I currently work from home, as ILS admin for a statewide consortium. It certainly presents its own challenges, but most days it's great. Soon after I finished library school, I tried working very briefly for tutor.com, which provides live chat reference to many libraries around the world. Personally, I found the training process somewhat disorganized and the software needlessly clunky. They kept saying a new version of the software, which was due a in few months would make it all easier, but that just meant learning a system which would soon be obsolete & require more training on the new system. And the pay was pretty low, so I did not stick with it in favor of other opportunities that came along not much later.

Thank you. After spending almost 18 years as a traditional librarian, I just did not know where to even start looking. Your input is a great place for me to start. thanks again. ap

I currently work from home doing a mishmosh of freelance work -- I'm a consulting editor for Information Today, Inc.'s books division; I write; I do workshops and presentations, etc. Think about your skills and how they might translate into work related to libraries: writing, indexing, editing, freelance cataloging (esp. foreign-language cataloging), web design for local libraries, etc.

Before I quit my library job entirely, I worked part-time at the reference desk on Saturdays, and maintained their web site and did some materials ordering from home. If you have relationships with local libraries or a former place of work, you can talk to them about similar options.

Very occasionally, people post telecommuting positions on LISjobs.com -- usually Tutor.com or corporations, so keep your eye out there. You also might try the librariansahm Yahoo! group; this question comes up on there periodically.

I have a couple of chapters on striking out on your own in my upcoming alternative careers book from ITI, and will post a link when it's out later this spring.

Good luck!
- Rachel

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Rachel Singer Gordon / rachel@lisjobs.com
Find a library job: http://www.lisjobs.com
The Liminal Librarian: http://www.lisjobs.com/blog