Still looking

I’m still looking for library work, of course. It’s the same as always – jobs are being posted, but there are only so many that I  feel are of significant interest, offer a benefit/pay package I think would meet my needs, and that I think I have a decent shot at. Some people might say that I shouldn’t be so picky, but if I’m going to spend the time and effort of applying, possibly traveling for interviews, and potentially moving to a different state, I want to feel really good about what I’ve applied for. That’s not so much to ask for, is it? To quote the title character from the movie Nanny McPhee Returns, “It’s an odd thought, I grant you, but there it is.”

In other news this week, I’m starting to get back into the world of theatre! It turns out that one of my co-workers at the store is a playwrite, and a couple of his plays have been produced at a Strawberry Festival in New York. There are a number of Strawberry Festivals around the state, so I’ll have to double-check with him exactly which one it is. Anyway, he recently completed a new short play based on a story written by his father, and I agreed to type it up for him to submit to a producer (or maybe he’s a director?) who wants to put the play onstage. He (the playwrite) also expressed interest in bringing me in as crew when they actually get close to producing the thing. This is pretty awesome! I’m also going to be reading one of his longer plays because he said he’d like to get my opinion.

“All the world’s a stage/And all the men and women in it merely players./They have their entrances and their exits,/And each man in his time plays many parts.” – Shakespeare, As You Like It. I’ve also heard tell that Julie Taymor will be bringing a new film of The Tempest to theaters in the near future. Dame Helen Mirren is playing Prospera (yes, a female version of Prospero), and Russell Brand will be Trinculo (the drunken clown of the piece). I’m getting really excited about this – the only time I can remember actually seeing this play was at the reconstructed Globe in London back in 2000. That production featured the great Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero, and a Caliban who was munching on real dead fish and tossing them at the groundlings. I was one of those groundlings, and it was definitely not a hardship to stand literally at Ms. Redgrave’s feet for three hours!

Yet again, nothing new or exciting

I’ve continued browsing the job sites, but there hasn’t been much joy for me. There have been plenty of library positions posted, of course, but as usual very few of them look to be good matches for me. I’ve kept my eye on the University of Michigan’s job postings – I was told there was going to be a full-time position opening up. I applied for one position a week or so ago, but I haven’t heard anything other than getting one of those Voluntary Self-Identification-type forms in the mail. I sent it back, and hopefully they’ll get back to me soon. There are currently two open positions in the UMich libraries, but both of them look to be above and beyond where I’d be comfortable starting at this point.

I did find two positions I though especially interesting this past week that I applied for: The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA*, is seeking a Library Reference Assistant; and Random House, U.S.A. is advertising for an Assistant – School and Library Marketing. I went to Salem State College (now University) for undergrad, and I’ll admit that I never made it to the PEM during my four years there. Shame on me, but there it is. I still think it would be a fascinating place to work. As for Random House, I’m very much interested in publishing. I haven’t read much children’s literature recently, but I still have plenty of fond memories. I researched Random House for a Book Publishing and Librarianship class I took at Simmons. I believe they’ve been bought (or at least optioned) by a bigger media group, but I would still love to work for a publishing house with such history and prestige.

*Where we never burned a witch! (Thanks, Whizz.)

The search goes on

Nothing new to report for another week. I didn’t find too many job listings this week that fit my skills, experience and requirements. I’ll keep plugging, of course – what else can I do? I did get my hopes up about the UMich job, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for other opportunities with them. I did find a posting for a museum exhibit tech, but I don’t have the background for it. Oh, well. Anyway, stores are now gearing up for the winter holidays even though it isn’t even Halloween yet. I’ll be taking on a second part-time job in hopes that it’ll help me make it until that Something Better comes through.

I was very happy to hear that all of the trapped Chilean miners were successfully rescued this week. Huzzah! I read that the shift foreman was the last man brought out. That fits with what I read about how hard he worked to keep everybody together and in decent physical and mental shape. http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101014/pl_yblog_upshot/five-touching-moments-from-the-miner-rescue

The joys of the job hunt

I had a phone interview last Friday for a part-time circulation position with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, specifically the Arts, Architecture and Engineering Library. I made the Top 10 list for the job based on my resume (W00t!), but unfortunately I didn’t make the Top 4 according to the voicemail I received yesterday. This sounds like a “reality” talent show, doesn’t it? It’s the best way I have to explain the process that was explained to me. Anyway, I won’t be going out to Michigan for a face-to-face interview this time, but I was encouraged to keep en eye on the UMich job board for other positions and apply. I’m still stuck working retail, but the stress has lifted a bit from knowing there’s at least one library out there seriously considering my professional value. I’m going to keep trying with UMich (not that I’m going to ignore other possibilities) because everything I’ve read and heard about them indicates that would be a great place to work and start a career.

I’ve been hearing a lot recently about teens committing suicide because they were getting bullied for various reasons. This makes me sad. I just read an article this afternoon about a girl who was the fourth kid in her town to commit suicide after being heavily bullied at school. It says her (and the others’) parents are suing the school for not paying closerattention.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101008/ap_on_re_us/us_bullying_one_town

I’ve also been hearing about the It Gets Better Project, which is posting videos on YouTube geared towards gay teens. These videos try to offer hope by letting them know that the people bullying them aren’t the be-all-end-all of opinion, and that there are plenty of welcoming and supportive people and communities out there. The following links lead to the Project’s YouTube channel and two videos contributed by Sara Silverman, actress and comedienne, and Tim Gunn, fashion guru and co-host of Bravo’s Project Runway.  http://www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM6xbW1DZyM&sns=fb                                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GGAgtq_rQc