become a kick ass librarian

I have a phone interview for a job at my alma mater on Wednesday!

So. Much. Awesomeness.

^{leaps around the room madly}

It may not all be completely over at MPOW. In a pivotal department meeting with all the professional librarians and the director today, I made a spur of the moment proposal about how we restructure two currently open positions and eliminate my current position so that we could hire two regular old academic librarians AND take away one set of responsibilities from the outreach job I turned down. This would enable us to better do what we do best: work with students & faculty. It would also make that outreach job actually doable by a human being who lacks superpowers. The director actually seemed open to this and seems to be seriously considering my suggestion!! Un-fracking-believable. What else does this mean? If she accepts my plan, there are two more jobs for which I could potentially apply, the kinds of jobs I really always wanted. The other librarians are rallying around me and asking the director to hire me. Crazy.

I’m not doing to go into much detail, but I declined the job. I did tell the director my reasons and I think it was the correct decision. I just didn’t feel that I was receiving the sufficient level of support from her for me to successfully do this job.

Onward!

Just had a long chat with one of my former librarian colleagues who knows the situation at MPOW and knows me. After talking with her, I am considering a new strategy. I’m considering picking my ego and self image up off the floor, dusting it off, and going back in to see the director from a place of confidence and strength. I want her to make some tangible commitments to supporting me and my work. This is a huge job and way larger than a normal instruction/liaison librarian job because of all the outreach components and the statewide database project. I have a lot to offer, though: I know the library and I know the audience. I work very well with all of my colleagues. I am innovative and creative and committed. Also, I have frankly already been doing many components of this position for the past year, so I will be able to hit the ground running. So, I want at least .5 of a support staff person. I want $5000-$7000 more in salary. If she won’t do these things, I will officially decline. I suspect she will not be willing to do this stuff. But, I want to walk away from this job offer from a place of strength and confidence rather than a place of being treated like dirt.

1. I found out that job #2 was offered to someone else, although they have not yet accepted.

2. I asked my director if I could have more time to make a decision about the job at MPOW and the discussion couldn’t have gone worse. She got really mad at me – glared, told me she wouldn’t beg me to take the job, asked me what could possibly be different on Monday that today, grilled me about my misgivings. Finally, I mentioned a couple of my misgivings and she got even madder. Then, she told me I could have until Monday and I slunk away. Keep in mind that the offer was made yesterday and she told me I had one day to make a decision. She did not one single thing to make me feel like she values my work or hoped I would take the job, not a single thing to welcome me into the position. What a disaster. I feel terrible. I love this library and my coworkers and my patrons. I’m starting to think that the only reason she offered me the job is because the staff wanted me, but who knows?

3. So, I’ll be applying for more jobs, possibly one a couple hours from here, which would require moving. The sweetie is blessedly open to this and unbelievably supportive.

4. I came home and drank a beer and ate lots of pizza and chatted online with other librarians. I watched part of a cool anime series. Going to bed soon. Vacation day tomorrow, blessedly.

Hmmmm. I just wrote a bunch of detailed stuff that I deleted, because I probably shouldn’t post it online, just in case. Here’s a shorter version: I was offered a job yesterday at my current place of work (MPOW), but I have serious misgivings. Am trying to find out where job #2 is at with their process and still like job #3 the best, but there is no chance of hearing about that until mid to late October.

My mysterious meeting with the director here at MPOW canceled on me and then rescheduled for tomorrow. Huh. With any luck, she will reschedule again. I’m not going to accept anything right away at this University, because I’m still hoping to hear from place #3 after they start reviewing applications after October 1.

Just spent a bunch of time looking up comparable salaries here at the University, which is hopefully not a premature effort. I’m going to try to negotiate a higher salary, once I get to that point in the process with someone. I just confirmed that, even after two years here, I am paid substantially less than every other paraprofessional in my library. What’s up with that?

Meanwhile, I have to go home and put together a draft of a presentation for a conference next week. I’m meeting with my co-presenters tomorrow and I have to show them something. Aaagh. Maybe I should just go home now so I can get started on that.

• FINALLY sucked up my courage and submitted the application – perfect or not – for job #3, the one I really, really want. They start reviewing applications on Oct. 2, so, since I submitted online, I think I am okay, if not an early bird.
• Director for job #2 has now contacted 2 of my 3 references.
• Director for job #3 (at MPOW) sent my enigmatic email asking me to meet with her tomorrow. This job is my 3rd choice.
• Another job has been posted semi-locally, but it has a weird combination of subject areas business, social sciences & nursing. Business & economics baffle me completely, so, maybe not. Also, this job is about an hour away, but a great school. Also, the last person in this job left suddenly after less than a year.

Brain wasn’t working very well this weekend, but much better today. Go figure.

The big, giant long interview (8 am to 5 pm) went well yesterday. I could end up with two job offers, it is hard to say. The real problem is that neither of these are exactly what I want, even though they are both good opportunities. Instead of being an outreach librarian, I really want to be a reference/instruction/liaison librarian. So, I still need to finish that application for job #3 and get it frakking turned in.

Meeting with University Librarian and dinner with director & his boss all went well. Am suddenly very, very tired. Need to finish the presentation so that I can go to bed.