I’ve decided to stop referring to my new employer by its full name. The communications director already casually mentioned that he read one of my recent blog posts, because it came up in his daily media sweep. It was a very positive post, and he kept the conversation very light
Continue readingTag: becoming a librarian
wmtc: the vancouver island report: two more days of training and on to campbell river
I’ve completed another two days of training and orientation. It’s been pretty awesome. In the past three days, I’ve had a tour of the Nanaimo Harbourfront branch, which is something of a showpiece and central library, and a tour of the Nanaimo North branch, which is new and beautiful. I’ve
Continue readingwmtc: first day of work braindump
I’ve just finished my first day of training and orientation at Vancouver Island Regional Library. I have a lot to report on! Much of this may be of interest only to library workers, especially my union buddies. I took notes all day, and I’m getting it all down here —
Continue readingwmtc: in which i say goodbye to cupe 1989 and mississauga library
Many friends and co-workers have said they’ll check this blog for updates on our drive west, our new town, my new work. Welcome and a disclaimer: when I travel, wmtc becomes a travel journal, full of details that I want to remember but are probably super boring to anyone else.
Continue readingwmtc: wmtc moves west
We are moving to Vancouver Island! As soon as I find a good library job there — which may be very soon — we are giving notice, packing up, and driving across this beautiful country in a little car with a big dog in the back seat. Why are we
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #29
It’s TIHATL, Summer Reading Club edition! Summer Reading Club is in full swing in Canadian libraries. In more than 2,100 libraries around Canada, kids are earning prizes and recognition for reading. Thanks to Toronto Public Library and a certain sponsoring bank, we all have lots of free stuff to give
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #28
With apologies to my man C. Dickens, it was the worst of customers, it was the best of customers. Our Children’s Department is short-staffed right now, and although that is stressful in many ways, there is a silver lining for me: I am needed more on the information desk, and
Continue readingwmtc: from the 2018 cupe ontario library workers conference: libraries and the opioid crisis
I recently attended the CUPE Ontario Library Workers Conference, which has become a highlight of my year since I first attended (and was elected to the organizing committee) in 2015. It has eclipsed and replaced the OLA Superconference as the most relevant and enjoyable must-attend conference in my schedule. When
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #27
This is a scene played out every day in public libraries all across North America. I’m at the information desk, and I see a boy, by himself, a chubby little toddler, toddle fast in one direction, then back in the other direction. He can’t be much over 12 months old.
Continue readingwmtc: in which i achieve a career milestone
I am a Senior Librarian! It’s a position I have aspired to for quite a while. Although I love my current job as a youth librarian, I’ve been ready to move on for a while. I had several near-misses, but couldn’t get over the top. Just as my colleagues and
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #26
In library school, you learn that the most important part of the reference transaction, or reference interview, is asking questions. Customers, it seems, rarely know how to describe what they are actually looking for. Most people ask for something entirely different than what they want. Tonight was a classic example.
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #25
A customer approaches the information desk, hopping mad. “You must kick this man out of the library! You must make him leave!” I immediately get up and come around the desk, immediately on high alert, thinking, call security, call 911. “What’s going on?” She leads me to the offending man:
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #24
I have a TIHATL double-header today, plus a bonus round. A customer asked for something by Omar Tyree. We had only one copy of one title, and that was in a different branch. I asked if I could get her something with a similar vibe, and she was up for
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #23
Girl: Do you have this book, something like, “keeping a secret about you”? Me: Let’s take a look in the catalogue. [Stalling for time while scrolling through titles in my mind.] Hmm, do you mean Keeping You a Secret? Girl: Yes! I took a bus all the way from the
Continue readingwmtc: disrupt and transform: 2017 cupe ontario library workers conference
The 2017 CUPE Ontario Library Workers Conference was a very special event for the Mississauga Library Workers Union. Over the course of two days, our 2016 strike and the great gains we made for our members were celebrated from the podium again and again. In the same way, the tremendous
Continue readingwmtc: ontario librarians: should the ola support staffless libraries?
This week, the Toronto Public Library announced plans to open libraries with no staff. Not just no librarians — we’ve seen that in many places — but no staff whatsoever. This was bad enough, but we were further horrified to see that the Ontario Library Association, a membership-based organization that is
Continue readingwmtc: librarians: celebrate human rights at your library #Write4Rights
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. The date commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the first global human rights document. Every year on December 10, Amnesty International Canada holds Write For Rights. All over the country, Canadians use our own human rights to
Continue readingwmtc: on a language adventure with mango languages
We are going to Egypt! We’re super excited about it. It’s someplace we’ve always wanted to go. In fact, it’s the only country that Allan has always wanted to see. (We went to my number one spot — Peru — in 2006.) Just after New Year’s, we celebrate our anniversary,
Continue readingwmtc: labour day readers’ advisory: books and movies that celebrate labour
I spoke to a customer yesterday who was visiting from Denmark. He described himself as a trade-unionist, and he came to the library, looking for me, to learn about our strike!He also said he had read a book he loved, and was looking for more like it. H…
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #22
“Can you help me find some mystery books?””Yes, I’d be happy to. What kind of mysteries are you looking for?””The kind where someone is killed, and then they figure out who did it.”Okay…In the mystery fiction section, I tried this. “There are differe…
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