I dig it, I so dig it.

"Everybody sucks but me." -- Some Random Guy

Please Note: The abovementioned quote does not illustrate my feelings regarding the world, persay. It does, however, tickle my fancy to no end. Came across a fellow UW student holding a brazenly large billboard that made this announcement, which resulted in my first smile of the day. For, how I do appreciate arrogance when cleverly done. His reward? A thumbs up & a hearty salute. What does this have to do with librarianship, you ask? Absolutely nada, save that I was on my way to Collection Development, and I had to squelch the giggles throughout class everytime it popped into mind. The sheer audacity, I dig it. Were I only so bold...

Seek Inspiration and Ye Shall Find

"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life." -- Mortimer Adler

I've been feeling a little funky lately. Could be the change in season and frustratingly shortened days, a midsemester rut, or even an unfriendly hormonal surge. Can't say for sure, but it's been a bit on the annoying side. Who, after all, likes to be crabby? Especially when sitting at the reference desk when confronted by all types of people with unique needs out of the blue? Not a good place to feel edgy. Luckily, it wasn't anything that a good private vent to my co-workers (not about patrons, just the sensation of icks!), a few hours of yoga, & some chat time with my favorite (ok, my only) brothers couldn't cure. The icing on the cake, however, was an article I read last night in this months O Magazine. And, yes, I admitted that outloud. I read Oprah's magazine. I even have a subscription. As a woman, I can appreciate a fellow gals rise to the top--espeically, at least so far as I know, she didn't squoosh anyone on the ride there. Besides, I get a good snicker out of Dr. Phil, as well as the monthly "Gotta Have It" column that vastly exceeds any budget I'll ever see. Yet, I seriously dig the Reading Room section, & give kudos to Ms. O for not only recognizing the value of literature, but also going the extra mile to spread the word. Concluding the section this month was an article related to none other than librarianship--librarianship of the most admirable kind. If you can get your hands on a copy, see page 274 for an article on Somalia's traveling librarian; a man who twice monthly delivers boxes of books via camel back to children dispersed throughout the African bush. How's that for inspirational? I'd call it dedication of the most admirable & life-affirming kind. Certainly, if he can do that, I can find it in myself to make it to winter break with a sincere smile upon my face.

And, speaking of Christmas, I just had a thought--a donation to the camel library would make a pretty nifty gift for someone. I've an inkling there are a few other souls out there who may fancy the notion nearly as much as I. If you're one of them & want to learn more, check out the following webiste: http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com. It's pretty cool...

Reference Psychology

"While you are engaging in the act of giving, you should do so with great happiness and radiance on your face. One should practice giving with mental uprightness."

--the Dalai Lama

(If anyone other than the Dalai Lama were to say this, it would, I fear, sound corny, even trite. Yet, there's more than a grain of truth to be found in his words; it's lovely--and he's the Dalai Lama--the archetype role model for compassionate living. So there. :)

I've been working the reference desk for a little while now (since roughly mid-June) and I'm finally beginning to feel as though I'm coming into my own. Granted, I know next to nothing in the grand scheme of things & have loads left to learn (my aim being to never stop--forcibly shutting down the mind is akin to being dead, in my humble opinion) but I've the sensation of being home. Considering the fact that technically, I'm not even a "real" reference librarian, but rather a teen librarian who happens to staff the desk a good chunk 'o time, I think that's pretty cool. In fact, I like having such diverse job repsonsibilities--keeps me fresh, well-informed, & exposed to so many very different things. For example, just this week, I helped a first time cat owner learn about the special needs of her highly energetic (but loving) feral kitten. (Proof positive that it pays to be the "crazy cat lay") while later that same day a young child taught me what a meerkat is. Turns out, it's got nothing whatsoever to do with a cat, despite the phonetics of the name.

The biggest perk of my increased comfort--the realization that my rather divergent path to librarianship (all those once feared "pointless" degress & seemingly unusual experiences)--combined with my in-the-works professional development skills enable me to really help people. Also evident is the fact that it faciliatates the process of "making that connection." Patrons asking for me by name, stopping by just to say hello; high school kids keeping me abreast of how they did on that assignment, which speech is next; parents asking for my input...Though not necessarily affirmation of a job done perfectly on my part (always room for improvement!) yet it let's me know that I met their needs in some way--even if in no other capactiy than having validated their need was important. Never fails to make my day, and it's so, so cool to know that I've finally discoered a niche, custom made, just for me.