Dec 19, 2012
One Year In
I have been at this children's librarian gig for 14 months now. Time really flies when you ARE having fun! Thinking back on my first year, I had a lot of ups and not very many downs. Some disappointments yes, but really life at work has been grand. Kudos to my co-workers for putting up with my zaniness, and my last minute running around because I forgot the camera for a program AGAIN!
It has been an interesting transition to public persona. I run into people I have met at the library all over the place. About six months in, I found myself riding the mechanical horse in Dairy Queen after a program. As I was riding the horse, I started to get off when I realized that some of the people there might know me (and may never want me near their children again). But what the heck, I was already on the thing so I figured that I might as well get my quarter's worth- Ride Like the Wind, Bullseye! That was an eye opener for me. When you work at the public library, the public sees and knows you. When you go out into the public, the public sees you and might recognize you... after they can place you. What is a crazy librarian supposed to do? Act more responsibly?
Responsible? On my time off, well that hardly seems fun.
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Don't live in the town where you work. I know opinion on this is divided, but I moved to the next small town over and it makes a big difference. The middle schoolers don't follow me home after work and knock on my door "just to see where I live". All our small towns are pretty close together and I run into people I know, but it's not the same as CONSTANTLY being watched and having to duck around the grocery aisles when you see a particularly nasty patron.
ReplyDeleteI don't live there now as a part-time employee, but I am starting full-time this coming year (yeah) and then there is a residency requirement. Fortunately it is only in the school district, so I wouldn't have to live within city limits.
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