On Monday I linked to a New York Times article on public libraries and their role during the economic slowdown. Well, it seems the increased visitors the libraries are seeing is impacting more than just circulation. Apparently the stress of the evolving role of libraries in effecting librarians.

But in some cities, this new popularity — some would call it overtaxing — is pushing libraries in directions not seen before, with librarians dealing with stresses that go far beyond overdue fines and misshelved books. Many say they feel ill-equipped for the newfound demands of the job, the result of working with anxious and often depressed patrons who say they have nowhere else to go

The stresses have become so significant here that a therapist will soon be counseling library employees.

“I guess I’m not really used to people with tears in their eyes,” said Rosalie Bork, a reference librarian in Arlington Heights, a well-to-do suburb of Chicago. “It has been unexpectedly stressful. We feel so anxious to help these people, and it’s been so emotional for them.”

Sheesh. This economy really is effecting everyone. So remember, next time you are in the library - either the public library or on campus - keep in mind what some librarians are going through. And also, as I said the other day, remember that you are going to be dealing with longer wait times for computers and resource books. So plan accordingly.

To freak you out some more, we have The Links ...

Cheezhead Profiles: The new job board Voolkan. I have to admit, I have a hard time saying this word without using some strange accent and thinking of Star Trek. Anyway, I checked it out. Nice, streamlined site, but not a lot of postings right now (25,000 or so nationwide). It may be something to check in on, but right now it isn't a go to resource.

College Recruiter Laments: The rise of the pay internship placement service."The University of Dreams is one of several intern placement services that are now available to students who are willing to ante-up big bucks to have someone else find a summer internship for them. While not all of the internships are unpaid, many are, and some universities also charge students a semester of tuition if the student wants academic credit for the experience." Paying to work for free makes me ill (Wait. Nope, that's just my breakfast).

Secrets of the Job Hunt Weighs: The positives and negatives of hiring a professional resume writing service. Paying money to help with your job search? Uh oh ... here comes that breakfast again.

Keppie Careers Offers: Advice of what to do after losing your job. Now, I know you're college students and you haven't even found jobs yet to lose ... buuuuuut, this is a good post that has useful advice for anyone starting the job search. There are certainly lessons in here that you can apply to looking for your first job out of college.

"stressed" photo courtesy of rick via Flickr Creative Commons. (Seriously, how did my man score "rick" as a username? Was he, like, the first Flickr user ever?)