Library Assistant--LPL cares about its employees.
Pros
The people are wonderful--even the ones I didn't like all that much were friendly and supportive. The management is...alright. I have had two managers since starting at LPL. One was very old school, strict, liked to micromanage, and inflexible. The other is very new, employee-centered, helpful, flexible, and available. My supervisors are all good in their own way. My only real complaint is a lack of consistency across supervisors--what is considered good or appropriate with one might be reprimanded by the other. I brought this issue up with a manager and all of the supervisors at my location have made clear improvements with their consistency and communication. With the right manager and staff, the library can be very flexible and open to change. The hours are good, especially for a student. I can plan my life out a month ahead of time since my shifts do not change week-to-week. I have a primary schedule that I was hired to work, and then I fill in gaps occasionally. If someone wants me to fill in gaps, they always ask first and "no" is a perfectly acceptable answer if I already have plans. The more flexible you are, the better time you'll have, but you will never be caught off guard or surprised by your schedule. The pay is good. I honestly feel that I am able to be as patient as I am with my patrons because I am compensated several dollars above minimum wage. I am getting a raise next month. This is a customer service position, but the patron isn't always right. Senior staff is very supportive of support staff if there is a problem with a patron. You are never left to fend for yourself in a tricky situation, and inappropriate customer behavior is not tolerated. It is a safe space for employees. Security, IT, and other departments are more than willing to go out of their way to help any staff members. The director of LPL, Ann Hammond, really goes out of her way to make all staff feel included and up-to-date with the changes, events, and happenings at the library. She actively seeks employee feedback, and takes that feedback seriously.
Cons
Good luck getting hired up. I know people who have worked part time for years, but they still are not hired into fulltime positions. Part of this is that most fulltime positions require an MLS, so many part timers do not have the qualifications to get hired for fulltime positions. However, there are some fulltime positions that do not require an MLS and these just do not become available. I've also known pages who try to get hired as LA's and cannot for various reasons. But if you do a good job and show initiative, and take any feedback seriously, you should be able to move up in the organization...if the right position ever opens up. My old manager made it really hard to feel good at work, and I had a problem with her practices. This is not indicative of the organization, as I have a new manager who is as close to perfect as you can get. But this is something to consider whenever you enter a new job. Ask about the manager's style during your interview. Some of the work can be boring--edging and shelf reading can get pretty tedious. But as an LA, I don't do it often. Keep in mind that this is a customer service job. Any downfalls of working in the customer service industry certainly applies to this position (or really any front-end position at LPL). That's not to say that you won't have a good time, and its certainly better than average since you are not trying to separate people from their money, but there will be challenging and problem patrons.