Librarians have it easy. I want your job. All you have to do is sit around and read books all day. It’s not like you really have to do anything in here…
It’s the stigma of the school librarian — that it’s the cushy job and that librarians really don’t do much. I think maybe the stigma is magnified in elementary schools, so correct me if I’m wrong. I know I work my butt off, I’m constantly trying to improve, I’m always willing to do what it takes. I push myself, stress myself out, make myself sick, try to do too much. I try so hard to detach myself from the stigma and prove my worth. I know all of the things I do, how hard I work, how far I go above and beyond. I’m good at what I do, like really freakin’ good. Because it’s my life and it’s what makes me happy. But every now and then (okay, more often than I’d like to admit) someone throws a little comment my way and it deflates me like a balloon.
You mean we aren’t having library ancillary this week? (We’re having the Book Fair, so no.)
Forget the fact that I nearly killed myself last week trying to get everyone’s library books traded in anticipation of Book Fair.
I just feel like it’s never enough. I try so hard to do my job, do it well, and make the teachers’ lives easier. Maybe I’m just being whiney and needy. I know I need to learn to just brush it off and get over it. But I’m not there yet and just needed to vent.
If you’ve overcome this type of frustration and have seen the light, please share your wisdom with me…
Love this blog, Tif! I have shared it with the Twitter world.
-Shannon
don’t worry it’s normal to feel this way sometimes
i always compare being a school librarian to swan gliding down the river – everything looks smooth on top but there’s a hell of a lot of frantic paddling underneath.
although you get some ignorant/uneducated idiots making dim comments, the majority of staff do appreciate you and more importantly so do the students.
keep smiling!
I agree with Librarydonna. I love her swan comparison! I think I am that paddling swan on most days. I am very fortunate to work with a wonderful staff who support our library as much as they can. Even so, on days when the classroom teachers are particularly stressed with curriculum changes, assessments, not to mention discipline- they sometimes look at me with that ‘are you really working hard?’ look. Don’t worry, keep running and doing the best you can do.
Thanks for the comments, ladies! I know I can’t let a few frustrated/overworked teachers get me down and I generally don’t. I guess it’s the days where I’m feeling just as frazzled as they are that it really bugs me. I love the swan comparison, too!! I’ll visualize that when I’m having one of those days 🙂