I could pursue an MPhil in Theology. I spent the year trying to make up my mind about whether I should continue with teaching, make a late start into academia or pursue the MLIS that had been on my radar for so long. It might not be the most obvious source of inspi- ration for librarianship, but a module on Early Irish Christianity opened up the world of insular manuscripts to me. I spent many hours losing myself in this world (in a library, of course!), which really got me thinking about the manuscripts themselves, but also about the meaning and impact of the libraries they belonged to and travelled about in throughout history.
On a very different note, I wrote my dissertation on political theology and con- temporary identity politics. I could never have imagined how useful this would be in the library, but now that I have stum- bled into the world of critical cataloguing and ethical information management, it couldn’t be more relevant!
Finally, the fact that I am capable of being absorbed by such varied research interests was a big indicator that there was no discrete research topic jumping out at me that I wanted to pursue and that I would actually really enjoy sup- porting people in a wide variety of re- search areas. One of the most attractive aspects of librarianship for me is seeing how librarians at the NLI and elsewhere get to do this.
Leaving teaching has been a really dif- ficult decision to make. I really enjoy the energy of young people and my subjects, Religious Education and English, lent themselves particularly well to getting into the best kinds of conversations about life, the universe and everything. On the whole though, I found it was a job that I could never leave behind me at 5pm. I was always thinking, planning, grading work and worrying about pu-
28 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
pils. I wanted to find something that was a little more contained and a little less emotionally draining. Perhaps I am being naïve in thinking I have found a solution to that in librarianship, but so far I have found it has been a really positive move.
Next steps
My goals for the next couple of years are to qualify as a librarian with a Masters in Library and Information Studies and find an entry-level library job that is permanent, or at least long term. The Studentship contract ends in January and at the moment I am enrolled for an MLIS programme for the coming academic year. I would love to be able to go straight into a full time academic programme and be able to give it the proper time and attention.
However, there is a big financial chal- lenge to overcome. I have some savings and my teaching qualification means I
can do some substitute work and private tutoring, but paying rent in Dublin is a huge burden. One major benefit of doing a Graduate Traineeship in a pandemic was that I never had to say no to a night out or a holiday that I could not afford since no one was going anywhere! Now I have the pleasing problem of knowing some level of normality will return and I have to be realistic about finances after two years of living on a lower income as I pursued my passions. I am keeping my eye on the job market all the time and if the right opportunity came up in Ireland or the UK I would have to jump at it and think about part-time and evening MLIS options instead. When I have the qualification and more experience under my belt, it would be lovely to be in a position to be more selective about job applications. Getting the MLIS is important to me on both a practical and an academic level. Practically, even though it will be a stretch
July-August 2021
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