Putting the 'Great Recession' in perspective

Recession wiped out 20 years of wealth you built, Fed says

The Federal Reserve said the median net worth of families plunged by 39 percent in three years, from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010. That puts Americans roughly on par with where they were in 1992.

An advocate speaks out

You might remember me telling you I'd checked out This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Marilyn Johnson, the author, expresses her opinion on the cutbacks in the Queensborough library system in this video. According to Terry Balliard, of LISNews:

If the plan goes through, many branches would be closed outright or kept open less than half of the week. More than 400 library employees, some in the system since 2000, have been given layoff notices, effective in mid-August. Johnson learned first-hand how bad things were when she spoke to Queens Library employees on May 25. Later that day, a rally was held at City Hall, during which the police kept hundreds of library supporters waiting on the sidewalk, and let them in five at a time.

This sort of thing is happening all around the country. Ironically, in trying oeconomic times libraries (and librarians) are needed more than ever, but cities and counties do not seem to think of that when trying to find ways to trim budgets. Instead, they see libraries as an easy mark. Who would miss books, after all? Yes, libraries are about books, but they are about so much more. I wish more executives and councils realised that.

Thanks, Ms Johnson, for your support. Now, how about the rest of us? What can we do to save our libraries?

Most studies look at the cost of piracy; this one's a little different

Study: Fair Use Contributes Trillions to U.S. Economy

A nice surprise

Today is payday at the hospital, so I got up early to check the status of my direct deposit. I found out I had an extra $20 in my cheque, which I can only surmise has to do with the tax rebates that I did not entirely keep up with that were discussed right after Obama went into office.

Yay!

That means each paycheque is higher (by about $10) than my rent. That hasn't happened in a very long time. (See why I work two jobs? You shouldn't have your rent be more than 50% of your earnings--and I don't have an exorbitant rent--it's less than $500 a month.)

Today I need to pay my rent and I'll have about $30 left over for food until I get paid at the store on Wednesday. So that $20 is much appreciated.

That next deposit from the store should be fairly nice, because I worked 30 hours again this past week, since I stayed so late on Saturday. I only have my electric and phone to pay with that, and then the next week I'll just have the cable bill, so maybe I can get ahead/get a few things I need (like clothes). I also get two more store cheques before the next rent after that, so I'll be on time and in good shape. The only factor I'm not sure of is my taxes, which I need to do this weekend. I'm sure I'll have to pay, but it shouldn't be as bad as last year since I changed my W-4 withholdings at some point in the year. Next year I might even get a refund.

I was on the American Library Association's Connect page (a sort of mini-librarian-only version of Facebook for professional networking) the other day and really started looking into membership in the ALA. I thought it would be too expensive, but they have an option for unemployed/underemployed librarians that is only $46 a year for someone who makes under $25,000, so I qualify. My position no longer requires a Master's (it is preferred, although of course I have an MSLS), doesn't supervise people, and doesn't require state certification (although I have it), so it doesn't fit regular membership requirements anyway.) I haven't been a member of ALA since library school because they didn't have that tier of membership after I graduated, as far as I remember. It's better than the MLA rate, which is also reduced. My MLA membership is vital, but I think I'd benefit from joining ALA as well. It would help me keep up with trends in the general library world and possibly network myself into a full-time job. With the way things are going, that's really more pressing than it used to be.

At the hospital, our benefits are changing due to the recession. This year our co-pays for health insurance doubled. They're eliminating our employee assistance programme, which I've used for medical and legal counseling in the past. They've suspended tuition reimbursement at least for now. There are a few minor ones involving things like our extended illness bank, etc.

The bad news is since I work for a system that relies solely on dues of a fraternity (that is ageing and not replacing members at the rate it needs to) and an invested endowment, the current oeconomic crisis means significant changes for the system. As someone who's already been partly laid off in this position, I'm aware at how little job security I have at the hospital, and it's a source of stress. Nor is the gas station completely secure, either. There's a good chance that the nearby Kroger, as part of its extended remodelling, is putting in a gas station within a couple hundred yards of our store. If that's the case, they may shut us down, and I'm really not sure if I want to go work at another, larger store, although at least there are two within a short distance from home. We'll see. One co-worker was told by a Kroger employee that it could happen as early as October.

Of course, the jobs in libraries (I do keep track of them regularly, and recently) are pretty thin right now, and the competition with the recent graduates of our library school is still a factor. Many librarians who planned to retire are holding on to their jobs. The job market is pretty bleak, and I don't have public or academic library experience so in a way my 12 years in medical librarianship doesn't exactly count, especially as the only people I've supervised are student volunteers, not professionals.

Sigh. It will get better. It has to. But if I lost my job (either of them), I really don't know what I would do. I guess if I lost the hospital job I'd go full-time at the store at least for a time, but I don't think I could make it, even at 40 hours a week, on $8.55 an hour. And if the store shuts down, I'll lose the extra money that keeps me afloat. So there you have it. It's a source of stress, but no different from millions of other people's right now.

Okay, time to get some stuff done before work. Have a good day.

Sorry I haven't posted much

I've been painting a project that includes a home library, hallway, bath, and closet, so that's quite a bit of work. I've finished the library and closet. I'm actually rather enjoying it, though, except for the paint on my hands and in my hair. But I'm getting so good at it I can paint and only get a very small amount of splatters anywhere on the floor.

Today I was taunted by two crows as I came out of work. It made me think of counting crows--one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, and seven for a secret never told.

The weather today was beautiful, in the mid-70s, mostly sunny, and breezy. I feel so alive on days like this. That, coupled with a beautiful full moon, made me feel very connected to nature today.

Tomorrow I work both jobs, then I paint more on Thursday. I work on Friday (the new truck night at the store) and on Saturday, and then I'm off from the store until Tuesday. Next Wednesday I have an eye appointment; I'm going to try to go ahead and get contacts, something I haven't had in awhile. I'm intrigued by the new extended, 30-day wear contacts made of breathable polymers I have a certificate for a month's supply, so I definitely want to ask the doctor about that. I'll also have him do a diabetes screen on my retinas.

I found out the other day that I'm getting a 4.5% raise at the hospital, which translates to about $30 a pay period after taxes. That's on top of the market raise I had in January, which was $1 an hour or about $40 per week. It offset the rise in deductions for my health flexible spending account to cover an increase in co-pays for my health insurance. My boss thinks this will go into effect on Thursday's deposit. That would be great, as this week I need to pay my rent and possibly my electric. I may also be getting a bonus at the store, if I've figured my time frame correctly.

Speaking of electricity, I called Kentucky Utilities today to make a payment arrangement just in case I can't pay until next Wednesday. They had a recording stating that as a result of the oeconomic hardships faced by their customers, they have suspended shut offs for non-payment, to be resumed some time in April. I thought that was nice.

Okay, it's late and I should go to bed. Goodnight.

Good library press

Hard economic times a boon for libraries

'Whenever you have tough economic times, public libraries are a place people go because they have no other alternatives or because they know they are going to get the kind of powerful information that will make a difference in their lives,' said Kristin McDonough, director of the Science, Industry and Business Library in New York City.

It would have been nice to mention that many libraries are struggling to continue such great services with budget cuts, layoffs, and branch closures, but hey, good press is good press.

Thanks to Libraryman for the link.

Nice to see this being discussed in the media

In Tough Times, the Humanities Must Justify Their Worth

One idea that elite universities like Yale, sprawling public systems like Wisconsin and smaller private colleges like Lewis and Clark have shared for generations is that a traditional liberal arts education is, by definition, not intended to prepare students for a specific vocation. Rather, the critical thinking, civic and historical knowledge and ethical reasoning that the humanities develop have a different purpose: They are prerequisites for personal growth and participation in a free democracy, regardless of career choice.

The article discusses the particular challenges to the humanities and those who choose to study them in hard oeconomic times. Faculty positions get retired rather than filled, jobs are hard to come by, budgets shrink--but the essence of the humanities is that they are even more relevant in a society where greed and unethical behaviour has brought the oeconomy down, and a well-versed and well-read President struggles to bring hope back to the country. Marketing the humanities is especially important now.

I love the humanities. Although I was a sociology major as well, I majored in history, then went back to school to complete a major in classical civilisation and a minor in Judaic studies. I was one class short of a linguistics major and also studied German, Latin, French, Ancient Hebrew, and Ancient Greek (I'd studied Spanish in junior high and high school). I went on to be 'all but thesis' for an advanced degree in mediaeval and early modern European history (it wasn't the thesis or the classes that were my downfall--I did well on papers and in class; it was the oral exam, of which I was terrified. Now I've gotten through much of that anxiety, but I'd have to start all over on my doctorate and I don't have the financial aid available for that). I spent years in school, and I have the student loans to prove it. Maybe I don't have the greatest standard of living in the world, but I'd never change my choices for what I studied. The breadth and depth of humanities is greater than any other course of study I could have taken.

I use it every day, from my Latin aiding my medical terminology, to research skills (honed through library school, too, of course), to an appreciation of art, literature, music, language, and history. I would recommend the liberal arts to anyone going into school, and if they're worried about not being employable, a double major is quite doable and a benefit, so you can do business and language or philosophy, and that may be the extra umphf that cinches a job offer.

I always planned on teaching and researching at a college. I never planned on being a librarian. But I've found it very fulfilling and I'm good at it, and although I am a medical librarian, I'm never very far from the humanities I love, either. When I first got my job, the chief of staff emeritus saw that I'd studied Latin and immediately shot some at me, which I answered in kind. We bonded over that and he is a great believer in the library, a staunch supporter I can draw on when times are tough.

Thanks to Steven over at Library Stuff for the link.

Something to read

A Look at Recessions and their Impact on Librarianship

Thanks to Blake from LISNews for the link.

Just in case you didn't believe in a housing crisis

About 1 in 11 Mortgageholders Face Loan Problems

Mortgages and Madness: Questionable lending practices turned a peaceful Cleveland neighborhood into a blighted slum

Here, here

Poll: 81 Percent Think US on Wrong Track

I can't imagine just abandoning an animal in a house

surely even a kill shelter is better than that...

Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals