Library gig

I am starting a website on Wix.com. It's not completed but I am almost done with it. I want to keep up with blog and be able to post regularly. My world has changed quite a bit. I am no longer working in NY at a government library. I am working locally at a community college. It has been 2 months and so far very rewarding. I teach library instruction classes and they have been a learning experience albeit a positive one. 

There are so many things happening in this place that was happening before I got here--all politics--that I won't side with anyone. I am happy with the people I have met so far. I am happy to help students and faculty as much as possible. It is quiet at times but also cathartic to see the people we help move forward.

HECTIC but HAPPY

It hasn't been boring for the last couple of months. Venting here and there has given me some strength and motivation te get off my *ss and move. If it's not one thing it's another between juggling a family, a job and taking care of all the undone and loose ends it starts to feel my head is spinning and will never stop. The truth is all that spinning has helped me get over the hurdles of being stagnant and mad about it. I have been trying to walk wherever I can cause I know moving, doing and being proactive in any area of my life starts to wander in to other areas and by golly 'i like it'. I like the effects of it. I do get tired but once I rest and get to it again the momentum keeps and stays. I haven't done anything concrete with this newfound energy and enthusiasm but I have ideas. More about that in my next post...very soon. :-)

I have come to the conclusion that I need to savor this feeling of unmotivation and live it before I could sift through what is really going on. I feel particularly unmotivated today. I am observining as you do when you are mindful. The book by Thích Nhất Hạnh called The Art of Mindfulness is where I got this idea. While he says observe everything you do including mundane activities, like grabbing something from the table. I think it could be applied to feeling empty. I feel empty and instead of judging it , it would be better to live it and see if the root of it all becomes visible to me by merely letting myself feel the emptiness whenever and wherever it may strike.

It is not easy, I tell you but I am going to attempt it. The feelings I had years ago when my life and career were unfolding nicely have disspated and now I am going to let that void guide me. I need all the help I could get and yes, spiritually, I am going to seek there and other routes like reading, writing as I do here, and talking to others.

Blunt Honesty ... Let's draw the line between sincerity and crudeness

I wrote about my daughter the other day about how she sees being a librarian uncool and my relationship with her has always been as such that we are bluntly honest with each other but...on ther other hand her honesty while it doesn't bother me reflects other comments I've heard from people who are misinformed or clueless about our profession. My daughter is very young and I will educate her. However in the last four years I have 3 people ask me what I do for a living. When l answered l am a librarian, the typical question that follows what degree do you need. l answer and tell them about my MLIS which brings on a comment like gee what do you do that requires a Masters? I smile slyly and say a lot more than you can even imagine.

These aren't comments that have made it difficult to be happy what I have chosen but it's the crudeness that people are compeled to give you their unsolicited opinion. l learned to let these roll down my back. But why do I feel no passion for something I loved 4-5 years ago? What is happening? I will explore this further. Now I am off to cut a birthday cake and celebrate. Until later :-)

UncoolMommy Librarian

For heaven's sake I feel down and out but talking to my daughter this evening confirms to me I am not only uncool but an uncool librarian. I consider the double negative grammar rule to apply here. I AM Cool...yeah right. Well I am going on personal journey to dispel the uncoolness of our profession. I guess in my quest for motivation anger may be the ticket. Defending what I chose to be and picked as a career has to be a source of pride before anything else could follow. So I am going back into time and relive all that attracted me to this profession in the first place and hope that will start my comeback and feel worthwhile in what I do every day. I need to get involved with this first before I could really appreciate where I spend my weekdays and who I am there. Good night!

LIBRARIAN BLUES?!

I am a reference librarian in NYC. I have been at this governmental library for almost 4 years. I previously worked in libraries but after receiving my MLIS, this is my first job as a professional librarian. I am grateful for many things as I reflect my being here and they are concrete and practical reasons. On the other hand, I am feeling sluggish, lacking motivation and the passion I had for librarianship is gone. I had many ideas and thought I could let my creativity soar - make them a reality once I got a position like this. As it turns out, our library has no budget, collection development is scarce and there are other problems I won't get into just yet. That will be an entirely different post.

Because I seem to be getting down, I had to look to the web, at least for now, and see what other creature librarians are saying and doing. I was glad to muster up at least that bit of drive because that is something which I have not had all winter long. It's like S.A.D. or seasonal affective disorder whereas I am afflicted with lack of drive, enthusiasm and could plainly NOT CARE about my situation. I call it L.S.A.D. ( no it's not a drug) it's librarianship stinks affective disorder, and as corny and uncreative as it is, that's what I feel. If the ship sinks, I will go with it...now reflecting more...I won't let it sink! HELP!

In writing my tale of woe I must remeber the good things I have within this organization:

• Opportunity to use the silence as a tool plan
• A good routine/consistency
• My family & I are financially above the water
• I am gaining experience serving the public
• My reference skills have improved many times over

On that note, I know I am here for a reason and when it will be time take my ship to its dock it will be the right time too. For now, I need energy, positive energy to get me to be the person I was when I graduated 4 years ago and find out where I could use my work ethic and vision to make it a reality.

I found this uplifting page about librarians...The stereotypes still alive but these folks aren't a shabby bunch and I could say I am not bothered at all to be part of this group :-)

LINK : http://lookslikelibraryscience.com/