Feeling particularly librarian-like today

*perches glasses on nose*

Given the sheer volume of work on my to-do list of late, I've really been buckling down at work. I've even had to miss my lunch-time knitting group for over a week (I miss you girls!). I've been pretty efficient all week, because, well, I've had no choice. Stuff (much more of it than there ever was) has to get done. Plus, this year marks a bit of a scary milestone for me. I had my final reappointment review last year, which means that preparation of my tenure dossier is a mere 2 years away. And you know what happens to people that don't make tenure. It's true, they don't die, but they have to leave their jobs! This is terrifying.

As I see it, I have 3 major hurdles before me that I need to conquer prior to me feeling comfortable about my chances to get tenure. I'm pretty diligent, so I'm in good shape thus far, but I like to be realistic as well. I need to:

(1) Publish 1 more solo authored article in a peer reviewed journal. I've been trying to work on this all semester, and aforementioned to-do list has always gotten in the way. Summer is my set apart time for having my way on this, and if I still am not able to do it, I may burst into tears right in the middle of the library. Hopefully, this will not happen.

(2) Garner enough faculty interaction so that several of them can write letters of recommendation for my tenure dossier. I'm working on this one, and we're getting there. I'm shy, so this is tough, but I channel Charming Tiffany and all usually goes well.

(3) Get more involvement in the major national professional association, in this case the American Library Association. I've been on a few committees for the round table that I'm a part of, but I've been jonesing for a coveted two-year appointment on a major ALA division committee for *years*. You'd think volunteering to do an undisputably onerous, vexing, and altogether lacking in anything remotely resembling fun activity would make you ripe for selection. Not so. There are *many* librarians out there that need this sort of committee work on their CV's in order to achieve tenure, so competition is fierce.

So, those are my goals for the next two years. Today, I arrived and glanced at my calendar. I have "WRITING DAY" written in bold through the whole day. However, this is what happened:

First, I had a scheduled (short) meeting first thing this morning with one of our technology coordinators about moving our Reference Desk computers to our soon-to-be new home at the Circulation Desk. This summer we will be launching a brand spanking new combined services desk at my library. Such excitement.

Then, I went back to my office. A slew of email awaited me. I slogged through it, and awaited my 10 am student appointment. He never showed. However, at 10:01 a yet different student materialized out of thin air asking if I could help him with something. Of course. That's what I'm here for. I just wish his question related to something other than the literature surrounding heart bypass surgery techniques. That's not exactly my area of expertise.

After that, someone stopped me to have me notarize a document for him. That would be my husband :) I then realized that I needed to compose an email summarizing developments in our pending Reference Desk move to the librarians in my building. Quickly, this document turned into Summa Tiffanyoica. I was pleased with it though, so I sent it off. I haven't gotten any responses back. Hopefully, this does not mean that they all hate me and my nefarious plans.

After that, I was starving, so I scarfed down lunch. I then took a quick walk, because I'm still on my weight loss quest. I got back, and stared at the pile of printed library guides in desperate need of updating on my to-do table. They've been there for a llloooonnngggg time. *sighs* I went through them, so that I can then send them off to our assistant who can make the online changes. Bless her soul.

I then turned to my article pile, but remembered that I have a book that I've been asked to review, and seriously, I've had it since last year. In my defense, between then and now I've reviewed probably a dozen other books, and this was the last one in the stack and it's so, so hard for me to squeeze these reviews in. It's a cool book too, called Contemplative Crochet: A Hands-On Guide for Interlocking Faith & Craft. How totally up my alley is that?

I've started the review, but hark! What is that over there? Yes, it's my pile of article materials. It has dust on it.

Ah, but wait! I have good news. In a complete shocker, I received an email this afternoon notifying me that I've been selected for one of those glorious 2 year division committees, in this case one affiliated with ALA's Reference & User Services Association. SCORE. This is a major coup for your Catholic Librarian. She was happy. She celebrated. This should take care of item #3 on the list. See Supra.

It's all good. But. I'm not going to finish this book review today. And do I have time to finish it tomorrow? It'll be pretty tough between two meetings and a reference shift. And what about Friday? Once again, I see two meetings and a reference shift on there. This is bad. The article will get dustier.

*sighs*