I have so many questions -- some
of which I didn't really realize until I started working on CPL-related stuff.
Some topics we might have discussed (or might have been obvious) at an onsite
internship, or maybe during a longer interview process. Basically, I'm curious
about what the public librarian's job looks like from the inside. I've put them
all in this email, as requested, and hope that you'll address the ones that seem
relevant at some length when you get a chance.
About the work
environment:
Where do you work from? Are you
only at one branch (or main location) or do you circulate? What does your
workspace look like -- are you always/often/sometimes/ever on the floor/at a
public-facing desk/at an office desk?
How many people work with you at
your location? Do most of them have the MLIS credential? How are volunteers
involved? How has that changed during staffing shortages over the last few
years?
About your
role/experience:
How long have you been a
librarian? Where did you earn your MLIS? Would you recommend that program, and
why/why not? Did you already work in a library when you started the degree? What
do you feel really helped you in the job market? What would you like to see in
prospective hires?
How long have you worked for CPL?
What has your career progression looked like? What do you especially like about
being a librarian, or specifically a Librarian IV? What specific
responsibilities do you have? What are some of the challenges of the
position?
How might you spend a typical
day?
About CPL programs and
processes:
What tools do staff use to
communicate? Is there a content management system? Is it proprietary,
opensource, freemium?
What about staff meetings? How
many people are involved? How frequent are they? What level of discussion goes
on -- task distribution, new programs, etc.?
Who manages the content at chipublib.org? Is it a priority? Any redesign
planned?
Who cleans the library? When? Are the same standards required of daycare centers applied to gathering places like library children’s departments? How often are the non-circulating materials cleaned? (from the Duplo research)
How are records kept for the summer learning program? I see totals on the website, but no methodology. Are the kids still going to use paper logs this year, and are those duplicated somehow by staff or are staff relying on reports from readers?
I'll keep reading the
Board meeting notes, which will probably spark another round of questions.
Thanks in advance!
It's good to see you are caught up with your posts. I'll be looking for a new one each week. I have been reading your other posts but commenting on only a few. One post I enjoyed was the imposter syndrome and can understand Tina Fey's message--having been there/done that.
ReplyDeleteYou sent quite a lengthy message, and I understand why. Would it have been better to break it into shorter messages with fewer questions each? (I don't know) I hope you will let me know what type of response you receive.
I think it was best in this case to put them all into one email (although I did try to break them into sections to help with the deluge). I started with a Google Doc that I updated continuously. My site supervisor prefers email for communication, and this way I'll have a record of what was asked and answered. Our assignment-centered emails have been much shorter, so far.
DeleteGreat post much appreciate the time you took to write this.
ReplyDelete