For a closer look at the career paths of librarians, LJ (Library Journal) targeted the 1988 graduates of UCLA's Graduate School of Library and Information Science (now known as GSEIS). Using 15 years as a mid-career benchmark, LJ hoped to learn how the careers of the Class of 1988 had developed and how these graduates viewed their career paths to date, as well as their futures. Sixty-three individuals received their MLS degree from UCLA that year, and 58 were located and contacted for our career survey. A heartening 67 percent responded, offering not only some intriguing statistics but also some excellent anecdotal insight into the job satisfaction of the mid-career librarian. From this survey, two equally popular paths emerged. Call them loyalists and changers. Loyalists tended to stay with one library system and grow there. Changers, on the other hand, moved frequently from place to place. From the Class of 1988, LJ found that those who stayed the first five years in one system remained for the next ten for a wide array of reasons. Loyalists saw a steady climb in those first years--internal promotions, acting positions, and job security through seniority. For the Class of '88 it was also found that the first five years of the librarian's career generally set the stage for the rest of it. Most noticeably, the survey reinforced the notion that librarianship is largely a lateral profession. For librarians, the standard, vertical career ladder may not be a relevant model. New librarians, therefore, might think instead about individualized paths that lead to satisfying careers. This article provides the details behind this study and analysis of the findings.