Wednesday, September 5, 2012

6. The Perfect Job --- Not

And so, I did take that library job at that big school. It really could have been perfect for me.
But it wasn't.
Turns out it was just the wrong fit.
I worked my way through Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa back in the early seventies and enjoyed it thoroughly. In fact, it was one of the high points of my four years there.
Down through the years, I was often told that I looked like a librarian, that or a sixth grade teacher.  I guess it's my bearing or something. I remember in a junior high function we did a 'night out' in the 'Old West' and I was chosen to be the 'dance hall proprietor' supposedly modeled after Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. Well, although I can blame my mother since she was in charge of my clothes as a kid, I wound up looking like the school marm. Nothing sexy or provocative about
my long black skirt and white chiffon blouse unless someone had school marm fantasies. Ah but that was 1966 in junior high in a small consolidated country school (three hundred kids K-12) and it was Iowa after all.
I make attempts now as an adult to look more alluring on certain occasions. Or at least friskier.
Nevertheless, libraries, bookstores, and books are in my blood. Too bad brick and mortar bookstores are dying.
Down through the years, I had a number of occasions in my work experience that entailed library skills. I designed one of the first video tape-for rent libraries in the Midwest. I created a research and archive library for a large engineering firm. I spent over eleven years (cumulatively) working in bookstores and enjoying nearly every moment of it (with several notable exceptions) and at one time had a personal library of well over two thousand volumes.
I enjoy writing book reviews (see  VictoriasBookReviews )
I was not overly surprised, but was quite baffled by how much things had changed in libraries  and sadly, the circulation department at this Florida school was a real rough fit.
I would have been much better suited for the reference department where actual customer service would have been desirable. but alas, that was not to be...
So, what happened?

2 comments:

  1. Yes, in the worst job market of my long life, it's awful to finally get a job and find it doesn't work. Particularly for those who love the true riches of a passing age, like books. And fetching librarians. You'd thrive in a job designed by an employer looking for someone like you, instead of one with a punch list any number of people could fill.

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  2. Yes, in the worst job market of my long life, it's awful to finally get a job and find it doesn't work. Particularly for those who love the true riches of a passing age, like books. And fetching librarians. You'd thrive in a job designed by an employer looking for someone like you, instead of one with a punch list any number of people could fill.

    ReplyDelete