So recently I got myself a job. Part-time, minimum wage, but a job nonetheless, and one that I’m pretty happy about. Assuming that you’ve read the headline for this article, (and if not then how did you miss it?!) then by now you know that I’m officially going to be beginning work as a page. I realized that some people might not know exactly what that entails though, and so I’m here to inform those people.
When you imagine entry-level library work, you probably imagine someone stocking shelves and making sure that the library books are in the right order. This is partially correct, but there’s actually much more to the position than that. Starting out, there's a two month training period, during which time the trainee learns the layout of the library and the duties that they are expected to perform within it. These include, but are not limited to, greeting and guiding visitors, delivering packages around the building and retrieving books from employees-only storage, and making copies of important documents for the various departments that work within the library space.
Training is meant to be gradual, but it is expected that once the training period is over, the page will be able to work almost entirely independently each day. Once the page has been independent for some time, they may apply for an open senior page position, which comes with higher pay, but with more responsibilities, like assisting new pages with their training. Because many employees come in and out of jobs in the library, there are often openings, but space is still limited; for every 25 or so pages, there are only 8 pages at the most. That makes 35 pages in a book, for anyone keeping track.
Of course, in addition to work requirements, the position does come with perks. Besides having easier access to books, the page can apply for a week long grace period, meaning that they can take out books for longer than the average library-goer. Some people might find this to be a rather minor benefit, but I prefer to avoid those people whenever possible.
Where will this new position take me? No idea, but I'm excited to start. You could say that I'm in my element, at the library.