Strange Start to the Week

I work at the main library of a research university. A month ago I would have said I worked in the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) department, but nowadays it is a little more confusing than that. Due to budget cuts and the retirement of several staff members, ILL has merged with the circulation department. In spite of all the grumbling from others, this has been a good thing for me. Not only do I get to do more than just scanning/mailing out articles/books, but I'm getting to learn more about different aspects of libraries - always a good thing since this is the field I want to get into.

This started as a work-study job last year and has progressed (as staff members left) to a full time job over this summer. What I do is not particularly dramatic or what some would consider interesting, but I enjoy it here.

When I walked in this morning, I noticed that the schedule did not have me listed as working until Friday. A week off? Wow. That's going to cut into the paycheck a bit. I went to ask my new supervisor (who is very easy to get along with) - it was either a mistake or another round of budget cuts. Turns out it was a mistake.

So here I sit in an empty office. Everyone else moved two weeks ago to the circulation area. The Ariel scanners, the Fedex terminal, and I still sit here with a phone that never rings. Mondays are always slow.

Tonight is family night. When we cleared out the office we found a huge box full of posters about children's books - you know, the kind you see hanging in schools and libraries. Nobody wanted them, so I was given permission to take them home. Tonight we are going to wallpaper the kid's rooms with these posters.