So, here I am. It is 2007…another year for me to dream much and, ideally, accomplish much. As I sit in my office, the days slowly getting longer and inquisitive, not yet panicked, law students beginning to filter to my door, I find myself asking this question: How will the librarian that I am going to be in 2007 compare to the librarian that I was in 2006?
Well, I certainly hope that the 2007 librarian is an improved version of last year’s model. I want to become more knowledgeable and confident in my abilities as a researcher. I want to become more effective in my interactions with faculty, students, and coworkers. And, a year from now, I want to say that 2007 was a watershed in my career.
How will this all happen, you ask? That is the tricky part. Normally, I would immediately come up with a series of fairly specific goals and set some target date to meet each of them. This year, however, I am going to start simple: New Year’s resolutions.
It is true that this approach might be a bit cliché and, like many people, my success rate with such things usually plummets with each passing minute, but I am going to give it a go nonetheless. My plan: three clear resolutions, each of which must be accomplished between the time that I arrive and leave the library, each and every working day. Here I go.
Resolution # 1: Walk through the stacks for fifteen minutes each morning.
As a relatively newer librarian working with a collection containing some 500,000 volumes, I am constantly in awe of a number of my colleagues who seem to know exactly where everything is. I do know, however, that deep knowledge of a collection takes much time and, most importantly, consistent effort. It is important that I walk through the stacks and acquire a feel for how the collection as a whole really appears. It is important that I appreciate the organization of the collection…and not to passively accept the information that appears on a singular catalog record.
Each morning, at about ten o’clock, I will make my trek. Philosophically, I will begin to better grasp the depth and diversity of the collection, learning details about the various monographs, serials, and multi-volume sets that the library holds. Practically, I will be able to tell a first-year student taking Legal Research & Writing next fall exactly where our copy of Shepard’s New York Supplement Citations is located, even though it is typically asked about once a year by a select group of patrons. I will improve as a librarian.
Resolution # 2: Work with one electronic resource for fifteen minutes each afternoon.
As the number of electronic resources available from both the law library’s and the main university library’s websites seems to grow everyday, I find myself wondering how much I might be missing. And, even if I am aware of an electronic resource, I know that I will need to try it out myself before I may even begin to suggest its capabilities to a faculty member or student. It is important that I grow in appreciation of the library’s electronic holdings as I advise core patrons that increasingly seek guidance on materials that they may access from the comfort of their homes and offices, at all hours of the day and night.
Each afternoon, at about two o’clock, I will sit, with good posture, at my computer and explore these materials. I will browse through the content of one particular resource, run random searches, and keep brief notes on what I have seen. I will consult my colleagues if and when I come across something strange in the resource or something that may be helpful to each of us at the reference desk. Philosophically, I will develop a keener eye for thoroughly and efficiently using such materials. Practically, I will be able to show a faculty member doing historical intellectual property research how to use one of our databases to find original images from an 1822 patent law treatise. I will improve as a librarian.
Resolution # 3: Make good eye contact with each person I encounter.
Needless to say, this third resolution is a bit of an oddball. It is quite general in nature and does not involve doing something particular at a particular time of the day. However, it is clear, especially when interacting with a library patron, that it is important to articulate a sense of care and concern for his or her information need. It is important for me to convey that I am an information professional, and that I possess both the capabilities and interest to help someone successfully utilize the collection and services of the library. Good eye contact helps to say all of this without using words.
Each day, whether I am working at the reference desk, at the circulation desk, in my office, or just walking through stacks attempting to meet my first resolution, I will look each person I encounter in the eye. I will express joy and pride in my profession, and aim to represent my library well. I will be engaged in the questions and needs of faculty, students, and other patrons, and be confident that the work that I do is vitally important and meaningful. Once again, I will improve as a librarian.