Re: OT: Public libraries

On 4/22/2025 11:40 AM, Don Y wrote:

Volunteers tend to be retirees.  Often, folks with nothing else
to keep them busy.  As they tend to be older and often suffer
from physical ailments, their long term availability is questionable.

i.e. people that don't ask for much and can be pushed around.
There are no shortage of library science-degreed "real librarians" willing to work in a public library for modest wages. But they tend to fall into two camps: women who also have their "Mrs. degree" and (as you implied earlier) have their engineer husband as the primary bread winner. But there's only a glut of those in very affluent areas like say Cape Cod.
And also younger freshly-minted degree-holders looking to improve their resume; library science isn't like comp sci they don't start headhunting even outstanding students from prestigious schools for cushy jobs at FAANG corporations out the door.
There are roads to well-paid jobs but newbies are expected to pay their dues and working full time at a public library is sorta like the library science equivalent of a combat tour on the resume, particularly if they can point to concrete numbers "Increased patronage 30%. Re-organized media inventory for maximum efficiency. Implemented techniques to..." etc..
But some towns aren't going to like hires like that either, they know their value and can't be pushed around, and will likely be on to better things sooner-or-later.