Library Technician

Sunday:

I started my new job on Friday, my first paid position as a Library Technician. (Short history: I did a BA, then was a public servant for ten years, married and had two children and stayed home with them, did post-grad cert as an editor and did freelance work from home for a few years, then did Diploma in Library stuff which I finished last year.) Library Technicians do most things a Librarian does except the management and admin stuff. This job is essentially the same as I did for work experience last year, so I know the computer system and most of the procedures although of course every library is slightly different. There are four other staff in my office, and another new person is starting next week. They have been understaffed for ages waiting for this hiring freeze to end.

Everyone seemed nice and welcoming. I spent a lot of the day with my boss Angela who went through induction stuff (Work Health and Safety, computer systems etc) and got shown around bits of the campus at different times by all the others. It's the Library for a TAFE - tertiary education in things like child care studies, animal care, hairdressing, English for migrants, and High School equivalency. My job will be mainly helping students borrow and return books, use the computers and photocopiers, find stuff for research for assignments etc. Hopefully I'll get to catalogue new books. Apparently I'll be in charge of inter-library loans once I'm up to speed. Putting books back on the shelf. Creating book displays and helping plan and run library events.

 We have a tiny dingy tea room that we share with student services, not even on our floor of the building, useful fridge and microwave but not a pleasant place to eat so at lunchtime I went and sat in the shade in one of the courtyards. This is looking back at my building. There is a nicer bigger staff tea room in another building but you need a key and it wastes part of your break getting there and back.

I worked in the same suburb for my very first job many years ago, it is largely migrant from primarily Lebanese and Vietnamese origins - or it was back then. A lot of the female students I saw on Friday were wearing headscarves (Muslim?), and the three I helped find books about their home country for an assignment were from Lebanon, Yemen, and China. Quite culturally diverse, which is always interesting. Also the staff - of the five of us, my boss and I are of Anglo background (I am of English and Russian heritage), the others Russian, Polynesian and Chinese (I'm guessing by name, appearance and accent, I haven't had much time to get to know them yet.) No diversity in gender though! All women including the new Librarian starting next week.

I was so exhausted after my first day. My first full time work since I had kids. I'm glad I had the weekend to recover before heading into a full week.