I had intended to take a few days off from professional blogging. That short vacation blossomed into a full-blown “staycation” as I shifted my attention to various aforementioned projects while collaborating with my peers in the wake of our upgrade to Millennium 2007, which did strange and exciting things to the computer assignment queue. Add to the mix the annual influx of new patrons to welcome (huzzah!), and your alchemist has been hopping like mad just to stay afloat.
That’s not a complaint. After almost a full year in Reference Services, I still definitely feel like I win at life. The reference questions are interesting; the technology issues are challenging in just the correct way; keeping up with Library 2.0 via the biblioblogosphere means I learn something new every day; collection development remains joyful; chairing the database committee remains educational; and, as ever, my peers remain a constant source of both professional support and great fun.
I must confess, however, I feel less inclined to write about what I’m doing professionally, and spend more time actually doing it. I imagine one’s involvement in the library blogosphere should be tied to one’s goals, and many librarians suffer from the phenomenon of under-promotion. Still, with three presentations to give this fall (yes, I picked up one since last we spoke), several “white paper” projects to moodle over, and the usual improvisational ebb and flow of daily life in an urban public library, I wonder sometimes how the “rock stars” of the profession manage to do it all without getting tired. Or is it that they do get tired, and just aren’t telling?
At any rate, I will chime in from time to time with thoughts on a news story, or use this space as a brainstorming spot to work out ideas on a particular project, or give quick updates on presentations and whatnot. However, I’ve decided to lavish the bulk of my bloggy affections on Eleventh Stack, which has become my pride and joy. I’m actually sitting here cobbling together an agenda for tomorrow’s monthly blog meeting, trying to hit just the right mix of, “I am so proud of you all! Go team! You rock!” and “Now let’s kick it up to the next level.”
What would the next level look like? I have some ideas, but I’ll keep them up my sleeve for the moment. Suffice to say, I think a library blog should be held to the same standards as any professional publication. Yes, it’s fun to work on, but the fun should be buttressed by the same high standards we bring to the rest of our work. Is that too much to ask? I’m thinking, not. Then again, I tend to aim really, really high at projects. I figure, if I fall short, I still end up pretty darned high.
The trick to leading a team, though, is that not everybody has your standards. You have to meet people where they are, and gently bring them to where you want them to be, or, more graciously, up to where you know they can go, without taking them too far out of their comfort level. I hope I can do this for my peers and junior colleagues in the same way my managers and peers have done it for me…
Until the next infrequent update, I remain…
The Library Alchemist!
