Connecting the Curated with the Untamed
I spent the last week traveling for work. I got home yesterday afternoon, minutes before the kids got home from school. I was excited to see them. Video calls are great, but just aren't the same as seeing someone you love and care about in person. We played a bit. I unpacked. I put on a load of laundry.
I believe that one of the most interesting, and challenging, things about being a librarian is that you never know what problem a person is going to walk through the door with at any given moment.
It could be something simple like needing to print from their phone or help with downloading an ebook. Some need computer access. Others want entertainment for themselves or their children. Some just need a place to get out of the the elements. Other issues are more complex and don't have a simple answer, or maybe they can't be solved with a visit to the library. We had one such instance not so long ago.
In lieu of a regular post this week, I opted to do some much needed blog housekeeping items that I have been putting off for some time.
For a full list of updates….
I'm an avid reader of Noisy Deadlines. In fact, discovering Noisy's blog is how I found out about the Write.as platform. I had been looking into starting a blog again via WordPress or Blogger, but after stumbling across Write.as I thought I would enjoy it more. So far, so good. I like the simplicity of it, the small internet feel, the lack of ads, but I digress.
If you're curious as to why I started blogging again, and you haven't read my first post, Why This Blog, you might enjoy reading it, or you might not. There's only one way to find out.
Anyways, why am I talking about Noisy Deadlines? Noisy's latest blog post, Embracing Lighter Reads struck a chord with me. So, I wanted to add to the conversation.
If you want to read the first post in this series you can find it here. It has all of the background information for this series.
The general premise, however, is that many blue-collar skills translate well into library work. That is, a general understanding of certain blue-collar skills can be beneficial to a librarian. There is no scientific evidence or any scholarly articles I can link in order to back up this theory (I guess there could be, I honestly haven't looked). I'm just going on my own lived experience for this series. My knowledge from working in the trades has served me very well in the library world.
In my first post in this series, I covered my experience working in a diesel mechanic shop and how I leveraged my skills in the parts department to land my first library job. Today, I want to talk about basic construction skills.
This is a few weeks later than what I had hoped for in Early Mornings, but I wasn't happy with it. I made extensive edits, and I am much happier with this version. I hope you enjoy reading about my child's accomplishment as much I did in getting there with them.
My youngest child recently completed their 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (1KBBK) journey. It was a huge moment for us. We started this adventure with them the day they were born. Yes, I took board books to the hospital!
Other than fall, this is my favorite time of year. Despite the havoc the pollen plays on my allergies and the awfulness of the time change, I love spring. It doesn't last long here, so I always try to enjoy it while I can.
I ran into a friend of mine on the road the other morning. We had one of those movie scene gravel road conversations. You know, the ones where they block traffic in both directions so characters can talk about the weather, life, etc...
Anyways, during that road blocking conversation, my friend proposed a fishing trip for the next day. They alleged that the White Bass were running, and that we needed to go catch some. I accepted their offer for a Sunday afternoon adventure, and went about my Saturday. I worked, in case you were curious. The reduced number of employees discussed in my last post Hiring has me working too many Saturdays recently.
The library I work with has recently undergone some staffing turnovers. For us, this is unusual. Most of our staff, even part-time, have multiple years under their belts. It's always hard, for multiple reasons, when someone leaves.
For me, other than the feelings involved when someone you have worked next to for years leaves, the difficulty lies in the work associated with finding their replacement.
Buckle up. This is going to be a ramble.
My favorite part of the day is the early morning hours. I like to wake up around 5:30 and have a bit of quiet time to myself before the spouse and kids wake up. I'm an introvert. This is my recharge time before I have to face whatever the world will throw at me that day.
If it's during the week, I use this time to get ready for work, drink coffee, read the Atlantic, or local news. Then, I like to fiddle with a crossword or the Wordle.