If you’re one of the multitudes who follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed my post last night in which I asked for prayer, over a personal matter I did not reveal.
This blog post is to explain my situation.
I lost my job yesterday (Monday). I wasn’t told to pack up my stuff and get out; my job ends at the end of the month, and I have the option of working four more months (half time), or two months (full time).
But my present job will no longer exist.
This is due to altered circumstances, circumstances that have changed radically in the roughly five years since I started graduate school. At that time our accrediting agency demanded that a school must have a full-time librarian with a master’s degree.
Since then, the market value of a degreed librarian has fallen pretty steeply. Today the agency only asks that there be a librarian with an MLS somewhere around the place, occasionally. The operation of the library is assumed to be largely automated. Books themselves have become secondary to electronic services, which are the domain of IT people.
Bottom line: A fair amount of money (I won’t say a lot) can be saved by cutting the position of Librarian. I’m not entirely sure how they plan to get the actual physical work done – accessioning and processing, etc. – after I’m gone. But it’s no longer my problem.
I have small hopes of finding another job in the library field. What happened to me is happening everywhere. The few jobs that remain in the field are probably too technical for me.
So if you know of any copywriting jobs, or any openings for Norwegian-to-English translators, or publishers looking for sophisticated Christian fantasy, or anything else I might be adequate at, please let me know.
And pray for me. Thanks.
Lars, I’m very sorry to hear this, and will add you to my prayers. Please contact me by email–I believe you have my address. (If not, message me on Facebook and I’ll send it to you.) I’ll see what I can do for you. Sam
Thanks.
I’ll offer what I can as well. I’m lousy at job hunting, but I may be able to say or do one or two helpful things. And I will continue to pray for both of our daily bread needs.
Thanks.
Sorry to hear this Lars, but you know that The Lord works in mysterious ways. He has a plan even when we can’t see the path right in front of us.
I am so sorry to hear this and will pray for you.
It’s been my long-held opinion that there’s something really wrong in the world of publishing when as gifted an author as Lars Walker isn’t pulling down big bucks as a full time occupation. When I read your frequent book reviews I’m thinking most of them are inferior to your own output. No time for cliches but genuine heart-felt encouragement. I join with your many friends in prayer and anticipation of blessed opportunities.
Prayer sent, Larry. This is most certainly sad news for everyone on campus who admires you. You are loved and appreciated, Larry! Thank you for everything! Will continue to pray.
I feel that the denigrating of physical books is foolishly shortsighted. As we have seen with the latest unpersoning of Alex Jones from social media (regardless of how you feel about him), it only takes a few tech giants to agree to wipe something off a service and their material is no longer available. With a physical book, the material is available for as long as the book lasts. Making physical books ensures that information will be available in an unalterable source for future generations. Electronic media can always be tampered with.
Don’t get me wrong, I love electronic media, but there should be a place in our society for physical books. On top of that, nothing beats the aesthetic experience of reading a beautiful hard bound tome.
Fully agree. I just ordered a hard bound book from Alibris. Could have got it cheaper as trade paperback or on Kindle but part of the joy of reading is in the care and handling of a physical book. I miss the old, traditional libraries.
Praying for you , Lars.
Sorry to hear that. I will miss your awkward response when I impose personal contact upon you whenever I visit your campus.
I’ll miss it too.
Ugh. so sorry to hear about this. Will pray as well. If I can think of any opportunities for work will let you know.
So, a library is left without someone to plan and do acquisitions, or cull? Won’t end well, I suspect.
What to do, let’s see. A series of potboiler urban fantasies, but set in Oslo in the 1350s? (Not serious, of course.)