. But it can take a toll. Several respondents spoke candidly about the threat of burnout.

“There are so many people who are completely unsupported… and have nowhere else to turn,” one wrote. “So much of what I had to do should really be the job of a social worker.”

When the Library Is the Last Stop

For many in the community, the library is more than a place for books and story times; it's the crucial safety net that can keep them from falling through the cracks.

“I like to tell people that the library is many people’s last resort,” one librarian shared. “A place they go to when there is nowhere else to turn.”

That role often means librarians are meeting people at their most vulnerable.

One librarian described helping "a lonesome and desperate 17-year-old to apply for a passport without either of his parents. One had passed away, and the other was recently deported. He had no other family besides his slightly older brother. Just like any other child, all he wanted was to see his parent again. I did my best to provide guidance to help him learn what he needed in order to make that happen. I think about him and his family all the time."

Another respondent reflected on the limits of what librarians can do, even as they try to help. “I want to assist these patrons…find them a place to stay, someone to take care of them,” they wrote. “But there’s only so much I can do as a librarian.”

That tension between wanting to help and knowing your role has limits is one of the persistent and troubling challenges of the librarian's job.

Holding the Line

HCPL branches, like most public libraries, work very hard to be a library for all. Making that ideal a reality can be difficult at times and occasionally puts library staff in uncomfortable situations.

Librarians described being yelled at, talked down to, or called names for enforcing policies put in place to protect all library users or defending access to materials. Others spoke about the challenge of asking someone to leave the library while still treating them with dignity.

“I so deeply believe that libraries should be a welcoming, safe space for everyone,” one librarian wrote. “But not at the detriment of other patrons… that is a fine line that I learn how to walk every day.”

There are also the unique challenges that come with changes in the political climate. "[Library school] does not teach you how to tackle book bans or how to sit with the fear that someone may report you when you've been learning that your position (career) is to ensure that there is access for all to information."

These moments require not only professionalism, but judgment, patience, and emotional control—skills that are hard, if not impossible, to teach in a classroom.

The Job Is More Physical Than You Think

When most folks think of librarians, they think of them waiting calmly at the reference desk, but in reality, librarianship is a surprisingly physical job.

“I am moving a dozen 30-pound tables, 50 chairs, and 20-pound boxes of books on a daily basis,” one librarian wrote. “It is definitely a workout.”

Others mentioned assembling furniture, setting up program spaces, and troubleshooting everything from printers to 3D printers.

Helping someone attach a file to an email or use a mouse might not sound like heavy lifting, but it requires its own kind of stamina and a great deal of patience.

And Then There Are the Bodily Fluids

No honest accounting of public librarianship would be complete without acknowledging what might be its most universal, if least talked about, reality: humans are not as good at keeping the inside stuff on the inside as they think they are, and library workers can and will attest to that fact.

Another recalled a “major throw-up disaster” that was “much funnier after the fact,” while others mentioned “smells, spills, and stains” as a regular part of the job.

It’s not something covered in coursework. It is, however, something every public librarian understands at a...um...visceral level.

The Part That Keeps Them Coming Back

For all the challenges—the emotional weight, the difficult moments, the unexpected messes—librarians return again and again to what makes the work meaningful. They remember the children they watch grow into teens and adults, the times when they can make a lasting impact on someone's life with the right resources and information, and the patrons who come back just to say thanks. These are, perhaps, small victories in the grand scheme of things, but they undoubtedly--objectively--show libraries and librarians play a crucial role in the educational and social service systems. 

On National Library Workers Day, it’s worth taking a moment to recognize the people behind the desks, the programs, and the collections. 

"Spreading kindness, understanding, and grace is extremely important for our country right now, and public libraries are uniquely positioned to be that outstretched hand and connection to knowledge for the people."

And much of what makes it meaningful is the part you won’t find in any syllabus.

I want to give my sincere thanks to Amanda E. Hickey, C. Van Horn, Hannah Norman, J. Platero, Jasmine W., Nicole Hindmon, Nyla V., and everyone else who took the time to contribute to this piece. Your candor and generosity are much appreciated.