WILL UNWOUND #109: “Rules for Rookies” by Will Manley
May 12, 2010I absolutely love you guys. Thanks for the great job hunting advice you gave yesterday to the three new MLS graduates who emailed me last week. I actually heard from two of them already and they were immensely grateful for your wise and experienced counsel.
Today the challenge is a tad different. Let’s assume your advice has paid dividends and these newbies have gotten their first library jobs. What advice would you now give them for how they should conduct themselves in their six month probationary period. I’ll go first:
Things not to do on your first job
- Do not put a nameplate on your desk that says “Meryl Hepner – Change Agent.” Don’t laugh. I actually know a newly minted MLS holder who did just that. She totally internalized everything that she was taught in her Library Leadership class especially the part about true leaders being fearless change agents. This young woman was more clueless than arrogant. She really thought that she was hired to singlehandedly bring her library into the 21st century, and she thought that her co-workers would welcome her with open arms.
- Do not arrive at your new library and say “the only difference between this library and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.” Griping, complaining, and grousing about one’s library is a time honored tradition among librarians. It’s one of the ways we cope with stress, cutbacks, layoffs, and clueless administrative decisions. But before you earn the right to gripe you need to earn your stripes. That usually takes 6 months of dealing with problem patrons, coping with short staffing, and deciphering the mysteries that come out of admin. Until then, keep your mouth shut unless it’s something positive.
- Do not prate on about how great things were at Willowdale Public, where you did a 6 week internship while you were in library school. Unless you have an early death wish, never, ever start a sentence by saying, “At Willowdale we did it this way.”
- Do not put your MLS sheepskin in a frame and hang it above your desk and for heaven’s sake don’t wear it on your shirtsleeve. The most common mistake new MLS holders make is to exaggerate the weight and value of the degree within any given library. Co-workers who have the degree will not be impressed by your degree because they understand that 90% of one’s professional expertise comes from experience and the other 10% from theory. Co-workers who do not have the degree will greatly resent you if you flaunt your degree. Many of these people are just as important if not more important to the library than you are, and if you put on airs around them they will throw darts at your photograph during happy hour or worse.
- Do not ever walk past a stray book on the library floor, refuse to pick it up, and pontificate to everyone around you …”I did not go to library school to shelve books.” Everyone will hate you for being an insufferably arrogant ass. Prima donnas belong in the opera, not the library.
Things to do on your first job
- Do bring donuts every Friday morning. This will endear you to your colleagues. Nobody ever admits it but libraries run on Dunkin. You may think the healthy thing to do is bring carrot sticks and celery for snack sharings, but there again is the difference between theory and practice. People talk healthy and eat unhealthy. The proof of the popularity of a snack is how quickly it disappears. Carrot and celery sticks turn limp by the end of the day; donuts are usually gone by 9:30.
- Do ask your co-workers for help and advice. This will make them feel important and convince them that you are not one of those MLS know it alls.
- Do volunteer to work nights and weekends whenever your supervisor is in a pinch due to sick leave absences, vacations, or staff turnover. You will be loved by your supervisor and your co-workers and you will earn the most important title of all …”Team Player.”
- Do go out to Starbucks with your work team whenever they have a “Starbucks morning” before the library opens and do go out to happy hour with them. When you’re new it’s important to socialize with your colleagues to get to know them better. Otherwise you will be thought of as stuck up or anti-social. Blending in at work can sometimes be a pain, but it’s worth it.
- Do make a big effort to get to know the more experienced staff members as well as you can. I am a huge believer in mentorships. At some point in your tenure at the library, surely not in the first six months, you need to pick someone out, ask him or her for a mentoring relationship, and soak in everything you can from that person. That’s where you will get your real library education. It worked for me.
NOW YE MERRY BAND OF BLOGGERS, IT’S YOUR TURN TO GIVE FIRST JOB TIPS FOR NEW MLS GRADUATES. BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW JOB DO’S AND DON’TS?
REMEMBER, THIS BLOG IS A GROUP EFFORT. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. LIBRARIANS LIGHT UP THE WORLD.
This one is a challenge because you’ve pretty much said it all. Donuts every Friday sounds a little excessive to me, though. I like a donut every now and then, but not every week…
You say that but…..
Melissa is right on this one. At one time, donuts were essential. We snack healthier now– think bagels– though we have not yet sunk to the level of carrot sticks and celery.
Jeanne…I love bagels (garlic bagels from Noahs are the best), but there’s a problem with bagels. Some people like them toasted and there is only so much capacity in the staff toaster. The other issue is spreads. Take 5 employees and you have 5 different preferences for spreads. Donuts, on the other hand, are the no hassle, no frills treat that everyone groans about but which everyone loves.
Actually,I hate donuts, so alternate between donuts and something with a lot of chocolate. Especially if I’m your supervisor.
The mark of a good donut provider is to deliver a mixed box of goods. Chocolate on chocolate works doesn’t it? Be honest.
Oh no, perhaps I don’t have the true credentials to be a librarian! I just cannot eat donuts of any kind, save apple cider donuts fresh from the orchard. They are the one and only sweet that I don’t touch when they are on the communal snack table.
Lol, great advice. “Change Agent” – lmao
I am going to put up a sign that says “Secret Agent” next time I have a new job
I only have to add that if you are faculty at a college or university, hang your diploma in your office if the rest of the faculty do that (if you have an office).
Your 6 months probation should be the time when you show the most exemplary behavior you can, so make the most of it – show up on time, dress properly, be a “team player” or whatever, volunteer for stuff, be friendly and curious and helpful.
Lisa, I also know a director who took a new directorship and put this sign on his desk: “THERE’S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN!”
LOL
[also, I realize my advice sounds like "be a good boy/girl scout", but there ya go]
I have to agree about academic libraries. I waited until I saw what my colleagues had done, and then I hung up my MLIS and subject area degree in my office.
Seeing them seems to soothe my faculty members when I’m in a consultation with them because they can see that I’m specifically trained to help them and know something about the subject area too. Before I put them up my faculty kept asking me anyway!
Great advice. Get to know both the staff and the institution, even those staff members you rarely see. It is also important to remember that the custodian is your best friend. Do what you can to help him (and thank him for his work), and he’ll probably bend over backwards when you need something.
Also, you can’t emphasize enough the idea of not acting like a task is beneath you because you have a MLS. This is the surest way to make both your supervisors and co-workers see you as lazy, arrogant, or just plain a “pain.” Remember that everyone, even the director, has to do work he/she is probably overqualified for or dislikes. Especially in small libraries, it is the only way most of the work gets done. (And the clerical and paraprofessional staff have to fill in for you at times, too.)
Margaret…very good of you to remember the custodian, a VIP if there ever was one.
It’s very important to befriend the IT person, as well.
dlabq…great point. The IT person is your lifeline.
Unless you’re in an institution like mine, where the librarians ARE the custodians. Another local library director has to fix toilets and plow the parking lot. Library schools, are you listening?
Susan, great point. Plumbing 101 and Advanced Truck Driving sound like pretty important courses for some librarians. Thanks for keeping it real.
“Prima donnas belong in the opera, not the library.”
Actually, they don’t belong in the opera, either. Witness the case of the brilliant soprano Kathleen Battle, whom general director Joe Volpe fired from the Met — talent be damned — because she was insufferable and treated the Met’s staff like dirt.
We still miss Miss Battle in some roles, but the everyday make-up artists and costumers and stagehands she abused probably do not, and probably still regard Mr. Volpe as a hero.
From this a library lesson: From the point that you enter the profession with your newly minted degree to the day you depart it as a revered librarian or library director, never abuse those pages, aides, and library assistants. Never. And don’t tolerate abuse of them from others, including patrons.
Joe, good point. You couldn’t have a library for very long without pages, aides, and assistants. Isn’t it interesting that another opera term, diva, has become synonymous with an overbearing and arrogrant person.
Making nice with pages and/or students can be a huge benefit as they may willing work on your projects during quiet time. I always see them as possible future librarians too and try to go out of my way to be a mentor to the really interested ones.
Having been a student worker page who wanted to be a librarian, just having a librarian remember my name, say hi occasionally and offer to answer questions made a big difference in my library days.
And if as the new librarian you get stuck with supervision of pages or student workers – don’t be scared of them, they are nice people too. And like Joe said, don’t forget to stick up for them, especially in front of rude patrons.
Jessica…that’s an excellent observations. Pages often become librarians.
Get yourself a copy of the staff roster and learn everyone’s full name—-make sure to ask if you don’t know how they pronounce it. Get or make for yourself a organization chart that shows supervision levels so you don’t go stepping on toes or skipping someone you should have consulted. Later if you find out your organization is loosey goosey about such matters you can adapt but you can’t undo. Learn the policies and hours of operation of all locations ASAP so you don’t stumble around with this in front of the public. When you don’t know something—ASK!!!!
Wynette…you’re very perceptive. Learn names asap…everyone’s name even the pages.
One more thing– find out what people prefer to be called. Patricia may feel strongly about using her given name, and be offended if you use “Pat or (worse) Patty.”
I hate being called Bill!
Yes, Jeanne, thanks for adding that. VERY important.
This is a great help! Thank you, very much for your ideas. All my library school gave me was “On your first day of work, don’t say you don’t know what to do.”
Rachel, always look to your co-workers for help, support, and mentoring. That’s where you get your on the job education.
It’s better to ask what needs to be done or how to do something than to just assume you know what is going on. Most staff are more than willing to someone new. The worst thing to do is step on someone else’s toes or make mistakes that someone else will have to correct.
Good point, Margaret. Pride goeth before the fall.
Work hard. If you are done with what you’ve been given, ask for more work. Be willing to do any job (which has been said, but can’t be said enough).
Every organization has political land mines to avoid. Keep your ears and eyes open and try to avoid putting your foot in it before you know where “it” is.
Listen to Will’s advice: Learn from the other librarians. Even the 70 year old librarian who isn’t as computer literate as you are has tons of experience you can learn from.
If you are gracious, love to work hard, and are attentive to patrons and staff, you’ll do great!
Frontline, thanks for keeping things real. “Work hard”…I totally forgot that one.
I know Will said it but it is another item that can’t be said enough. Shelve the books if necessary! Work the checkout counter! Especially during people’s breaks. I’m a firm believer that the librarian needs to know how to do every job in the branch if only because sooner or later you’re going to end up training someone in it. I was very grateful I had asked how to balance the money etc the day one clerk was out sick and the other at a meeting! The branch librarian was either at another meeting or was off. I ended up getting the cash register ready and balanced, the book drop started and opened the doors on time and ready to serve the public. It happens. I could have hollered for help quite legitimately. But there were shortages everywhere and staff trickled in as the AM went by. Oh, another thing for newbies: Learn where the fuses and other unglamorous essential building mechanisms are located. You really don’t want to have egg on your face because you don’t know how to turn on the lights! Finally, help with EVERYTHING. The time the special needs adult threw up all over the lobby, no one but me went to get the mop and get it at least safe to walk and put up a caution sign. Even though you have the graduate degree, someone has to do such things. Yes, we called the custodian but as I expected, it took the custodian a few hours to get to the branch. If nothing else people will think you are trying hard to be a team player, whether they think you were an idiot for doing that or not. My thinking was that if an elderly patron (which were in abundance at that branch) slipped in the stuff and broke a hip there would be hell to pay.
Joan…I love your comment. Let’s give it the Subject Heading…STUFF THEY DON’T TEACH YOU IN LIBRARY SCHOOL! Or how about this…WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD, NEWBIE!
Forgot to check the follow up comments box again. Will, isn’t there any way to convince the software I want all the comments even if I forget to check the box????????
You asking me…Mr. Clueless?
Ask that computer whiz of a son sometime? Or the teenager next door?
Good idea!
Thanks for the praise, especially since it triggered another bit of advice for newbies. Network! If you don’t know how to do something you suspect is obvious, ASK someone! That is where the mentoring comes in handy. Sure, you don’t want to look like an ignoramus, but guess what? You ARE one until you get daily real experience and figure out what ref work, whether paper or digital, will get you a certain sort of answer. Also find out if there is some sort of guide, WIKI, something where people are noting tough questions such as local materials. How long has this community of the branch been incorporated? Who named the area and what were they on when they chose the name? Usually there is some sort of reservoir where you can go for local knowledge, even if it is the community character. Hopefully there is at least a binder with this sort of info buried in the staff room or something.
Joan…excellent point…research the neighborhood or community where you work. Find out who the gatekeepers are. Like Joan says…NETWORK.
–Eat lunch in the break room; do not isolate yourself.
–Make friend with the custodian and clerical staff fast.
–Have a jar of hard candy or mints on your desk. People will come to you.
–Leave your desk and walk around. You will learn a lot about your patrons.
–Donuts worked in a school on Friday morning because we only had 15 minutes before the kids came in but it was a great bonding experience and way for teachers to see what was new in the library or talk to you.
Bernie… You are very, very insightful. Candy in jars works every time to say you are a social, giving person. I knew someone who had those fancy bite size Hershey chocolates (forget what they are called…not the kisses but the premium little rectangles) in a desk top jar. She became the comfort maven. People went to her desk in times of stress to get a bite of chocolate. She gave more than chocolate; she gave empathy and understanding. The chocolate was the bait, the connecting to staff was the catch. She was LOVED.
Be kind, listen to everyone (our landscaper has two master’s degrees) and be willing to put in more than the regular 40 hours. Things happen and there will be times that you, as a professional, will be expected to go above and beyond.
Also, you’re entering a place where relationships and friendships are already established. You have to find your own way after the first week or so – lunch invitations the first week may not continue. You’re being sized up and those first days on the job and how you handle things will be noticed and a bad first impression may be insurmountable.
And let me re-emphasize kindness – the librarians usually aren’t the hardest workers in the hive. Clerks, pages, library assistants generally shoulder a lot more of the hard difficult work associated with patrons. My dander gets up when someone with an MLIS abuses them and it has happened in every library in which I’ve worked.
Ellen…I totally forgot the whole issue of first impressions. They are so important because they become enduring. Thanks for emphasizing that.
The “I have an MLIS!” first impression has undone many a newbie.
As a library director who regularly hauls, totes, mops, cleans, dusts, shelves, paints and hangs, I can tell you that I VERY MUCH appreciate staff who do not think they are too good to do the things that need to be done. And the people who jump forward to put their shoulders to the wheel with me are the ones I try to reward when I can. All the advice above is good — bond with your co-workers, no matter who they are. The janitor IS your co-worker. The secretary can be your best friend. Pages know amazing things and can be induced to share. Find a GOOD mentor — and be kind.
Vickie do you work the various public desks from time to time? I think that’s important for a) bonding with staff, b) knowing the public, c) knowing first hand what’s going on. Clueless directors hide in offices.
To tell you the truth, there is nothing I don’t do… I work service desks, do storytimes, order books, crawl around under desks cursing wiring, I am the webmaster, the RFID nerd and I can unplug toilets. (And make doughnuts, when I have time.)
You must be an awesome person to work for. Do your employees appreciate you fully?
I think, for the most part, my staff like and respect me. I have a couple of people (who were here when I came) that feel it is part of their job to resist change in any and all forms. I make their lives difficult. I don’t worry about it much.
I do doughnuts once a month.
I would like to do adult beverages on particularly bad afternoons, but doubt that would fly well with the Board.
Vickie, I see you prefer the fancy spelling…doughnuts. I like just plain donuts.
I am a director and have my degrees, which I worked very hard for, on the wall. No one cares. The actual reason I do it is for patrons who, when called on the carpet, end up in my office. They have to see them as they sit in front of me. Again, no one cares as long as you are not an ass about it. Don’t rub it in people’s faces and don’t try to win arguments by pointing it out. They are welcome to get one if they want to.
I agree about pitching in. I became a librarian because I like library work so why wouldn’t I want to help at any desk when needed? At my last directorship I had a a reference shift every day, worked circulation frequently and took over all the cataloging when the cataloger quit and we couldn’t find one. Never had a a backlog of materials.
But I do not take a evening or weekend shift anymore except to fill in. I paid my dues working every evening and weekend for years at the start of my career, got my degree and uprooted and moved my family far from relatives so I deserve my hours. People who don’t want to make the sacrifice get worse hours but also get to live near relatives where they grew up so it’s a trade off.
Finally, don’t get me wrong. I’ve worked and work with plenty of people without degrees who were super at their jobs and plenty with degrees who were hopeless. However, I do think it is wrong to go around acting like the degree that someone worked hard for doesn’t matter at all. Hey, I did go out and work hard and get in debt while others choose not to.
Matt…nice comment. It’s kind of a tough love that we are handing out here. On the one hand, we are saying to the newbies, congratulations on your degree. On the other hand, we are saying don’t flaunt it. The degree is the passport to a very rewarding career, but only if you develop the skills that were established in library school. You are right. We need a balance here.
I actually agree with most of what people say here. Definitely befriend maintenance and janitorial service people. They know more about their job than you do. I also agree with the person who called for rules for us old-timers too. We need to be open to new ideas and different ways of doing things.
It’s vitally important to know your community & the best way to get acquainted is to talk with your patrons. Helping them find books (perhaps when you’re shelving? Best director I’ve worked for spent her first month shelving whenever she could so she could learn the collection & see what folks were checking out) gives you a wonderful opportunity to chat with folks–and it makes them feel so good when you call them by name, whether it’s at the library or the grocery store. Not only will you get to meet folks, you’ll get the reputation of being “that nice librarian who’s always so helpful”! (because let’s face it, we always get reference questions thrown at us wherever we are–even if it’s in another city. Apparently we have “Ask Me Anything” written on our foreheads)
Oh, and do the other things that have already been mentioned.
Perhaps next there should be a list of do’s & don’t's for experienced staff when someone new is hired.
CarolAnn…good point. Dos and Don’ts for the existing staff….hmmmm.
Just because it’s 2010, it doesn’t mean that librarians can ignore BOOKS. Being a hip, new librarian so frequently translates as being in charge of technology. Especially in schools, it’s still very much about the BOOKS!
Ms. Yingling…first of all your blog is incredible, one of the best I’ve seen, especially for ya and children’s books. Kudos to you. Second, I can’t keep hammering away about this enough. School librarians changed my life when I was little. Without school librarians guiding children to books, the world will be a much poorer place.
Will, can we use this quote with our legislators and budget people?
Yes!!!
Thanks!
It has been 41 years since I was a new librarian, and the profession has undergonemany radical changes. I respect and admire many of my new colleagues, or rather former colleagues now that I havw retired. But if I could persuade or adevise them, I would strongly urge them to develop a sense of humor and not take everything so seriously. Lighten up, guys!
Lynn, how could I forget a sense of humor? It’s basically my whole philosophy of life. Life is an unfathomable mystery (you’re born only to die) but God hardwired us with a sense of humor to make this whole earthly journey thing bearable. Thanks for reminding me (us) of that .
Are you happy to have your new job? SHOW IT!! Bust out your happy dance. People will respond to you and want to keep you happy. Also, it helps the older, perhaps more worn out staff members remember how it felt to be a new librarian. In the trenches we can forget that not everyboby gets to work in a library.
Lorna R. excellent, excellent insight. Working in a library is noble work. Taking people out of the darkness and into the light of information, knowledge, and wisdom is a privilege and an honor. Newbies, let your light shine out! Be happy. Be joyful. Uplift others with your enthusiasm.
At your arrival you should sit and talk with your supervisor about the library’s mission and how it supports the organization’s strategic goals, his/her expectations for your position and why you were selected. Orient yourself on what he/she has to say. Then go out and learn by watching and listening, pitching in where you can. Get to know other people on the staff, what they do; how does the work flow and where does your position intersect with theirs? Get to know your patrons, speak to them about their interests and what they like about the library. Spend some time learning the collection, how it’s arranged, strengths and weaknesses of various parts. Learn the organizational chart and how the library “fits” in the overall structure. You can definitely be a change agent, but realize that change is hard, people will resist, and it requires that you build trust first. If you see something that seems askew, speak to your supervisor about it. Your first three months are valuable as it is a time when you are seeing things with fresh eyes and people are open to questions. Once you have been on the job for a while, speak to you supervisor about setting performance goals and objectives that will both fulfill the organization’s needs and your own professional developmental needs. JG
Joyce G….wow…you have really thought things out in a very logical and sequenced way. Your comment really serves as an excellent operating manual for all newbies. Two things I really liked from your comment. Thing 1 : learn where your library fits in the larger organization…city, university, school district, et. Thing 2: Build trust as a foundation for being a change agent later on.
Will, I loved your “Clueless directors hide in offices” note. I worked in a library where the director did that. He hired a newly minted MLIS and she quite willingly became his mole and reported on everything that happened within the library. He moved on, she stayed and everyone remembered her mole role. I’d add “don’t tattletale” to new hire don’ts.
Ellen, this sounds toxic. Makes me want to shudder. Moles, conspiracies…these things do go on in the real world, newbies. Don’t get sucked in. Thanks, Ellen, for keeping it real.
One little suggestion: If you get a chance, steal one of the pages’ reshelving carts, pre-loaded, then go out and put it all away. You may have researched your library beforehand, but this is a great way to know where materials actually are, without having to read the sign at the end of every shelf. If you’re a children’s librarian, shelf the adult books as well. Adult librarian, shelf the children’s collection.
Kim…great idea. By doing some shelving you will accomplish two things: thing 1: learning the idiosyncrasies of the collection. thing 2: sending a strong message of teamwork and willingness to learn to the whole staff.
Really make sure that you do practicums, interships,volunteer work, anything that provides you with experience you can talk about during your interview. When you work at these places, ask questions outside of your duties. If your applying for a job, say reference, make sure you know how all the other departments assist reference. This knowledge will not only pay off when you are on the job, but if you have a day long interview with all different departments (like I did), it really goes over well with those departments. It shows you care about the quality of their work, how you can help them, and understand the library as an entire unit.
And for the love of Peter, Paul, and Mary, shelf a book or two. You may find out that your collection is lacking a very important item, or needs to be seriously weeded.
Bingo…A.E. you nailed it. When librarians do take the time and trouble to shelve, the one thing they normally discover is the need for extensive weeding. Great suggestion.
My predecessor hid in the office and when I started going out front to do things the public stopped me to thank me and comment that they never ever saw the previous director.
She also insisted on doing all the ordering and making all the decisions even though she had plenty of qualified people on staff. I immediately split up the responsibility for material selection. If you have professional people, for god’s sake let them do their job.
Some directors are so ill-tempered and unpleasant that employees want them to hide in their office.
Will, i just discovered your blog via your American Libraries article. What have I been missing! You’ve had the blog for less than a year and already 60+ comments a post! This is wonderful.
Oh yes, my tip for new MLS grads. I’m not there yet so I can’t give you anything seasoned. But I’d recommend always taking a few minutes each week to walk to the floor. Or if you work in an academic library, then visit another branch on campus. No more than that: just walk. See what or who you find.
John…Welcome to Will Unwound. You are smart to mention the comments. We all look at this blog as a team effort. Welcome to the team. I used to MBWA…Manage by Walking Around!
When you start your new job, you will be clueless. Embrace that, ask for help, and admit it. I think a lot of new grads come to their first job with this insane need to show how much they know and do their darndest to make sure that they always look like they know everything. If a patron asks you something and you don’t know the answer, you can (and should!) say “I don’t know but let me find out” and ask someone who will know (and go with them to see what they do.) Or if your coworker asks if you know how to do something and you don’t, say “No, I don’t know how to do that. Will you show me?” This will make you a better librarian and your coworkers will appreciate the fact that this newbie isn’t waltzing in thinking he/she knows everything. No one likes an incompetent librarian and no one likes a haughty coworker. Besides, you’re going to have to learn this stuff sooner or later and if you’re still pretending you know how to do something years into your job, you’re going to look pretty stupid when everyone realizes you are completely clueless. When you finish your degree, you are not done with your education–you’re just beginning.
A shout-out for Kate H. I love that…”Embrace your cluelessness.” That really is the first step in the educational process you talk about, Kate. Thanks.
This is not library-specific but many newer grads don’t have *any* workplace culture experience. Although you want to fit in and thus it’s very tempting to just smile and nod indefinitely when cornered by a coworker, avoid gripe sessions. Learn to cheerfully, diplomatically change the subject. There are two sides to every story and don’t get sucked into choosing sides prematurely. Better yet, just plan to stay neutral. In the long run, everyone appreciates it and it prevents an amazing amount of stress.
Kristen…this is excellent advice. Staff room lawyers love to play push me, pull me with newbies. Steer clear.
Excellent advice, Kristen! At my first job, my boss was hated by all the other male librarians (I never figured out why). For a full year all talking would stop when I walked into the coffee room/gripe session before the library opened for the day. I studiously ignored it, said “Good Morning” every time, got my coffee and walked out. Well, it took a darn long time, but after many months they all realized that my boss and I were separate people, and they started treating me civilly. If I had tried to figure out the story behind these politics, or gotten sucked in by their animosity, what ended up being a very interesting job would have been unbearable.
There’s so much great advice here. Thank you, all.
Do:
-Accept the fact that you will screw up. You will be neither the first nor the last person to do so, so keep a healthy perspective on your mistakes.
-Listen to your co-workers. They’ll share tons of helpful things, some of them intentionally :p
-Revel in the absurd. You’ll never “fix” your crazy library (and they’re all crazy, in their own ways); skip the search for answers and go straight to enjoying the show.
Don’t:
-Alienate the janitorial/technical/clerical/paraprofessional staff. In the sundae of the library, you might be a darned good cherry, but these folks are the ice cream. Don’t ever forget that.
-Be afraid to ask questions. Ask what your boss would like to see done in the next week/month/year. Ask about that complicated procedure you didn’t quite absorb during training. Ask which days are busy and which aren’t. You’ll learn, and you’ll show that you care.
-Go to work sick in an effort to Prove That You Are A Trooper. You’re not a trooper, you’re a jerk who shared your germs. Stay home, pilgrim!
Jess, in light of your observation that all libraries are crazy, you may find my Fifth Law of Public Librarianship relevant:
http://juralib.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
Also, how in the heck do you get the little thumbnail portrait to appear with your comment to Will’s post? Do you have to subscribe to WordPress?
Joe, your blog is great! I’m still laughing over the Titanic Deck Chair example: priceless.
If you have a WordPress account, and you set up a profile picture (also called a Gravatar), your thumbnail photo will show up if you comment while logged in. Does that help?
Thanks, Jess. That helps. Guess I’ll go get myself set up on WordPress. I like the look of WordPress-based blogs, too.
Ah…Jess….you *do* make me laugh. A big shout out to Jess….WOOOOWHOOOOO. Now, go home and take care of that fever!
*blush* Thanks, Will! Still home, still sick, but I’m going to outlast whatever bug this is. Sometimes being stubborn is a good thing.
Loved reading all of the advice and thought it was relevant AND funny. As a librarian “of a certain age”, I would also advise newbies to keep open minds about senior staff. While we are doing our darndest to keep up with technological applications in libraries, there are some gaps and we appreciate your help. Equally, please realize that we are not dinosaurs and also have great wealth of knowledge and experience. In the best of all libraries, let’s work together!
Doreen, thanks for giving us the perspective from the other part of the experience continuum. The newbies and the oldsters can learn much from each other.
After retiring as a branch manager from a mega-library system, I went to work parttime for a small, municipal library with 10 employees. I introduced myself to patrons and staff alike as “the new kid on the block” – gray hair and all. Some were bemused and others just laughed, but it really broke the ice. Don’t take yourself too seriously! I love just being a reference librarian after all of those years in management. I waited a year before overhauling the reference collection, and I moved every shelf and book by myself to get to know the collection better.
Colleen…sounds like you’re really enjoying life now. Thanks for some very good advice.
Will you are dead on, I know the Librarians who find picking up let alone reshelving a book beneath them. I also laughed out loud about the donuts…Saturday staff have me well trained that when I rotate in to be the Saturday supervisor that I bring in donuts!
David, libraries run on Dunkin.
- Remember that most of what you learned in library school doesn’t actually have any practical value in the field.
- Remember that to patrons anyone working in the library is a “librarian” – the MLS degree means very little to most people.
- Remember that the term “paraprofessional” is offensive to most library staff who are often extremely professional and experienced at their job.
- Remember that library funding is not unlimited, so make sure your ideas can be practically implemented without laying off three people to find the money.
Also, library school’s one management class does not make you an expert budgeting, supervision, and personnel administration. Talk to your supervisor about getting some training in supervision and management.
Deb, you make a very excellent point about the sensitivity that abounds on staff to the term “paraprofessional.” You are also very insightful about the public’s perception. Thanks.
I would suggest that all new directors and/or supervisors be willing to use my philosophy about employees, which is: I will NEVER ask you to do a job that I’ve not done or will do. When my staff see me shelving, plunging toilets, picking up litter out of the parking lot, assisting someone at a computer or just holding the door for a patron, it makes it much harder for one of them to tell me that it’s “not part of my job”. And I totally agree that experience is the best part of any degree.
Lynn, if you are doing all those “down and dirty” tasks, I hope your staff knows how lucky they are to have you as their leader.
Whatever you do, don’t go around acting like you know it all. Nothing pisses fellow employees off more than having a newly graduated MLS try to tell them how to do their jobs. You may think you have all the answers, but, really, you don’t. Will is right — being a good librarian is 90% experience and maybe, 5% theory. The remaining 5% is learning to fly by the seat of your pants and do it seamlessly.
Linda…good perspective on newbie survival skills. Thanks.