My 200th Post

I’m much more interested in celebrating the fact that I finished my subject review paper and the fact the my husband got a job (and starts work tomorrow) than celebrating my 200th blog post. However, I did think it appropriate to write about some recent revelations that I have had about the impact of blogging on me personally. One of the things that I am pretty much horrible at is networking. I am an introvert – an extremely quiet person who prefers listening to speaking and likes to be behind the scenes. I don’t often speak to people unless spoken to first. This isn’t a reflection of others - it is simply part of my nature (I’m not saying it is a good part of my nature – it just is). If I do get into a discussion with people, it is often in a one-on-one situations. Crowds definitely make me retreat into myself more than usual. Starting a blog seemed perfect for someone of my temperament. I could be anonymous – a state behind which I was somewhat able to hide. I could discuss my thoughts on issues and reacts to others thoughts without being too worried about others’ reactions or sticking my neck out too far. Oddly enough (and very unexpectedly), this blog has really helped me to expand my horizons and be a bit more comfortable with others. It has enabled me to participate in discussions that I never would have gotten involved in previously – and I think it has made me even more secure with myself and my place in the library world. This is an unexpected benefit from my year of blogging.

Blogging is also a great way to network – or at least a great way to get started networking. No, I don’t think that it replaces face-to-face interaction, but it is a way to participate in a global library discussion – and a great way to get one’s foot in the door. Without the blog, I never would have asked Michael Golrick for an interview – nor would I have established any sort of connection with him – or any of the others with whom I have connected with via blogs or because of them. Ultimately, the past 199 blog posts have had a significant impact upon my life – something I never would have anticipated. Wow!

An Interesting Perspective

There is often a great deal of griping by recent MLS graduates about the job situation in libraries. Given that I have a professional librarian position, I deliberately stay out of these discussions. Recently, there has been some of this “oh-woe-is-my-situation” griping on the newlib listserv. (By the way, I’m not making a comment about the woe-is-my-life posts. I don’t know these people or their situations. People have a right to post what they choose – and readers have a right to formulate their own opinions about them. I am often bothered by the rudeness that people express towards others, but again, I’m all for letting people express what they need to express.) Ryan Deschamps, from The Other Librarian, put together a post, From Student to Professional: The “Yeah, But” Transformation, in which he offers his advice to new librarians. Ryan has a different take -on that I think is refreshing. He writes “I guess the point is that you just have to forget about the labor market for a bit and ask “is this what I really want?” If you can’t deal with the sort of realities I describe here, you are doing no one a favor by toughing it out through school. If you can deal with these realities and still keep that rosy understanding of libraries then the labor market is just one of many barriers that stand in the way between you and your idea job. The problem then is just a matter of how to get beyond the barriers.” A very nice take on the issue, I think. If you are thinking of entering the library profession and/or thinking of going to library school, this post is worth reading.

A Difficult, But Rewarding Weekend

I just passed in the subject review paper for ILS530 – Information Systems Analysis and Design that is due today. The sense of relief is a bit overwhelming – and wonderful. I honestly did not think that I would be able to complete it in time. I had started the reading necessary for the paper during the week. However, work was hectic – and life seemed to be even more hectic. I focused on finishing my interview for my ILS565-Library Management class first – since it was a bit less involved. I did pass that in on Friday evening (and have since received my grade on it). After work, my husband and I had a family birthday dinner to attend. We didn’t stay out late because I was walking in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk in Boston on Saturday.

My parents picked me up at 7:30AM for the ride into Boston. Again, my plan was to walk the 6 miles, head back to my cousin’s house for a cookout and start on the paper. Well, a 6 mile walk in 80 degree heat is a bit more draining than it actually sounds. It took about 2 hours and 15 minutes to walk the 6 miles. After the walk – which, by the way, seemed like it was 12 miles – I was exhausted, my feet hurt, my legs were killing and I just wanted to sit down. I made it to the cookout – food was very necessary at that point. When I got home (at about 5PM), I had to take a nap. I couldn’t possibly think enough to write a paper. My plan was to take a short nap, get up and get to work. When I woke up after the nap, I had a headache and just really needed to stay in bed and relax. My body needed to regroup and I had to let it. At this point, however, I was very worried that I might have to drop the class because I didn’t actually think I would be able to get the paper done.

I got up about 7:30AM this morning, ate a large breakfast and finally got to work. We had a family reunion to go to at 1:00PM at the Plimoth Plantation which is about an hour away. I was surprised at how much work I was able to actually get done tonight. I pretty much got most of the paper written – except for the conclusion. I also was able to start the list of topic/methods that was to accompany the paper. This was awesome because I was able to enjoy the party. We didn’t stay long, but were able to chat with family, enjoy a good lunch and arrive home by 4:30PM. I worked on the paper for about an hour and then submitted it to the professor. Yeah!!

So, it was a difficult weekend. I really thought I was in trouble, but was able to get the work done. Walking in the Heart Walk was a wonderful experience. Our family had a large contingent of walkers, and we hope to be able to all participate next year. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone today. It was also nice to see that many people who walked yesterday were feeling it today. All in all, I feel like I accomplished quite a bit this weekend. I’m glad it’s over – and I hope next weekend won’t be as stressful.