Wrap-up

Well, my contract has finished and I've had my last day as Roslyn Librarian.

This blog was supposed to explore how I handled the change from a behind-the-scenes job in Acquisitions to a sole-charge, front of house job as a branch librarian.
I don't know whether I've been good at it or not, but I can tell you that I have enjoyed it immensely!

It took me a couple of weeks to settle in, during which I realised that I would be doing things I hadn't really anticipated, such as:
- Jumping Jellybeans - the fortnightly pre-school childrens sessions. Thanks to the assistance from Central Library Childrens staff (especially Rhonda), I started to really enjoy these sessions, even though I'd never before been interested in volunteering to do them before.

- IT support. With free internet at all branches, I knew I'd have to provide some support, but I surprised myself by trying to figure things out on my own rather than just calling someone at Central to help out (most of the time!) I also hope that I have laid the foundation that people in the community can come to the Library as a first port of call for IT support on their own devices too. (See below)

- Event organisation. I quickly realised that I had a great public space at my disposal, so why not organise some gigs?!

- Babysitting. Initially my response to having unattended children in the library was to try to contact parents, or even the Police. But as I got to know everyone it got way easier for me, because I knew that this one lives just around the corner, or if that one is playing up I can ask this other one to take him home, etc. By the end of my six months, I actually got lonely if kids didn't turn up!

I feel that being a branch librarian gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of local people. I tried my best to encourage kids to take up a musical instrument. I even gave my old guitar to the guy I mentioned in my last blog post who was playing along to YouTube because he seemed so keen. I got to know one young guy who's mad keen on being a rugby player, but it turns out he's also a really good artist, so I tried to encourage him to take art at school. Even recommending new books (or types of items) to patrons gave me a buzz. I don't know that I actually have made a difference in anyone's life, but it was nice to have the chance to try.

Side note: the fantastic work that Roslyn School teachers do to encourage reading also blew me away. Anything we can do to support them and work more closely would surely pay dividends in terms of ensuring the kids grow up as productive members of society, with lots of options to do interesting things.

So I go back to my job in Acquisitions thinking about what I would like to do now. Many new jobs have been created in other areas of the Library as part of our recent restructuring. So I'm very glad to have had some time at the Roslyn Library because not only has it got me thinking that maybe it's a good time for a new job, it has given me some new experiences and skills to build on.
If anything interesting happens, I'll let you know!

Highlights of my time at Roslyn Library:

- Getting to know all the lovely people in the community!
- Hosting Tuesday Bluesday music nights (thanks so much to everyone who played, and those who came to listen)
- Helping kids get their iPod, iPad, or netbook working and connected to the Library's free wifi service. Eventually I had one part of the library designated as iPod corner, because of its proximity to a) power points for charging, and b) the wifi point.
- Being able to change the layout of the area anytime I felt like it. I know it sounds silly, but being able to try things out is an immensely satisfactory feeling.
- Roslyn School class visits. Seeing so many kids get excited about books was uplifting, and they seemed to really enjoy getting to know a librarian and calling me by name. And they had the funniest stories to tell me!
- Seeing the community-building initiative get up and running (Roslyn REACH). There's a good group of people who are working hard to make Roslyn a better, more inclusive and enjoyable place to live, and they're all doing it for free just because they believe in it. Great stuff!

If you're one of the wonderful Roslyn people who met me while I was out at the Roslyn Library, please feel free to say hi to me next time you're at the Central Library. I'm currently hiding in the 3rd Floor Solitary Confinement Isolation Centre, but you can ask any staff member to call me up.
Cheers!
Craig.