Banned Books Week Read-Out

You'd think I would have posted about this at the beginning of the week rather than the end. But this week was Banned Books Week, a week to celebrate books that have been challenged or banned and to bring to light how often and pervasive book banning can be. A lot of libraries have read-out where they invite the public to get together and read passages from banned books. Or at least that's how my library has celebrated it for the past 2 years. Our read-out was Tuesday. I really hate getting up and speaking in front of people but I managed to get it done. And somehow I decided to read the passage from Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, one of my favorite books, when Tita breastfeeds her nephew. I had originally picked out a section when Tita's crying into the wedding cake makes everyone cry and get sick, but it seemed too tame. Then I thought about reading the part where her other sister is taken by the solider but in the end I compromised between the two and went for the breastfeeding. Because I could see someone objecting to it. It fairly well and I was only somewhat embarrassed.

There wasn't a huge turnout though. I think the first year is always the best and it was pretty hot out. There were a few students taking notes because I am betting they will get extra points for showing up. But not that many faculty came which is a disappointment. The head of the English Department came and that was nice. All in all it lasted an hour and I think it was nice. It was a good way to celebrate Banned Books Week at any rate.

Reference: public vs academic

I wasn't always an academic librarian in collection development.. Before this job I spent 4 years as a public librarian in reference. I am very much a customer service oriented person having spent 4 years in retail and then a year in non-profit customer service and then 2 years as a GA in circulation. So that's 7 years of working with the public before I even became a librarian. Add another 4 years onto that and 11 years of public service in some capacity or another. But 4 years on the reference desk at 40 hours a week in a public library is hard and it is a lot and there are no breaks and I burned out. So a change to the technical services aspect of librarianship was a definite and needed change for me. But after a year or so of doing no reference service I was asked to hep out in the short staffed department. With my experience it was too good of an opportunity for them not to ask me to work the desk. And I enjoy customer service. To put aside modesty for a minute, I excel at working with the public and I am a good explainer. Not to mention being personable and approachable, all things necessary for working with public library patrons and great for working with students.

When I came to an academic library I was shocked that they only work approximately 3 hours a day if that on the desk. Granted there is more than one librarian in that department but the fact that they spend what felt to me like so little time on the desk was amazing to me. And, frankly, I feel like the questions are less challenging then at a public library where every Tom, Dick and Harry feels free to ask whatever random question pops into their head and who are very fond of reminding library workers that they "pay their salary" and so can be very demanding. Basically what I'm saying is that the more public the patrons are the more difficult reference work can be. Not to say that I've never been berated on the reference desk here. But it was unsurprisingly by an older male student who felt I was not working hard enough, assumed that by the sound of my voice (it was a phone question) that I was young and therefore inexperienced and expected me to know some specific U.S. employment statistics at the drop of a hat. Every job has its challenges though. But I've had a mostly positive experience in the academic reference library department. I don't know if I could ever go back to a public library reference department. Certainly my main focus has changed over these last 5 years and I've learned quite a bit about what I like and do like about working in a library and it has helped me focus on my specialization more than library school ever did. I guess 9 years in a career will do that though.

31 Things: Day 7: Dream Job

At the bookstore

So I'm at a bookstore on Thanksgiving night and there is a lady looking for The Scorch Trials.  But she can't find her list and the store is closing soon so the employees are doing other things.  I hear her say "The Scorch Trials" to her husband and as I'm just standing there waiting for my husband and sister to finish up, I say "James Dashner. That's the author."  Then her husband just smiles at me and they continue to wait on the saleclerk who when he finally gets to them, saying "James Dashner."  I really wanted to say "HA! I'm a librarian.  A professional at this."  But I didn't. 

How I became a reference librarian

ne day I decided Hey I am totally going to become a librarian!  And so I did the research, went to school, got my MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) and voilà here I am.  In library school, Reference is a requirement because it is one of the basic and most recognizable librarian jobs.  I did not like reference.  I decide then and there I would never become a reference librarian.  Oh no, not me.  Fast forward to graduation.  Desperate for a job I am applying anyway that sounds remotely plausible.  My mother calls me and tells me the local library is hiring a librarian and so I apply.  This is not what I had in mind when I went to library school.  I was focused on special libraries.  But once again, DESPERATE.  Meanwhile, all I'm getting are rejection letters because at that point the only experience I had was as a GA in circulation at my university library which is fine but doesn't have the impact that a different GA position (like reference) would have had.  I had an interview in the small town in Mississippi that I was, frankly, horrified by and was DESPERATE not to take.  At that point, I think I also had an interview at my hometown's local library too.  On the way back from showing BT the little town where we were both like no way I got the call.  I had the job at the hometown library!  YAY.

Now let me back up.  I was interviewed by the Director of the Library, the Assistant Director and the Children's Librarian (which I thought was weird but whatever, there turned out to be a reason for it*) and the position I was interviewing was a little vague.  The Director did most of the talking anyway and she indicted that it would be a "floating" position until the new branches were built.  So I thought I'd been doing a little here and a little there.  Fine, whatever.  Well, she offers me the job and doesn't say exactly what it is.  Once again, fine, whatever.

Now I am excited.  YES!  I have a job as a librarian in a public library.  Not quite what I wanted but a good entry level position.  Something to get me started.  BT and I get all the arrangements together.  I moved into my parent's house for a couple of weeks while he waits to get transferred to our new city and go to work.  I remember that morning so very vividly.  First, I can't figure out how to get in the building because it isn't opened yet.  Side door finally found and then I'm in but a few minutes late because of it.  I'm meet by the Assistant Director and she shows me around and then brings me to the reference desk.  I'm shocked!  REFERENCE!!  I didn't sign up for reference.  But, oh I did.  She is shocked that the Director didn't tell me.  It's crazy.  It turns out that they really did need a reference librarian.  The old one had left and the cataloger was doing double duty.  So all that crap in the interview was just the Director talking out of her head.  Weird.  Also it turned out she was retiring like 3 weeks after I started so she really didn't care as indicted by the first thing she said to me which was "Don't be late again because I had to fire someone for that."  To which I replied that I was on time, I just couldn't get into the building.

So at lunch, I ate somewhere, called BT and CRIED because REFERENCE, woe.  I planned to work it until I could find another job, but I ended up staying for 4 years working as the Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian.  And it turned out it was something I was good at doing.  I have a strong customer service background and an insatiable curiosity and need to find things.  Perfect for reference. 

*Because the Director was retiring, the Assistant Director took her place and the Children's Librarian became the Assistant Director.  That is why there were all there.