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I am a Senior Librarian! It's a position I have aspired to for quite a while. Although I love my current job as a youth librarian, I've been ready to move on for a while. I had several near-misses, but couldn't get over the top. Just as my colleagues and I were all convinced I was being discriminated against because of union activism, I placed first in a big competition, and ended up with my choice of several locations. I chose the Children's Department of Central Library -- where I started as a Library Page and where I had my first Librarian job. During the past year, when I sometimes covered the information desk in that department, I remembered how much I enjoyed being there. I loved introducing all our newcomer families to the many resources we offer, loved finding tweens their next great read, loved being around children who are excited about books -- and the challenge of enticing children who aren't. It has its moments of insanity and frustration, of course, b...

As I've mentioned, my current library is located in a community centre. Here's an example of why that's so great. A customer came to the desk, an older man, speaking heavily accented English, clutching a piece of paper. It was difficult to figure out what he wanted. He kept repeating, "They said the library would help me. I have to apply online. They said the library would help." The paper turned out to be a Record of Employment. From my own experience, I know this is the first step in applying for Employment Insurance. Asking questions, I learned that he had worked as a machinist for 35 years and had been laid off. It sounded like the good people at Service Canada told him he could apply for Employment Insurance online. "I told them, I am not online, and they said, go to the library, they will help you." It's possible that Service Canada was just trying to get rid of him. I asked him, "Have you been to Malton Neighbourhood Services , down the h...

"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." Recognize it? For me it's one of the most memorable final sentences ever written. I just finished re-reading The Catcher in the Rye , possibly for the first time since reading it (twice) in high school. I remembered it in a theoretical way, but had forgotten the details. It's a funny, sad, perfect little book. I'm not breaking any new ground when I call Catcher the original young-adult novel. Every John Green and Ned Vizzini and Stephen Chbosky narrator, every wise-cracking alienated youth straight through to Buffy Summers and Veronica Mars, inherits their voice from Holden. Catcher , published in 1951, is more influential now than when S. E. Hinton started to write The Outsiders  only 13 years later. I had the perfect incentive to re-read Catcher : it's this month's selection for my teen book club. The core group of members are bored with cookie-cutter youth novels. They want...

Two years ago, wmtc's annual "i hate christmas" post declared: " i hate christmas is slightly less hateful this year ". Working in the library, as opposed to an office environment, I found getting through the holiday season much less trying. No more co-workers - at their computers, able to talk while they work - going on (and on and on and on...) about what they are buying for whom, reciting their shopping lists, a mind-numbing litany of consumption. My co-workers now are too busy, and several magnitudes less self-absorbed, to inflict that on anyone. And it wasn't just the absence of a negative. Colleagues described holiday celebrations that had nothing to do with shopping. Traditions that are meaningful and truly joyous: what a concept! This year several of my library colleagues, unbeknownst to them, gave me another reason to hate Christmas less: they wished me a Happy Hanukkah. And something strange happened: I felt my Jewishness a bit more. When one co-wo...

When we moved to Canada ( nine years plus a few days ago ), I wondered what, if anything, I would miss about the US. Who would have guessed it would be watching "Baseball Tonight"? Yup, the only thing I miss about living in that crazy country is watching a baseball-highlights show on ESPN. Not bad! In a similar vein, what do I miss about being a writer? A strange sound that I can't quite decipher. When people would ask that inevitable question, "What do you do?", and I would answer, "I'm a writer," invariably, I would get this reaction: "Ooooo..." Their eyes would go wide, their lips would form an O, and out would come a sing-song sound of amazement. I don't know why this was. I don't know what it meant. But it would always happen! Except in New York. No one "Oooos" over anyone's work in New York, and certainly not over writers. Writers in New York are more common than tourists in Times Square, or rats on the subway ...

I must preface this post with a happy disclaimer: I love library customers. I love helping them. I love giving them a good feeling about the library. I value great customer service and I love to provide it. At least 90% of our customers are polite and appreciative. Perhaps another 5% are developmentally or socially disabled, and may or may not be conventionally polite. No problem. The other five percent is not a big deal. Another preface: I am always very patient and polite. Some of you know about an incident when I lost my temper with a customer - with good reason! a dangerously neglected baby! - but I used that experience as a learning opportunity, and I've never come close to doing that again. I've perfected the facial expression and body language that doesn't agree but doesn't challenge: the tight semi-smile, the slight shrug, the noncommittal head-tilt, the raised eyebrows. A kind of "whatever you say, you won't get a rise out of me" kind of face. So ...

Meet the new permanent youth librarian at the Mississauga Central Library. I've been in this position since January , but on a temporary or contract basis. Two big things had to happen in order for this job to post as permanent, and they were completely out of my control: two other people also had to get permanent promotions. If either of those people didn't get their permanent positions, my contract would have ended. I would have gone back to being a part-time library assistant (which would have been a huge hit both financially and in terms of responsibility) and tried for another contract librarian position. In the last few months, both those people came through with their promotions. When I congratulated them, it was also - mostly? - happiness for myself! Finally, a few weeks ago, my position posted as permanent. "Full-time permanent," in this context, means being eligible for benefits: paid vacation, paid sick time, extended health, pension, and so on. It also me...

Yesterday was my first summer program at the library. Attendance was low, but very keen. An artist and activist (who happens to be a friend of mine from the war resisters movement) led a workshop I called "Comix that Save the World". We explored the use of the comics form to express larger social concerns. It was so much fun, the teens were so into it, that I'm thinking of expanding it to an ongoing series, where kids could really develop something. The summer at Mississauga Central Library will be packed with programs for teens - sometimes as many as three a week - and all are free.  Mondays are special events with presenters, held in our lovely glass pavilion that faces Celebration Square . Wednesdays are DIY days, put on by yours truly with another staff member to assist. And every Friday is Game Day, where teens hang out and play board games and video games. That one is presented by our "TAG", the teen advisory group, who earn volunteer hours by planning and...

One of our regular Readers' Den customers approached me with her usual long list of movies. She researches movies online, prints out lists, and comes to the desk to see what we have in our collection. Anything we have, we place on hold for her. She's a great customer, in terms of library use. She has an intellectual disability, and sometimes helping her can be a bit of a challenge.  This customer talks very fast, and a little too loudly. While you're searching for one item, she's rattling off the next few, so after placing each hold, you must ask her to repeat the next title. Because she's reading from a list, the effect is a constant stream of chatter, from which you must pick out the movie titles. After we had exhausted her movie list, she asked, "Is there a way I can do this myself, put on holds, from home?" I know she uses a computer to research movies, and I know she checks her library account online to see which holds are available. I told her, yes, ...

A boy, maybe age 8, was confused about what he needed. He said he needed "chapter books about the human body," which sounded to me like two things - books about the human body for a school project, and chapter books, meaning junior fiction that is not a picture book, not a series, and not a graphic novel. But he was convinced he needed "chapter books about the human body." He would not be helped, casting aside everything I found for him, and getting increasingly frustrated. Following him around the library (it's a Sunday, so I'm working overtime, not at my own location), I ran into his parents and his older sister. Boy's Father said, "Is he giving you a hard time?" He said this nicely, not in a mean or menacing way. I said, "Oh no, he's fine. I'm just trying to understand what he's looking for." I had books from two popular funny series in my hands. Boy's Father took them from me and said, "No, this is garbage. We...

I feel so disconnected from this blog, and from writing in general. I hate it. I love having  this blog. I love that when I do want to write, and have the energy to do so, and have something to say, I have a place to do it. But writing occupies such a small space in my life now.  I'm finding tremendous satisfaction from my job. Meaningful work from which I can actually earn a living! What a concept. I've also gotten very active in my union. The need to protect good jobs and the public sector has never been greater, so the timing is perfect, and I feel I have a lot to contribute. When I'm not working and not engaged in union activities, I'm re-charging. That means movies or baseball, sometimes reading, and trying to get some exercise. I've been very pleasantly surprised at my energy level. I'm very conscious of managing my fibromyalgia, but that's second-nature to me now. I know when to say no, or to cancel plans if I have to. If I do feel a little fibro-ish,...

I've just finished my first March Break (the Canadian equivalent of Spring Break in the US) in my new position as a youth librarian. It was exhilarating and a lot of work, but not nearly as exhausting as I imagined. March Break was great for many reasons. One, I have great support from a senior librarian and manager who appreciate my efforts. Two, I am part of an amazing team of people who pitched in so I could devote myself more fully to programming, and who encouraged me daily. Three, so many amazing people lent their time and energy and expertise to the library, presenting programs that the teens loved. And last, but maybe first, March Break was great because I love spending time with teens. I enjoy children's libarianship, but my favourite customers are always the older kids. Teens are a natural fit for me. This is fortunate for my career, too, as enjoying working with teens is apparently pretty rare. A niche! So here's what we did this week. I cannot take credit for th...

For the next three days, I'll be attending the Ontario Library Association's annual Superconference , always referred to simply as "OLA". As the name implies, this is a gigantic conference covering issues related to all three types of libraries - public, academic, and special. You can see a program here. In library school, we were strongly encouraged to attend OLA. Students can volunteer to help run conference sessions in exchange for free attendance. I never did (honestly, I never even considered it), so now I attend my very first OLA, already a professional, and in place of three working days. Fun! Here are the sessions I am hoping to attend: - Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Library - Young Adult Readers' Advisory: Create best practices today - The Community-Led Library Model and How to Get Started - The Tween Scene: A year of programming for ages 10-14 - Booktalking 3.0: Engaging and inspiring readers online - Sub-Urban Beats: Hip-hop programming in the...

I'm enjoying my new position so much! Things are going really well so far. I'm preparing for teen book club, researching display ideas, and planning some (I hope) interesting programs. I'll write about those as they happen. So far I'm feeling well, too. I'm still adjusting to full-time work, but I'm not collapsing from it, either. Readers, you were right. Doing work that you love makes a huge difference. So does a more humane work environment. In the library, no one expects everything done yesterday, everyone understands the concept of a learning curve, and most people truly understand teamwork and support each other. And because I belong to a union (and, management would say, because the City of Mississauga is a good employer), I have a full hour dinner or lunch break, good ergonomics, and other supports. This is a tad different than working as support staff in a corporate law firm! Today's "things I heard..." highlights two features of our libra...

I am so  excited about my new position! As I mentioned , I am now a librarian in the Mississauga Central Library's " Readers' Den " department. It is a full-time position, and lasts until July of this year. Right now it feels like my ideal job; I only wish it were permanent. My main areas of responsibility involve youth services. I'll be planning and delivering youth programming during school holidays, after school, and Saturdays, and I'll facilitate the teen book club that meets monthly. I'll be responsible for the library's youth book displays, and will share responsibilities for purchasing ( and weeding ) youth fiction. For the department generally, I'll be writing a newsletter to connect school librarians with the Central Library, answering (along with two other librarians) "Ask A Librarian" emails, and of course, answering questions - especially readers' advisory - at the service desk. I'll also have a lot of freedom to try n...

I am very pleased to announce that I've landed my first full-time librarian gig! It's a temporary position, for six months, in the "Readers' Den" Department of the Mississauga Central Library. Readers' Den takes in all the fiction, magazines, movies, and very importantly, the Youth department, both teen fiction and teen programs. I'll be working with teens again, something I love, I'll be sharpening my readers' advisory skills, and I'll be able to work as a full-time librarian while I wait for a permanent position to post. Please forgive my bragging, but I must tell you that I totally aced the interview. I was told that I "blew it out of the water," and that offering me the position was a "no-brainer". Needless to say, this makes me feel pretty great! As you may recall, I am nervous about working full-time . It will be a huge change for me. Even when I've worked more than full-time hours - school, part-time jobs, writi...

Customer: "Hi, can I print from a USB here? My printer at home isn't working." Me: [I explain how our printing works: you buy a card, it costs such and such, etc.] Customer: "I just want to print from my USB." Me: [I explain how our printing works: you buy a card, it costs such and such, etc.] Customer: "Someone said I could just come here and print." Me: [I explain how our printing works: you buy a card, it costs such and such, etc.] Customer: "Can't you just take my USB and print my stuff from your computer?" Me: [I explain how our printing works: you buy a card, it costs such and such, etc.] Customer: "I don't want to buy anything!" [Storms off.]

Last night we watched " Dirty Wars ," investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill's documentary film exposing the United States' covert, lethal, extra-governmental operations around the globe. It's an important film. Depending on your level of knowledge of the US, it may be eye-opening, or it may be shocking. If you have not yet seen this film, I urge you to. It's available on US Netflix and from many public library catalogs. (The website has a link to agitate for cinema screenings in your area.) Please note I have called this film "important" and I have urged you all to see it. I have tremendous respect and admiration for Jeremy Scahill. This post, however, is a criticism of one aspect of "Dirty Wars" that disturbed me, and undermined the film's effectiveness in my eyes. But please read this criticism in context of a documentary that is well written, well made, and incontrovertibly accurate. We can't investigate what doesn't exist...

Since the day I decided to go to graduate school and change my career(s), my mind has reeled with questions about the future. When will I be able to quit my horrible law-firm job? When will I get a professional position at the library? When I get it, will I succeed, and will I enjoy my new work? What place will writing still have in my life? Will my health suffer? Will I have enough energy for these new demands? And on and on. It didn't feel worried or anxious, but I was incredibly impatient for my new future to arrive. Sometimes I could think of nothing else. One after the next, these questions have been answered, and all in the affirmative - a source of unending delight. Now only one question remains, and it's a big one. My current position is part-time and temporary. Whenever the next full-time librarian position posts, I will apply for it. (If I don't get a full-time position before this contract ends, I will return to a part-time position at a lower level of pay and re...

Summer is the busiest time of year in the Central Children's Library. Actually, we are wildly busy any time school is out; the summer is just the most sustained period of busy-ness. Many of my colleagues have been preparing for summer programming since the end of March Break. All through July and August, in libraries throughout Canada, kids will be participating in Summer Reading Club . The program uses incentives, activities, and fun programs to keep kids reading over the summer, which has been shown to improve their performance in school. It's fun, and it's free. All Canadian libraries receive the same materials, which is really nice - kids can participate while they're visiting relatives or at a cottage with their family. But libraries plan their own programming, so we can be as creative as we want and can afford. (The official name is "TD Summer Reading Club". It's designed through a partnership among Library and Archives Canada, Toronto Public Library...