Anne K. Myers
Head of Technical Services
Boston University,
Pappas Law Library - Boston, MA
The "Oprah" Effect
Law Library Journal Fall, 2001
It was an "Oprah moment"—literally. Watching Oprah one day last fall, I heard Cheryl Richardson talk about life makeovers, and realized that was exactly what I was looking for. When she mentioned her book,1 I hopped right onto Amazon and ordered a copy. Much to my amazement, reading it was better than hearing about it, and it clarified some things for me about reviewing my life and my career while I'm in a "midlife crisis" stage.
After more than twenty years as a librarian, how do I keep myself energized and challenged? It's getting harder—the work keeps coming, staff keeps turning over, the pace keeps speeding up, and I'm feeling further behind, scrambling to keep everything in order. But reading Take Time for Your Life helped me realize that I already have taken steps to move forward, and as I work through the points it raises, I find more energy and creativity to bring to my job. So what did I learn?
I have a right to a full life that's more than a job. That sounds very elementary, but it wasn't true for me for a long time. It's easy for me to stay late and take work home, but in doing so, I miss out on building relationships with people who aren't librarians and on giving myself a break so that I can return to the library rested and ready to dive back in. That was something I could actively work on—and I have made a commitment to myself that I will leave the office at 5:00 P.M. at least three out of every five days. It would be unrealistic to say I'll do it every day, but three of five is doable. That gives me time for the gym, choir, a class or two, dinner with friends—I love feeling both in control and more rounded. One of my new activities is a life makeover group! In the process of changing my routine, I've discovered that I'm more efficient in the way I use my time at work, since I don't plan to spend more of it there. I'm still accomplishing what needs to be done, but I have more time for myself.
Professionally I needed to broaden my circle. I love my tech services colleagues in AALL and the Annual Meeting, but I need more than that to keep me fresh. So I've branched out and become active in the Innovative Users Group and with a local government documents group. What I learn is directly relevant to my job, and I feel that I contribute as well as learn. The balance is healthy.
I have also taken on AALL committee assignments, such as Annual Meeting Program Selection and the Committee on Relations with Information Vendors (CRIV), that have expanded my professional contacts within the law library community. Because committees are a careful mix of librarians from different types of libraries, I have met, worked with, learned from, and enjoyed expanding my circle of professional colleagues to include (gasp) firm and court librarians as well as academics.
It's important to find things in the job that bring joy and to make sure they are part of the routine, even in small doses. No one loves everything about any job, but one thing I do that makes me especially happy, relaxed, and creative is working with Web sites. I decided to learn HTML six years ago before I really knew what to do with the new skills I was acquiring. I practiced by designing a Web site for my father on his seventieth birthday (he can't use a computer but he loves having a Web page). From there, I made a small site for my department and that, in turn, led to my director asking me to take an active role in working with our library Web site. I now design and maintain Web sites for other groups as well, including CRIV, which lets me feed the creative as well as technical side.
Ten years ago I had no idea the Web was going to be in my future, and I can't predict what will be in store for me ten years down the road. What I can do is keep myself balanced, happy, and involved in my field and with other people, and look ahead with anticipation to whatever comes.
1. Cheryl Richardson, Take Time for Your Life: A Personal Coach's Seven-Step Program for Creating the Life You Want (1999).
For More Information About Law Librarianship or the AALL Recruitment Committee, contact committee chair Sarah Mauldin.