If you have a passion for books and you adore the Dewey Decimal System, you might be giving some serious consideration to becoming a librarian. Furthermore, if you believe strongly in the value of a good education, you might be specifically considering becoming a school librarian. Before you decide to take this career path, however, it is a good idea for you to explore the pros and cons of becoming a school librarian in order to make certain it is the right career path for you.

Pro: Spend Your Days Surrounded By Books

For someone who adores books, spending your day surrounded by them will likely seem like a dream come true. When your work as a school librarian, you get to spend your entire day be submerged in books ranging from fiction to non-fiction, mystery to romance and everything in between. In addition, if you are a school librarian, you will pretty much get to run the show, which means you can arrange the library to look however you want it to.

Con: Watching Your Books Get Abused

Of course, one of the negative aspects of becoming a school librarian is the fact that you have to watch your precious books getting abused on a regular basis. Whether you are the school librarian at an elementary school or at a high school, students simply will not treat your books with as much respect as you would like them to. As a result, you will regularly find yourself repairing books or replacing books that have been lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair. This can be quite frustrating for someone who loves books and wants to see them being cherished instead of trashed.

Pro: Keep Up with the Latest Authors

Another pro to becoming a school librarian is that it makes it easier for you to remain current on all of the latest and greatest authors. As a librarian, you will receive regular updates of books that are new to the market and you might even get to preview some books before they hit the general market. In addition, by working in a school, you will get to hear about the authors that the students are reading. Learning about new authors through a younger generation can be quite thrilling – particularly if it helps you discover a new author to follow.

Con: It’s Not Always About Books

A potential downside to working as a school librarian is that you may find yourself having to tend to tasks that aren’t typically associated with being a librarian. For example, when the classroom teacher brings his or her students to the library, you may be called upon to teach lessons to the students regarding how to use the library and how to use reference materials. In fact, you may actually be required to submit lesson plans to your building principal despite the fact that you are not technically a “teacher.” You may also find yourself having to handle tasks such as administering standardized tests or making copies of classroom materials for the teachers in your building. In addition, you will likely be put in charge of checking in and out materials such as classroom televisions, overhead projectors and more.

If you adore books and have always had a passion for the library, becoming a school librarian may be a good career move for you. Just keep in mind that you may be called upon to handle duties that are not book-related and that not all of the students in your building ill share the same adoration for books as you.