Hi, I'm an NPR Librarian

As a registered and able-bodied citizen of the United States I have been selected for jury duty this week. Luckily I get five paid days from my employer and so have agreed to participate in American democracy. Thus I have additional time to chill in an air-conditioned room in Inglewood (CA) with free high speed Wifi as I wait for my turn to take an oath and decide the outcome of a trial.

Speaking of good citizenship and news, this morning I noticed this job ad from NPR on Libgig. Those who know me in real life know that one of my dream jobs is to work for NPR. Perhaps I have been brainwashed by Mary Tyler Moore since I was little, but the image I conjure up of the NPR offices involves a lot of clacking typewriters and earnest people in tweed blazers. I recognize this has little to do with reality but it would be nice to work for an organization in which I generally believed.

Of course there are other organizations in which I believe, namely public libraries, but in which you never see me working. For a greater explanation of this topic just read the archives of my blogs (read them anyway please!). I want to serve the public but not manage their screaming children or monitor their computer usage. Is that too much to ask? I think not.

Anyhow, the job ad calls for someone with reference skills who will primarily provide research for daily news stories and longer-term projects using online sources, public records databases and the Internet. In addition, the NPR librarian should be have general knowledge of “current events, history, and pop culture, and be able to apply this knowledge in selecting and recommending data and information resources to NPR Staff.” I think I fit the description well. Like most librarians and library students I am a sponge for everything going on around me be it the gallop poll or the latest Internet meme quiz.

On a personal note I would love to relocate to Washington DC. It is the exact opposite of Los Angeles in so many ways. I could take the train to work (wherever my job was), enjoy cold winters and wear sweaters without sweating most of the year. Washington DC is a great starting point for the East coast in general. I would miss my avocados but a move would mean a nice change of pace in my life.

Here’s the only hitch that I see however, I still haven’t finished my MLIS. The job calls for the degree and given the current economic climate, there will be no shortage of degreed professional librarians hitting send on their resumes to NPR. I could either apply anyhow and explain I am graduating in May or use it as incentive to really finish up SJSU strong. May isn’t so far away.

http://publicboard.libgig.com/job/31a76bf2a38645b8defe1be773873d7b/?d=1&...