A new way of working

It’s my fourth day of attempting to do someone else’s job. So far, I have done two inductions, four tours, filled in a book ordering form, been to a meeting or two, tried to arrange some more tours, answered several queries and looked at various electronic resources to make sure that I have at least a vague idea about the main ones used by Education students.

On the whole it’s very quiet and that’s taking some getting used to after the busyness of Reader Services. I don’t think I have decided whether or not I like the quiet as yet. Even though it’s nice and peaceful and easier to concentrate in I miss the company of the people in Reader Services – it’s just not so much fun working in an office on your own. I know work isn’t supposed to fun, but the occasional (or frequent)amusing moment doesn’t go amiss.

I now realise that being a Faculty Liaison Librarian involves a completely different way of working to that of a Reader Services person.  I have to make more decisions about what to do now, whereas in Reader Services it was decided for me by what was the most urgent thing on my desk or who came through the door, at least to a certain extent. I’m using my brain in different ways to how I use it in Reader Services, but I think this is good for me and I’m enjoying the change.

My desk in the Reader Services office has been tidied by K, who is working as me (well, a bit of me) for two of the days that she works. The area around my desk was a bit cluttered (this is probably an understatement) and she doesn’t like working with clutter so has *gasp* thrown things away! I feel quite bad that she felt the need to tidy and clean my desk and surrounding area, but I suppose different people work in different ways. I don’t think I’m really an untidy person, but I just didn’t have the time or the inclination to sort all the stuff out when I was sitting in the Reader Services office.

I think the remaining Reader Services people are coping, but they have had to let people know that it is going to take a lot longer than usual to get things done at the moment, which is fair enough and quite a sensible course of action to take in the circumstances. I feel guilty that I can’t do anything to help them (except on a Thursday) and feel that I have just run off and left them to stew while I’m off sitting in a nice quiet office. Which is, of course, exactly what I have done. Well, maybe I haven’t exactly run off but the resulting stew is the same. It’s not that I don’t think they can cope. They are coping and will continue to do so, but I have still made life more difficult for them by going to do this job. I know it’s up to the library managers to make sure that Reader Services people are alright and not about to go into meltdown, but I’m not really convinced that they will do this sufficiently well, considering previous performances.

Giraffe has moved with me into the new office. I hope that he’s not missing Owl too much. I might take him into Reader Services to visit Owl next week. At the moment he is spending some time with Sheep. Sheep was a Christmas present, and is quite sweet, although he does have rather a disturbing “baa” for some unidentifiable reason. I think Sheep and Giraffe are getting on alright, although they’ve been very quiet since we moved into Academic Services. Perhaps they’re feeling a bit intimidated. I might try introducing them to some of the Academic Services people later, to help them settle in. I wonder what the Academic Services Librarian would say?