Re: Questions to veteran serialists Stokes, Judith 05 Mar 2009 17:41 UTC
I am a real old veteran. Over 30 years in libraries, over 20 of those in serials. Besides the fact that a library is a place where I can be learning all the time, the fact that the work is constantly changing helps keep me going. I have a reasonable amount of autonomy in my library, so I can make a difference by how I approach my work. Things that bring on the burnout are things I cannot influence effectively, like the decisions of our consortium that affect how we can provide access to our collections. Having insufficient acquisitions budgets can wear me down a bit, too, because this is not my first recession, but every time I have to oversee yet another cancellation project, I find creative approaches somehow, and wind up feeling good about minimizing the damage. What I bring to work is a love of puzzles, especially word puzzles, and, of course, a love of reading -- magazines as well as books. What I get from it is some wonderful friends from among my colleagues. Good luck with the project, Judith Stokes Serials/E-resources Librarian Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue Providence, RI 02908-1991 401.456.8165 -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara Pope Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 4:59 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Questions to veteran serialists I think from the beginning of when I was working as a volunteer at a community library on a military base, I was interested in learning everything. Of course, that library did not have an online catalog at the time, but I did anything and everything anyone would let me do. I guess what keeps me going is a combination of knowing I am doing something worthwhile and that I get to learn something new every day in the process. The other thing is that when I have made a change that results in greater access for patrons, I enjoy the impact that change has. It is satisfying knowing that I did something that makes everything work better and easier to find. I have only been working in libraries for 12 years (about 4 years in serials), but I too also checked in issues on a kardex when I was a practicum student. I remember thinking at the time that there ought to be an easier way to do it, but it was still fun. Saying something like that in front of my non-library friends or family usually gets a confused look like "what is wrong with you?" Barbara Pope, MALS Axe Library Pittsburg State University Pittsburg KS 66762 Marilyn Carney wrote: > Hello all, > > Later this month, I will be participating in a discussion on veteran employees and what continues to motivate them. > > I'd like some feedback from veterans in the field -- comments, observations and even suggestions. > > I am especially interested in comments from community college serialists. > > Thanks in advance for your assistance. > > *************************** > Marilyn Carney, MLS > Health Sciences & Serials Services Librarian > > Health Sciences Library > Wake Technical Community College > 2901 Holston Lane > Raleigh, NC 27610 > Phone: (919) 747-0003 > FAX: (919) 250-4329 > > Email : mmcarney@waketech.edu > *************************** > > > > >