My younger sister graduated college early with 2 degrees and is having a hard time getting a job, in New York City no less! she did fall very ill for a while but aside from temp jobs she is having a hard time..so I can believe this.

I know so many people who are out of work. It's hard, even with your E fund saved for 6 months to a year. I think more like 2 years is what people should try saving - you just never know.

Marni7 - I wish your sister luck, hopefully she will be able to get something soon.

suntanned. those Italians!

thanks bella!

I am so greatful I found a job before everything got really bad. I really feel for everyone out there looking, it's got to be hard to keep your spirits up.

Ha, Suntan Gate! I don't think he meant it to be racist, but it probably wasn't the best idea to say that out loud to the media. It kind of seems like a joke someone might make amongst friends.

I may be slow: what did the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi mean? Was it a big deal?

I'm not sure he meant anything special Bella, Berlusconi's always sticking his foot in his mouth. If he had said 'young, handsome, African-American' would it have sounded wrong? But since he's European, maybe it's best though that he not even go there...

Thanks Stef, I wasn't sure why it was considered news then. I'm jealous some Italians tan darker than I do. I want to be dark too. Sorry for the gripe.

The jobless story is awful and with industries like auto in such danger, is guaranteed to get worse before it gets better. Those of us who have jobs will have to get by on what we're making (I'm running out of ideas for possible second jobs) and be happy where we are for a long time.

I agree with the jobs as well. I have been looking for a second job but I have been consulting on the side and now that has stopped with people cinching the belts more.

Anyone else working a little harder at their current job?

I work for the state, you would have to commit a federal crime to get let go at this place. its a stable job thats for sure.

TS...we have half the number of employees that we did about 8 months ago. I wear many, many hats.

I work at a University and no one has been let go as far as I know (knock on wood) they did implement a hiring freeze though which may double the workload in some departments that were in the process of hiring people and now cant. I am glad I hired my assistant before this tho!

I work for a public library so my job seems safe for now.

I'll be sure to work my butt off though just in case there are lay offs. You never know with things the way they are. I don't have the least amount of seniority but I'm not on the top of the ladder either!

kastarte, question...do you guys have a problem with the homeless community at your library like we do at ours?

We used to have a problem at our library with homeless people. Lots of disruptive behavior, sleeping in the chairs, using the bathrooms as their personal bathing stations, but about a year ago they hired a security guard (retired police officer) that has been super effective.

He's very respectful of the homeless, he doesn't forcefully remove anyone, I think it's more of a "You get my respect if you give me yours" type of thing. It's definitely had a positive influence. Now the library is a much nicer place.

I have a friend who just graduated college and she can't find a job. The ones she has been offered were paying about $9 per hour. My husband was in the process of becoming a police officer then all of the towns that were purusing him instituted hiring freezes. We are pretty bummed.

I should stop answering other peoples questions

I am so thankful that I am not currently in need of a job. Hopefully the market will be recovered by the time I graduate.

No blues its okay! thanks for your statement! We are having a huge problem in ours, I wont even go there anymore and use the drive thru to pick up books that i put on hold via the computer!

"kastarte, question...do you guys have a problem with the homeless community at your library like we do at ours?"

No. There is one guy who we think is homeless who checks out art books and drives up huge fines. We think he is living in a shelter. He has no address and every attepmt to verify his address is fruitless.

The library in the neighboring city has a big problem with homeless though. They linger on the steps begging for change and hang out inside during bad weather. Last year, a homeless registered sex offender raped a young boy in their stacks while the boy's mother was using the computer. So, yeah, they have a big homeless problem.

Oh my god, Kaste, that's so awful.

Hmm the libraries here have a big issue but it seems that they are peaceful and aren't causing problems so no one kicks them out. It is hard because some of them have behavioral issues but as long as they are harmless I don't think much can be done.

The homeless on subways is a bigger issue for me.

(sorry I answered too!)

Oh my gosh! THere are dozens in ours, dozens.....in every corner, they arent aloud down in the wee kids section but i have seen moms on the computers talking on myspace/facebook who arent paying attention to their screaming children and i wouldnt doubt that they are very tempting to a certain aspect of the homeless community. I know a girl that works there, and she wont use the bathrooms anymore!

(i just hijacked this post didnt i?)

"i just hijacked this post didnt i?"

Yeah but it is OK. I think our problem isn't that bad because we are located in an affluent area of a small town. Our biggest problem actually are 13 year old boys who come in and cause a ruckus. Say anti Semitic comments in front of Jewish people because they think it is funny. Vandalize the building and what not. But at least they return their DVDs on time.

And yeah CG you are right. Those kids are targets. This boys mother didn't even know he had wandered off. Didn't even miss him because she was so busy on the Internet. He was only 6 at the time. In a big city library, you should really put a leash on a kid.

Because of the tax situation in MA, there aren't a lot of financial resources in towns and cities so that library cannot afford to have a security guard however desperately they may need one. Staff are so busy and wearing so many hats that they can't possibly monitor who comes into the building. You just have to be cautious.

funny tidbit, the librarians know me by now (i check out 5-6 books a week) and when i go through the pick up line for Holds, i smell the books.....because of the homeless reading alot while they are squatting there all day, the "funk" rubs off on the books and they reek! its terrible I know, and i am not being heartless but I just hand them back and say "homeless" and they understand!

Our library isn't very big...and I've been going there since I was a kid. There's always been a group of homeless people in there and at the park next to it. The drug use and general shady behavior has been greatly reduced over the past year though. It's truly amazing how one person could make such a difference.

I am however, supremely jealous that your library has a drive-thru!

A few years ago the city I lived in had to basically cut in half the hours that most of its libraries were open because of the city's mangled budget. I don't know if anyone got laid off, but they certainly didn't have the same number of hours. It made me so sad, because libraries are my favorite tax funded things.

If I was homeless I would be at the library every single day. There are actually people lined up to get in to our downtown branch every morning.

Our library has lots of homeless people in it and several security guards to keep an eye on things. I used to work at Border books at night, and we even had homeless families who hung around until we closed - it's uncomfortable for shoppers, and incredibly sad for the homeless. We'd have to keep an eye out to make sure shoppers were safe and wake up homeless people sleeping in chairs so they could go out to sidewalks when we closed.