Wednesday, April 19, 2006

A Day in the Life

Ria Newhouse is a young librarian who's on the cover of Library Journal. She describes her life as a librarian in her 20s working at Metro State in St. Paul, Minnesota after a stint as a teen services librarian.

I have learned so much in this job. I know how to chair a search committee, how to cry gracefully (and not so gracefully) in a meeting. I know that librarianship is a career that allows one to eat too much candy. I've learned that if you ask for what you want enough times, you might just get it. I learned that I enjoy teaching, even if it does make me nervous.

There are different kinds of lessons, too. I can be both professional and personal at the same time. It's a hard balance to maintain, but it's something I'm good at. It's okay to have a heart, to show some emotion, to say what you think, and to wear a skirt that buttons up the side. I've learned that I am provocative, smart, funny, and quite sassy. I am a valuable part of this profession and a day in my life is something I would never want to miss.

(For the record, I've been to a lot of library meetings and though they've been stimulating, frustrating, sometimes dull, sometimes contentious, I have never been brought to tears. That's not to say we always agree, but those disagreements are usually the most interesting part.)

4 comments:

Alec said...

How does one "cry gracefully (and not so gracefully) in a meeting"? I don't think I've ever been in a professional context where tears are called for or even welcome (other than perhaps after an especially good joke).

Alec said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Alec said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Barbara said...

Good point, Charlotte - I guess I was focused on the idea of an item on a meeting agenda leading to tears. Which it could, at times (budgets, anyone?) but usually it's just business as usual, to be taken with a wry smile.

But you bring up a good point - there's a lot to the job that's purely human. Thank goodness!