Still Employed!

I still have a job next year! Hooray. I FINALLY met with my head of school and she said I could come back. She doesn't like me much but she said that since they have the money, I can come back. She also wants me to be more direct in getting her attention and getting the things done. And she wants the library to be used this year by classes of students. This should be fun. And I have heard that other teachers are planning to dump kids in there to do work. So next year my library is going to be full of kids going nuts. This promises to be incredibly fabulous.

I feel like all the decisions I make are arbitrary, as if I don't have reasons to back them up. However on closer inspection, I always do. I don't do research and I don't really know what I am doing. But then I think that is what life is like in general.

At least its Friday

Automation is often a drag. I had to catalog yesterday and today and it took forever! Like 8 hours worth of forever. My paper is due in a few weeks and I have to get cracking! One of my biggest challenges was always being flexible enough to find something else to do when my computer gets taken over. But also, I found myself constantly reprioritizing or throwing out parts of my plan. Its like I never had a solid idea of what to do and then I am always trying to cut corners. For instance, before I did anything, I wanted to have a shelf list. That got thrown out the window since I could never sit at my computer for long enough. As a result, I only have the barest of ideas how many books I lost this year (I am thinking at least 100) so that is approx. a 3%- 5% loss this year. Or, I wanted to get all the call numbers on books before I started to import them but the process is so long, I find myself attempting to split my time so that I can do both which makes me feel like I never get anything done. Agh! I am making real progress but it is so slow! I definately underestimated the time it takes for me to do anything and everything.


But all of this effort and I don't even know if I have a job here next year.

hummm...

Things I need to do:

• z-import
• call numbers
• find out if I even have a job as the librarian here next year
  

Thoughts to keep in Mind

I have learned a few lessons from the task I took on this year:

• Be focused. And organized. And when you set goals for getting things done, don't be surprised if it doesn't happen on time. Things always took longer than I estimated.
• Ask for help. All the time, with everything. My job is bigger than what I alone can handle efficiently. I could have really, really used some help. Its not such a big deal that maybe my stickers won't be straight (or even in the right place). Does it work? Go with it!
  
• Stop being such a perfectionist/control freak. Life operates at less than optimal levels.
  
• Be organized and have a plan to follow. I should have done better with that.
• Have a computer you don't have to share with anyone.
  

Automation is slow

I have learned that automation is slow. And I had some other gem that I forgot. MARC records are confusing and I have forgotten all my cataloging. Also, though I am very thankful for all the help I get, I am really slow to write thank you notes.

Also, while I am kinda sad to see the 8th graders leave I am kinda happy. And I have much trepidation about those rising 7th graders.

AUTOMATION!!!

I finally automated! I got the barcode reader up and working (that was super easy. all I had to do was plug it in) and I edited the records for the books that were already in the system. So now I officially have my own library card #0000000000001 ! Hooray me!

Now if I can only get it barcoded in a reasonable amount of time... ha!!!