I'm a librarian. My job is to help people find things. But, I can't always do that. Sometimes, my resources are limited. Sometimes, I don't have the specific skill set (looking at you genealogical research). Sometimes, I know where to go and what to do... but don't have access. Whatever the reason, I know its okay to ask for help. A single librarian can't do it all. A community of librarians (and archivists and museum curators) on the other hand.... they can do a lot. So just ask. If the librarian in front of you can't help, they will direct you to someone who can. Half of my job is referring the person in front of me to the appropriate person who can help. Often times, in research, asking for help is the hardest part. Even us professionals get tripped up. That's why we know it's a great idea to ask someone else who might be able to help instead.
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You might not want to watch movies with me. Well, don't watch movies with me if I've a) seen the before or b) know a lot about the subject material. I have a horrible habit of providing running commentary. (My poor, poor husband...) For example, this week, we tossed on The Day After Tomorrow. This is no masterpiece, but we do love disaster flicks and this one ranks at the top of our rewatches. In about fifteen minutes, I talked about a continuity error I caught; my love for the librarian who is still working; how one character, in reality, would be called "Doctor" and not "Professor;" and the impossibility of a freighter making it that far through city streets. My husband, used to this, mostly smiled and nodded. I have no idea what drives me to do this. Maybe I just want to talk. Maybe I feel like showing off. Maybe I think my commentary might enhance understanding of the movie. I just seem incapable of not talking when I think I see something interesting. To my credit, I (usually) don't do this with new movies or in theaters. Still, you've been warned.
When I woke up, it was gray and raining. Gradually, the sun has overtaken the day. While it may be chilly and breezy out, the sky is a brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight. Not bad for a winter day. Here's what was good in my week.
This afternoon, I had a meeting with my mentee. She's a student in the graduate library program I attended and we meet monthly. This month, she wanted to discuss the classes I found most relevant to my library work. I graduated from the program over a decade ago and going through my notes was a walk down memory lane. There were classes I have no memory of at all. But, there were several courses that are relevant to what I do almost every day. We had a great discussion about the courses and I'm excited to see what classes she chooses to round out her degree. Here's what else I'm working on:
I spent the second half of my work week drafting my chapter for the upcoming book Person-Centered Management. I threw a proposal out on a whim and was shocked to find that it was accepted. My topic - asking five specific questions regularly of your employees - is nothing groundbreaking. The chapter is more reflective and less theoretical or research-based. That's why I found it hard to write. The outline I developed and received feedback on was extensive. Normally, this makes things easier to write. I simply extend my outline's bullet points into complete sentences with examples scattered throughout. That was not the case here. I found myself stuck in a quagmire of tone and word choice. Was I being to personal or not personal enough? Did I need a specific example or would generalizations do? Was my writing too vague? Did I repeat my points too much? I also second-guessed the entire premise of the chapter. (That was just imposter syndrome rearing it's ugly head.) Finally, I decided to write what felt good in the moment. That's what ultimately led me to "complete" my draft. It's 500 hundred words over the max limit, but it's done. I'm going to let this brain dump of writing sit for a few days before I start slicing and dicing in editing. I relish a good red pen session to make writing better. (I expect a lot of red penning with this one.) The editorial process for the book is extensive. The first draft is due Friday, there is an optional peer-review I signed up for, there is a second draft, and then there is the final draft. I'm going to be wrestling with this 3,000 - well, 3,500 at the moment - words for awhile. How do you write?
Tonight, the husband and I are going to order dinner from our usual place, crack open a beer, and rewatch Knives Out. I'm very excited to enjoy our typical Friday night plans. After a long week at work, I think it will feel extra relaxing. Here's what was good this week:
The Towering Sky Katharine McGee I’m now on book three of this YA series. While this has not been the most addictive of YA novels, I’ve rather enjoyed the overall world. I’m intrigued to see where all the characters end up. This feels like the kind of book where everything will be tidied up and presented with a nice, neat bow. I am realizing that one of the characters introduced in book two is playing more of a side part in this book three. It feels like she doesn't belong. Given how all the plots tend to weave in and out of each other, this is an outlier. That means it's either entirely unnecessary or is going to become a pivotal thing in the last chapters. *Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org I'm back in action! Yesterday was our required day of faculty professional development and, today, I'm in my cubicle digging out from the break. Our students don't report back to classes until Monday, so I have a few days off the reference desk to work on other things. Here's where my attention is at:
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