This week marks two months in the new job, and two weeks from the start of the fall semester. Let’s take a step back and see how things are going. In and earlier post I talked about how I was adjusting to the idea that I’m the boss of unit now and how difficult it was for me to make that transition. In the eight weeks since I started this position I’m feeling much more, if not fully, confident in my position. I’m beginning to take charge more and lead less by following and more from the front. That is going to be a longer process to complete and I don’t believe anyone should only lead from the front. I’m not a monarch or a dictator, so taking my lead from my employees is always something I will do.
In another post I questioned the wisdom of socializing with employees and colleagues. There is not a hard-and-fast universal rule to answer that question. Your employer may even strictly prohibit it. You’ll have to find what works for your work environment. So far, I’ve only spent social time with my any of these people in group settings. These are all fun and smart people and we all seem to understand where the lines are, so that helps. I’m building strong work and friend relationships that I hope will continue once we no longer work so closely together.
I’ve also announced that in October I’ll be facilitating a session at the MO Library Association Conference. I got official word today that I’ll also be attending the Access Services Conference in Atlanta in November. It is very heartening that someone so new to the organization would not only be allowed to attend professional conferences, but encouraged to do so. It’s possible that the MO conference will make it hard for me to go to ALA next June, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Not only am I feeling more confident in my leadership role, I’m also feeling more confident in my practical role and a circulation desk supervisor. It will take me a long time to learn everything, but I am certainly competent enough for most day-to-day activities at my circ desk. This is important because in two weeks we’re going to have up to 30k students come through this building every day, I’m told. The tradition here is that for the first two weeks of the semester between 08:00-17:00 the chairs behind the desk are removed and everyone has to stand at their stations because we are too busy to sit, anyway.
I really don’t know how to prepare for this semester anymore. I’ve never worked in a library that is that busy and the only analogy I can think of is Xmas season at the shopping mall. Even then, I don’t think I was ever that busy. I think I’m just going to have to go with the flow and take a Dudeist attitude about it. I fully expect to be exhausted at the end of my days for a while once it all starts. Hopefully, I’ll lose some weight at the same time. I’ll try to take it all in stride and enjoy being busy as much as possible.
So, that’s where I am right now. Things are looking up. My wife is starting to get interviews for local jobs, and here remote-working experiment is off to a good start. We should be together sooner than later. In the meanwhile we’re doing well and are optimistic about the future.
Tales of a Librarian 