Got a job! Is it The Job?

I am happy to say I have got a job. Is it The job? Well, what would make a job “the job?”

• Permanency – this is good for you don’t have to start the applying process all over again at the end of your contract
• Vacation pay – oh fantastic! Who wouldn’t want that!
• Vacation time – and lots of it with pay
• Competitive salaries and benefits – no need to say more

I have to say my job doesn’t have any of the above. But there are other things that constitute to the greatness of a job. Those would be:
• A good challenge – I am the kind of person who loves this. I don’t like to get into a rut and do the same thing over and over again. I love to learn new things everyday. My job has provided me with good challenges and here are a few
o I am the first librarian hired by this institution – that cannot be easy for a new graduate who has never worked as a librarian
o I drafted a collection development policy
o I wrote goals, visions and missions for the library based on the organizations goals and visions.
o My first month was spent on weeding
o The rest of the collection is being divided into broad subject categories (some categories already existed) and is being given call numbers
o These subject categories are also being color coded or given some kind of spine labels to visually differentiate them from the rest
o I am researching automation and circulation software possibilities for such a small collection as ours
o With the automation/circulation software, I am hoping to get barcodes for our collection
o I am trying to get us library cards – make it all official
o I am in the process of redesigning the website in collaboration with a Web designer who works from Ontario
o My users complained that the way items are “annotated” on the Web site doesn’t make much sense to them as to what is in the book. So I have decided to type up the Table of Contents and display them for each item. Some of our collection, as it is produced by provincial or federal agencies, is available on line. The URL for that is being included on the website, so users can access the information with a click from their homes. This will be an informal digital or electronic library in a way. Or call it Open Access.
• Great co-workers – this is really important as it can make or mar your job. I have got them.
• Parent organizations’ support – having support from who ever is above you that has the control buttons to have your library running or not is critical. My organizations’ director is willing to hear me out and learn from me what the library should be like. That doesn’t happen very often. She likes my vision for the library and is willing to do things that she possibly can.
• Future possibilities – As this is a very young library the possibilities are endless. With some funding help this will be a great library – have ILL, form consortia, digitize our information – oh! the possibilities are exciting.

Don’t go away for too long. I will have more to ramble next time.