A new plan

I’ve made a decision: I want to go to library school.

A couple of weeks ago, I applied for a job as a library assistant at a nearby public library. (I haven’t gotten a call yet for an interview; when I called to confirm that they had received my application, they said they had gotten a lot of applicants, so I’m not holding my breath. Even though it sounds like a great job for me.)

Regardless of whether I get it, I realized that I was more excited about that job than anything I have applied for yet, or anything I’ve read about in the paper or online. And that got me thinking. I don’t want to be a business executive or manager or something, so why would I want to work in an office for the rest of my life? That’s mostly where I’ve been applying, because I know I can do office work and can probably get hired. But I don’t want to be an assistant forever, either, letting someone else take all the credit and all the money. At the wise old age of 29, I’m starting to think about the idea that we only get one shot at this life. If there’s something I really want to do, I should do it now! What am I waiting for?

I’ve always loved libraries. From elementary school on, I have volunteered after school or during lunch to shelve books. I even spent a semester of my senior year in high school as a library aide (being in the orchestra messed up my schedule, and there were no electives I wanted to take during my free period), where I was entrusted with processing the new periodicals and helping students use the card catalog, and the librarians loved me and encouraged me to pursue a library career. It was my favorite part of the day. Yes, I was one of those kids. I sought refuge in the library because the harsh world of school was too much for me. But I also chose the library because I loved books and reading, and the smell of old books, and the delightful order of rows of spines on shelves.

I even looked into library school a few years ago, after I moved back from China, but I just wasn’t ready for it then. I was tired. I didn’t want to go back to school yet, and I didn’t want to study for and take the GRE, and I didn’t want to move. But it’s always been at the back of my mind.

Suddenly, something clicked for me this week. I think I’m ready now. I’ve had a few months of unemployment to figure out what I like and what I hate, and what I might want to devote the next 30 or 40 years of my life to. I read the classifieds every week with a highlighter, and the jobs I’m actually interested in all seem to require a Master’s degree. Most of them require a Library Science degree or something like it.

I still want to write, but I don’t think I am going to be a full-time writer anytime soon. In the meantime, I would like a job where I actually want to get up and go to work in the morning.

So, having said out loud that I want to go to library school!, I have started planning:

Where? The closest program is at the University of Washington, and that’s where I hope to be accepted. They have a part-time distance learning program, which takes three years instead of two to complete, and involves some time on campus and a lot of coursework online. This would enable me to continue living and working (I hope!) here. I could easily get to Seattle for the on-campus times, and I know a lot of people who would take me in up there. It’s also not a great time to sell my condo here, so I would be glad to be able to stay.

When? Fall 2009 is the next enrollment. Applications are due in February. This gives me a few months to study for the GRE, take the GRE, get my test results back, and take it again if necessary. (My math skills are pathetic. Really. My junior high and high school teachers would weep if they saw me trying a basic algebra equation lately.)

How and Why? I am still working out the financial aspects. I’m not thrilled about more debt, but the distance program is cheaper than the residential program overall. And once I graduate with a Master’s, my earning potential goes up considerably. Also, there’s only so much I could make as an administrative assistant or (shudder) call center employee. In the long run, I think the investment will pay for itself.

I’m getting excited about this, in a way I haven’t been in ages. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real goal. Even though I will have to take some kind of drone job while I’m in school, at the end of it I will have so many more options. With a Library and Information Science degree, I could work as a researcher, a librarian, an archivist, or many other things that I would enjoy. I might actually get to do something fun with my life.

In other news, I had a found money experience today, which was a little more impressive than a folded twenty in my winter coat pocket. I got a letter from my bank saying that there was a tidy sum of money in my name that needed to be claimed. Don’t worry, this is not a Nigerian bank account scam (the deposed Nigerian prince in the letter assured me of such); it’s a long story involving a savings bond, but I’m pretty sure it’s legitimate. I can’t believe I now have an additional cushion between me and the cold, dark world of unemployment and foreclosure and living in a box and all the other things that keep me awake in the night.

So all in all, it’s been a good week! Happy Independence Day, everyone.