First week

My first week at the new job seemed to go really well… at least for me. I am still getting used to the earlier wake up hour–I was spoiled by my midday schedule, but it’s not bad and it feels good to get things done earlier, though I’m still figuring out how to balance full time work, school, and personal endeavors. Sadly, this has meant less time for some of the things I like to do, such as reading, writing, and blogging. Partly, this is because it’s also nearing the end of term and all my major projects are coming at me at once. Perhaps things will settle down a bit once the term is done. I’m definitely looking forward to finishing up library school. I love learning, but I’m tired of assignments and tuition costs.

It feels a little strange being a supervisor, but I’m starting to settle into it and am coming up with projects and ideas to set my students to work. I try to let them in on what I’m planning, so that they know that they have a part in the planning as well as the doing. That was one of the things that I really liked about my previous supervisor–he always consulted with us, even if he had the power to just tell us what to do and leave it at that. I’m also trying to connect actions with results, so my students know that there is a purpose behind the tasks that I’m setting. Several mentioned that they felt as if some of the tasks assigned to them in the past were pointless because they couldn’t understand how it served a purpose in the library, so I’m trying to help them understand. I don’t want them to think that I am giving them “busy” work just to give them something to do. I hate doing that kind of work and wouldn’t like to assign it in turn.

Of course, being the new person in the group, I’ve become the puzzle to be cracked. The results are kind of fun. Some have also taken to mentioning who I remind them of… my favorite comments:

1) One student says I remind her of Kat von D… I wonder if it’s the nose?