About the Job

I don’t really know where to start.  The basics, I guess.  I am the new Librarian for a state-run correctional facility in Missouri.  My library is comprised of about 8000 items, and includes books, periodicals, reference materials, and a law library (and I think audiobooks, maybe).  The library is based very closely on a public library model, complete with DDC (that’s Dewey Decimal Classification to you folks).  The law library consists of state legal directories, institutional policies, access to a legal database, and a legal reference worker.  The only thing my library can’t do is interlibrary loan – although I can make that happen in a pinch.

My job is…the library.  I am responsible for the budget, acquisitions, collection development, managing my offender-workers, maintaining the law library, tech support, supplies, book repair, cataloging, networking with key stakeholders (mainly the Education and Therapy departments), and keeping the library running on a day-to-day basis.  I am Queen of my own Library Land. 

The toughest part right now is A) getting the schedule down, and B) getting everything done that needs to be done.  The schedule mostly refers to the way financing and acquisitions are handled.  For example, I have a wishlist of books due in two weeks, my budget for the fiscal quarter hasn’t been approved yet, and my budget for the next quarter is due in about a month (and my next wishlist is due a month after that).  So, sometime in the next month I have to:

1.      Compile my wishlist,

2.      Prepare my purchase orders,

3.      Spend all the money I asked for,

4.      Develop a budget I can’t spend for another 2 months, and

5.      Compile my next wishlist consisting of both the books previously ordered that didn’t get in on time and new books I want for the library.

Oh, and did I mention that I’m out of town for training the next two weeks?

Things are crazy.  Things will get crazier.  Actually, I’m getting used to things being this way and I’m a little scared to think what will happen if my brain stops running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  Wouldn’t want to be bored now…

Questions?

And check out the What I'm Reading section!  New book!