Hey Library Lady is Back!

I can’t believe how fast time has flown by…I have been working at EHS for almost 6 years now!  I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I was in graduate school and participating in the technology challenges through the cooperative that helped this blog get started.  Blogging is a good thing for a librarian.  First of all, I couldn’t see the library for all the crap that I inherited when I first started working here.  It was a mess—old equipment, smelly books.  Our average collection age was 1986 (older than my high school graduation year!).  Our last assessment has our collection age at around 1990.  (Most high school’s have a 20 year old collection according to the research I have done).  When I went back and re-read my blog entries, I was amazed at how much I had accomplished.  I have to be proud of it all as there is so little feedback or sense of how my small part fits into the bigger picture that I find myself needing to define and redefine continually.

What’s been accomplished in these last five years?  First and foremost, I finished my Masters in Librarianship from Rowan University and enjoyed every minute of the stress, challenge, and chaos of commuting an hour back and forth weekly, juggling work and home and school, and just the face-time experience with such exceptional professors and professional colleagues.  It was an amazing experience and it’s one that I truly miss.

I have weeded and cleaned A LOT of equipment and books from the space.  I have worked hard to develop relationships with people in every department throughout my building, and I have gained valuable perspective from listening to everyone and reflecting on how the whole picture fits together.  I feel we have created a space that is comfortable for students—even if it still feels somewhat sterile. I have lost and regained my secretary several times as personnel changes were made.  This was very discouraging, but ultimately my faith has been restored.  I have been awarded education foundation grants – 4 years in a row, which have added 100 of books and some e-books yearly to our collection.  These have made a huge difference in how many kids are choosing to read.  Additionally, I have set up a successful collaboration with a few teachers to get their kids into the library repeatedly to select books. One of the most gratifying experiences has been having two college interns.  The second continues to commit to volunteering here and I absolutely adore her and everything she brings to this place.  She is going to rock the world in whatever area she chooses to hone her talents.

I am so excited to have her returning to EHS next fall.  You can see her work and mine by going to our library web page: http://www.ewing.k12.nj.us/Page/240

And still I struggle… Of course, there are the things that haunt me as well.  I can’t do displays.  I am a creative, imaginative person who can’t do displays and it drives me insane that I can’t get them right.  So I am going to seek the help of my public librarian friends and some retail geniuses to figure this out.  It is an area that infuriates me to no end because displays obviously attract readers.  I haven’t done very many programs after school for students.  I have many ideas but need some discipline and a timeline to implement them.  I like to think of myself as adaptable and creative when roadblocks arise.  Somehow in these areas I find myself sidelined when I should be able to zigzag my way through.