Personally I've always believed stress can be caused by different things, for those niggling irritations, I always find physically leaving the situation, finding a friend to speak to and having a laugh is a good idea. Sitting in the place which is irritating you will only make the situation worse.
If it is because someone has said something, a common problem, rationalize, and remember- it's not personal, something may have happened to them just before speaking to you. Plus don't sweat the small stuff!
If it ongoing and starting to grate on your nerves, have photo next you your desk of the reason why you are working so hard, your family, your house- either way that should help. Plus remember, you can't change someone else's attitude but you can change your behavior to how you react to the situation.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
What will I and won't be doing in the next 12 months
I've just been asked the question, what 3 things will I and won't I be doing in the next 12 months.
What will I be doing?
What will I be doing?
- Building my team, I have recently employed 2 new members of staff. So I will need to integrate them in to my team, as well as take up my place as the head of the department returning from maternity leave. To do this, I will set up team meetings, discuss what I expect and let the team speak.
- The library will be moving so I need to research and visit other instituions to see what is hot in libraries at the moment.
- Improve the online aspect of the library, I'll be doing this for several reasons. Firstly, for what ever reason I feel we are slightly behind other instituions, having online resources will aid the students in 24 hour studying. This is to include eresources, ebooks and journals.
- Ok, this is cheating adding in a fourth, as I only said I would do 3, but I want to complete my chartership.
What I won't be doing
- Worrying so much, so that I am loosing sleep. So far my career has gone in the right direction, there are changes ahead, which I have mentioned above, but I need to trust that all will end well.
- Listening to office gossip, mostly untrue and very distructive.
- Keeping so quite, I need to speak up more.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
National libraries day
I have to say I am impressed with the activities planned for national libraries day, planned for saturday 9th Feb. From Warwickshire libraries having a fine amnesty, cake at Debenham libraries, is bound to bring in the customers. Charon house library is doing a special event on pride and prejudice study day.
For more information check outhttp://www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk/get-involved/add-your-event/
Sadly there are very few events happening in the south west.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Thing 23
It's the end, even though I have taken longer than I expected to complete cpd23, I have enjoyed the tasks. The whole concept to writing a blog was new to me at the start and I was sceptical of writing one, thinking it would be a waste of item. However, no that I have completed it, I've learnt more and loads of new technology, which has meant I can offer additional help to students and. I hope so start using the technology I have learnt about on a more frequent basis.
One of the reasons why I started this was connected to my chartership, so in completing this it will be one step closer to complete my chartership. Which I am hoping to hand in my portfolio in February next year. As I have completed my swot analysis and within this make reference to needing to know more about technology, something that cpd23 has helped me to do.
One of the reasons why I started this was connected to my chartership, so in completing this it will be one step closer to complete my chartership. Which I am hoping to hand in my portfolio in February next year. As I have completed my swot analysis and within this make reference to needing to know more about technology, something that cpd23 has helped me to do.
Thing 22 benefits of volunteering
I started my career path with volunteering and prior to this I've done quiet a bit of it. Starting with my library work experience, it was for a small public library, within a tight knit community, ideally I wanted experience in teaching, but was unable to locate any. So as a second choicei went to the library. The weeks it's self was great, I felt part of a team, expected nothing in return, worked hard and was helpful to as many people as possible. Looking back now, it changed my direction and provided me with a profession.
Prior to this I had volunteered at several playgroups and nurseries. None of which 10 years on where very memorable.
I suppose now I am the other side of the coin and had volunteers work for me, the benefits are save money, with no wages to pay. Potentially staff who are very interested in working in a library and keen to learn new skills. Having spoke. To others on LinkedIn about how to deal with volunteers, suggestions such as having an agreement written by HR so you can break the contract with them if needed. As with any member of staff they need to be kept busy and use there expertise to help develope an area of the library.
Disadvantages
Where do you draw the line, personally I don't believe they should be treated as staff, in terms of workload, as this can cause friction between paid and not paid staff. Also there is the possibility of them being disinterested in the role, especially if the volunteering has been forced, say for instance with for school. If the person is new to working in a library, they are likely to have no skills making the time expensive staff, which may not be suitable.
, link to debate on using students helpers in a library. Reliability versus skills set.
Prior to this I had volunteered at several playgroups and nurseries. None of which 10 years on where very memorable.
I suppose now I am the other side of the coin and had volunteers work for me, the benefits are save money, with no wages to pay. Potentially staff who are very interested in working in a library and keen to learn new skills. Having spoke. To others on LinkedIn about how to deal with volunteers, suggestions such as having an agreement written by HR so you can break the contract with them if needed. As with any member of staff they need to be kept busy and use there expertise to help develope an area of the library.
Disadvantages
Where do you draw the line, personally I don't believe they should be treated as staff, in terms of workload, as this can cause friction between paid and not paid staff. Also there is the possibility of them being disinterested in the role, especially if the volunteering has been forced, say for instance with for school. If the person is new to working in a library, they are likely to have no skills making the time expensive staff, which may not be suitable.
, link to debate on using students helpers in a library. Reliability versus skills set.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Thing 21 cpd23
This task is all about job interviews and applications as well as how you promote yourself for these. This is perfect timing, as I am currently doing my chartership and one of the things I have been working on this week is my SWOT analysis. Having previously done one or two during my working life, I've always struggled with the strengths aspect, I can easily rattle off my weaknesses- lack of confidence, limited archiving skills, poor delegation ability, fretting, unable to speak a second language, can't throw a frisbe. Etc. but strengths is harder.
Firstly how do you define a strength. Is it something you have improved at, excell at above others, or is it something your are good at, but others are better at it than you. Here's where my confusion starts. For instance my knowledge and use of online resources has improved since starting cpd23. But I'm no expert and would struggle to define and explain them all to other person, but there has been an improvement. However I feel I excell at collection management, and I am better than anyone else in my organisation ( rightly so being the librarian) and better than the previous librarian. Alternatively I am good at covering books to extended shelf life, but I'm slower than anyone else in my team. But I can still do it. Personally I'm thinking one and two are relevant, once explained, three is a developing skills area.
Having just completed the lengthy professional knowledge and skills base from CILIP, I have managed to add in more strengths- financial control, collection development, collection management and understanding of relevant legislation. Aspects of my role that I had ever see as strengths before.
In conjunction with this I am also reading - Alire and Evans book academic librarianship, chapter 15 on career development.
Tips for interview
I've been on both ends of interviewing, applying for positions and recruiting, I find recruiting more nerve raking than applying. In applying you sell yourself, so it's about boosting those confidence levels, even if only temporarily. Or a bit like a driving test, all you have to do is convince the people I front of you, at you can do this. In answering the questions, I find be honest, answer the questions with concise detail, enough to explain the situation but not enough to make it feel like they were there as the interview panel is likely to get bored. One tip I find useful is stand out. In my current role I made them laugh, by accident. The question was - describe yourself in 3 words, mine were on- time, polite and short. At 5'1 the last one is hard not to notice.
Firstly how do you define a strength. Is it something you have improved at, excell at above others, or is it something your are good at, but others are better at it than you. Here's where my confusion starts. For instance my knowledge and use of online resources has improved since starting cpd23. But I'm no expert and would struggle to define and explain them all to other person, but there has been an improvement. However I feel I excell at collection management, and I am better than anyone else in my organisation ( rightly so being the librarian) and better than the previous librarian. Alternatively I am good at covering books to extended shelf life, but I'm slower than anyone else in my team. But I can still do it. Personally I'm thinking one and two are relevant, once explained, three is a developing skills area.
Having just completed the lengthy professional knowledge and skills base from CILIP, I have managed to add in more strengths- financial control, collection development, collection management and understanding of relevant legislation. Aspects of my role that I had ever see as strengths before.
In conjunction with this I am also reading - Alire and Evans book academic librarianship, chapter 15 on career development.
Tips for interview
I've been on both ends of interviewing, applying for positions and recruiting, I find recruiting more nerve raking than applying. In applying you sell yourself, so it's about boosting those confidence levels, even if only temporarily. Or a bit like a driving test, all you have to do is convince the people I front of you, at you can do this. In answering the questions, I find be honest, answer the questions with concise detail, enough to explain the situation but not enough to make it feel like they were there as the interview panel is likely to get bored. One tip I find useful is stand out. In my current role I made them laugh, by accident. The question was - describe yourself in 3 words, mine were on- time, polite and short. At 5'1 the last one is hard not to notice.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Why I become a librarian
Having worked in libraries for 6 years, it's time to reflect on why I started this journey.
- Wanted to work in education, but not as an academic
- Enjoyed the sense of doing something worthwhile
- Liked the variety of the role
- Enjoy the link to technology
- Something very British about the job
- Outlet for obsessive behaviours, such as the ordering of items
- "fun" of finding things
- Enjoyment of using libraries when. I was young, plus the traditional love of books.
I am sure if you asked anyone else their reasons would be more sophisticated, but I'm happy with my reasons.
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