Thing 8: Google Calendar -- I use it. I've used it for years now and I'm completely in love with it. Can't live without it.
Thing 9: Evernote - I just got around to loving Evernote. I'm planning a wedding and this tool is incredibly handy at cache-ing all of my notes in one place. I haven't applied it to work yet.
Thing 10: Ah, graduate degrees. Years ago, when I was in undergrad, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I graduated with an eclectic collection of classes from five different declarings and ended up with a degree in Criminology with a minor in Political Science. I worked as a Domestic Relations Hearing Officer for a couple of years, but really hated working in that system. Criminal Justice work wasn't what I wanted. So, I got a Master's degree in History - US Diplomatic History 1900-Present with a minor in Soviet History. I loved every minute of this. Reading, writing, presenting - it was fantastic. But there was this one class, Historiography, that changed my life. My professor worked with the Librarian and taught us how to figure out what we wanted to research - how to do the research, how to think about the research, how to evaluate the research, and finally how to use the research. Not just relating to University work, but to all things - how we listen to the news, read the newspaper and magazines - who funded that study? who is reporting that finding? what's in it for them? Question everything. And that nothing is entirely objective because, in the end, we are all human, so something of us is in the work. It was a wonderful class. After a few years not finding work in the History field, I was again working in a bookstore when I took "What Color is Your Parachute" home. The workbook, too. After reading it and filling in the workbook, it told me that I should either have a bookshop or be a Librarian. So, I applied to Library School. While in my MLS program I discovered that my favorite class in my History program was, in fact, a library science staple: Information Literacy. I was in heaven. I knew this was my calling in life - and here I am. A Librarian.
As for jobs . . . well, there has been a myth in America - probably everywhere else, too - that all the sudden, one of these days, all of the old, fogey librarians are going to retire leaving a vacuum for all of us younger librarians to come in fill. Oh, the jobs! Well, as we all know, that's not remotely true. For one, people aren't retiring. Two, they are not filling those positions - attrition is cheaper on the budget and it's all about budget these days. My route to my current position was serendipitous. I applied to over 75 academic entry level positions with several phone interviews, a few in-person interviews, and not a single job offer. Then, I moved to sunny Southern California, on a wing and a prayer, and found a temp job working as a Children's Librarian in a smaller suburb of Los Angeles. I had no experience whatsoever for this job. No Children's experience! Nothing. But life is funny, and I spent three+ wonderful months working there with an amazing mentor who let me learn and do til my heart's desire. While I was there I applied to exactly ONE job - and as luck would have it - I got it! So, I finally started working full-time, professionally as an adult librarian at a branch in a large, urban system. It was awesome. Then I moved to teen librarian at the branch. Wildness ensued. Then I got a promotion to a system-wide position for the same system and it's been a blast.
Now I'm looking to move forward in my career and begin managing on some level. Our current situation is looking pretty bare so I'm looking outside my system as well. You never know what the future holds . . .
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