Fast forward three years and 11 months and I’m told that my Branch Librarian (supervisory w/o being the Branch Manager) has been seconded to work on a special project and would I like the job in the interim? I said yes, with trepidation. It was only a month, so how much could I screw up the branch? Not too badly. I worked in this position pretty blithely – most of it was Christmas vacation. It wasn’t a walk in the park by any means, but hardly as daunting as I expected. In the meantime, a permanent opportunity for that position came up. To my surprise, I applied. And I got an interview. But it wasn’t a surprise when I didn’t get the job. Coincidentally, my boss-hood has been extended for another few months and I think it would be a good chance to learn from this experience and better prepare myself for these nebulous future positions, should they arise.

I’ve been told that I have “leadership potential” which, I think, is to say that I’m not there yet. I would have to agree with that assessment. I’d describe myself currently as an independently motivated follower, and a good librarian, but not yet a leader. It’s become clear that yes, there is a difference between leadership and “volunteering to do all the work.” What that nuance is, I haven’t quite figured out. Toward this end: I thought I’d write a series of posts about what leadership at a branch level actually means (to me) and what I think being a leader is at all. So, kick back, relax while I librarian LIKE A BOSS.

I’m finding a lot of picturebooks on factual content, that are being catalogued as non-fiction, then are forgotten. I’m thinking of having a display of “Non-Fiction Picture Books”… maybe? That’s the best I can do to increase their visibility, but I think it’s a shame that they’re being cataloged that way. Judging a book by its content, if you will.