As I started this school year I set myself some goals (Full disclosure: It was required, there was a form to fill out, I am not a motivational goddess.) I picked some attainable goals and patted myself on the back. But then I also decided to set myself a difficult goal. Get comfortable reading at work. To up the difficulty factor, my goal is not just to read at work, but to be seen reading at work. Aack.
To non-librarians, this goal seems absurdly simple. After all, isn’t reading our job? And yet, when I read in the library I often feel like I’m indulging. If someone sees me reading, I frequently blather on about how funny it is that I never usually read, even though, hahaha, I’m the librarian. There’s something so overwhelming, so outrageous about our culture’s notion of what busyness looks like. In order to be busy I’m supposed to always be on a computer, looking somewhat stressed, and commenting frequently about how busy I am. Fie upon that. I am librarian, hear me roar. I will read! I will be seen reading! And I will enjoy it! Continue reading “GOOOAAALLL!”
red to the University of Iowa, where she studied English, continued her French major, and took writing classes with Denis Johnson, Marvin Bell, and other poets. She moved to New York City where she worked in publishing for over ten years, mostly at McGraw Hill. She began her library career with a “lone ranger” position at the Town School, teaching pre-K through eighth grade classes, managing all A-V requests, and processing catalog