I think this fall, my biggest struggle has been in follow through. Between work and full-time class, I’ve really just gotten overwhelmed and tired. As a result, I don’t feel like I’ve really given anything my best shot.

Last Saturday, I got to spend the full day at the reference desk – something that hasn’t happened a lot this year, with staffing changes and other activities. I had a couple of things I intended to post about, and didn’t get around to.

The first is not being able to “put the book in the customer’s hand.” This was the mantra we had to follow at my bookstore job, several years ago. It is understandable why, in a consumer setting, it is so important to not just lead the person to the shelf, but actually put the physical book in the hands of the customer. I’d love to do that at my home library, as well, but when I work Saturday reference shifts, I am the only reference person present. As a result, I don’t feel comfortable leaving when I know I have 2-3 other people waiting for assistance, and so I wind up sending the students upstairs alone. (My workplace is 5 stories tall.) My textbook refers to this as an unmonitored referral. I hate being a statistic with this situation, but feel that the situation somewhat requires it. I do always try to guide the students using the maps and the reference stack end caps, and asking them to come back if I can help them further, but I don’t know how successful that is. And since students can check books out from 2 separate entrance/exit locations, I don’t always get a chance to see them when they leave. Sigh…

On the up side, last Saturday was a visit day for prospective students at work. We had lots of high school students and their families coming through on tours, which allowed me to see a lot of people! Some of the best things about the tours were hearing comments from either the student tour guides or the touring families. Here are the memorable ones:

1. This is the Head Librarian’s desk. We have a number of Head Librarians, and all of them are excellent resources for help with papers. Use them!

2. This is where the guru sits. Library gurus are awesome!

3. This is the 2nd floor. We call it the first floor, and the level below us is the basement. I don’t know why they don’t switch that, but that is just how it is.

4. This is the living room of the campus, and also where your best studying will get done.

5. Tour Guide: We have elevators, or we could take the stairs.
Father: That would require me to make an effort, and work off lunch. I’m all for the elevator. (And this was clearly someone who was fit!)

6. There aren’t many people here on Saturday, but it is usually a VERY exciting place. We just love the library.

7. Tour guide: The library has 5 floors.
(Mom and daughter turn to each other and grab each other’s arms, huge smiles on their faces.)
Daughter: 5 floors, in a library.
Mom: It’s like heaven.

Clearly, some were good, some mediocre. All of them were memorable though!

Over the last several weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to work at the Reference Desk, and the message that keeps coming back is that knowledge and experiences become valuable in unexpected ways!  Although I typically approach my reference time with a bit of excitement and paranoia that I won’t be able to locate valuable resources for our students, I’ve had several really wonderful experiences with our freshman.  Many of them are currently working on papers dealing with Origins as part of their General Education coursework.  I’ve had a great time helping them to explore Aztec, Shoshone, and Incan origins, focusing either on the mythology or archaeology of the culture.

I think that one of the reasons I am feeling more confident in my abilities is the interactions I’ve had with some visiting colleagues over the last several weeks.  Last week, as part of the Illinois Host Library program, Augustana welcomed  visiting librarians from Tanzania and Japan.  Both Faraja and Hideya expressed their delight in being able to bring new perspectives on librianship home to their university libraries.  In talking with them, the idea that information is a continuous pursuit really came through.  I guess sometimes, it is easy to get so wrapped up in what I am doing now that I forget to step back and focus on the bigger picture.

 Hopefully, from here on out, I will be able to reflect a bit more frequently on my experiences.

Welcome! I hope that you enjoy a few of the things that I share with you about library life, in all of its quirks, hazards and glories. And if you disagree with something I say, let me hear it! That’s a part of life.

So, I suppose you might wonder why I chose this title for my blog. Well, after a certain travel company started advertising using a roaming garden statue, one of my friends called me a Roaming Librarian. She felt that since I could always be called upon to either know or find the answer, and then guide her to the information, it suited me. And, well, since travel is a passion I hope to pursue in the near future, and my mind tends to wander all the time … roaming seemed to fit well.

This site will contain my library musings, as well as resources I find particularly useful. It may wander a bit … but then, so do I!