Then I'll Bring the Library to Me!

I got a new job and while its a fine job, it's not a library so I feel this kind of identity loss that I don't know how to deal with. I didn't realize how much being a "librarian" defined who I was. Maybe it's a good thing that I have to regrow my independence, but all the same I miss the library!

I work at the Mountainland Head Start central office in Provo and in the basement of the building is a library for the teachers. It was a little spot o' heaven when I found out about it. Whenever I close the basement down at night I walk through it just to get some library in me. Because of my interest in libraries my boss is letting me catalog all of the "new" books for the library. Most of them are old donated books, but either way I'm loving it. My co-workers keep saying things like "Why are they making you do that? " and "Oh! That must be awful". They just don't understand.

There are almost 1000 books that need to be cataloged, the library database is beyond arcane and unreliable, and the actual library itself could use some serious TLC. SOOO I've been hatching a plan about writing a grant to get things in shape! (And I just happen to be taking a class that teaches grant writing!) I want to see if I can write grant to either get new materials for the library or that will pay me to work in it for a while and get it usable. I'm not exactly sure what I need to do, or if it's even possible, but danget that place needs a librarian! The Headstart library needs some new resources and the existing ones aren't being used because of the lack of organization. To be fair, it's not really their fault. The library has been so neglected because the program in general is underfunded. They can hardly pay the staff they have to keep up with their overflowing work loads, let alone create a new position for the library.

So, I've emailed my professor to see if she can set me in the right direction and all I have to do now is work up the chutzpah to talk to my boss and the director about it at some point...

Personnel is Policy

The other day Barton Gellman was being interviewed on NPR about his new book, Angler, about Dick Cheney's role in the Bush administration and he talked about how Cheney's hiring practices were informed by this maxim: Personnel is Policy. If you just get the right people in the right positions you won't have to be a micro-manager and you won't have to fuss with copious amounts of policy aimed at getting employees to act a certain way.

At first I understood it as an excuse for cronyism, but as I thought about it don't you want to hire people who share the vision of your corporation and thus will act in what you see is its best interest, not just because of policy, but because of who they are? I think maybe (maybe?) I'm giving Cheney too much credit, ESPECIALLY considering that his 'corporation' was a "non-partisan" government not supposed to be aimed at furthering a party, but at managing our nation. Maybe that's when this kind of thinking turns horrible - when it is used to further one particular, highly controversial, vision of what the organization should be transformed into instead of the agreed upon mission statement of company.

I guess I'm thinking about this because I am job searching my heart out. Well, I'm searching, but it hard to be pumped about anything other than the few jobs I really want (I'll keep you posted on that). I'm a sucker of an idealist. For the job back at the library (though in a different department) I just want to say "If you knew how much I love this library, and its mission, and its role in the community you would know that I would be the best option for this job." I would work with enthusiastic accordance with the policies of the library because I believe in the vision of the library whole heartedly. Personnel as policy?

ps - And I'm fungible! I'm so fungible! I can do lots of stuff well! Thomas Freidmans says that is the number one attribute people in today's workplace need to exhibit. But how do you sell that to an employer?

What I Did Instead

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things as far as homework goes. This is my second time on campus today - nevermind that the first was only for an hour, an hour in which I met and chatted with two of my friends. I'm waiting for Max to get out of his night class and somehow my studying has turned into this:








Taking pictures of myself with my computer. However, I am taking a web design class and so far I'm really enjoying it...contrary to what these pictures may suggest.

It pays to be a nerd...or at least it discounts your insurance

Yesterday I was on the phone with Geico getting our insurance re-instated so that Max could drive our wee green car back to Provo and the nice lady on the phone, Diane, asked "Do you belong to any organizations that are sponsored by Geico and might get you further discounts on your rates?"

"Um..I don't think...well, I am a Member of ALA.  The American Library Association."

"They are on a our list, we will further discount your insurance."  

I save 10 bucks a month! Awesome.  

I read quite a few articles on the benefits of belonging to professional library associations in one of my classes last semester and NO ONE brought up that you get discounts on your car insurance.  They should push that more at ALA.