All's Well

At least for the time being.

I headed out first thing this morning to the Franklin Hampshire Career Center. I only waited a few minutes before a different pleasant woman ushered me into her cubby. I explained about my workshops and she reopened my claim. Since these workshops are considered "self-employment" (unlike my "on call" work at Sprinfield City Library where I'm considered an employee) there was no form to send to anyone.

I asked what will happen the first week of November when I'm scheduled to teach two workshops and will be in the same situation. She said just come back and we'll reopen your claim again. Just like that. Problem solved.

While I keep telling myself and others that this is a good time for a career change for me, I keep returning to cataloging. I just logged off of a webinar sponsored by Lyrasis. Before CMRLS actually closed, we were notified by Lyrasis that staff could register for CE workshops free of charge. It was their way of helping us to maintain our skills while searching for work.

Earlier in the summer, I attended a webinar on Online Resources for Technical Services. Today's program was Introduction to A/V Cataloging. I already have both of those topics in my own repertoire of workshops, but I like to see how others handle the material and the different ways the information can be presented. A specific explanation or example might resonate with the audience better than another and if so, I want to include it when I teach.

Tomorrow I'm heading slightly north to Whately to the Technical Services Roundtable which will be followed by a program on implementing RDA.

I still have that job search material that I received from the career counsellor on my coffee table. I'll get to it someday.

Trials and Tribulations

Never having collected unemployment before, I haven't yet figured out all of the nuances.

Every Sunday, I get up before 7 a.m. so that I can file my claim for the week and not have to think about it until the following Sunday. Last Sunday, I logged on to the website, accessed my account and answered all of the questions: Did I look for work? Yes. Was I available for work? Yes. Did I work? No. Has my addressed changed? No. After watching the Explorer icon spinning for a while, my confirmation appeared telling me that there was a problem and that I would have to re-open my claim.

I figured this was something best done in person, so on Monday morning I drove to the career center in Northampton. I knew there would be a wait, and I brought along Finger Linkin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. (Demand for it has settled down enough that I actually found it on the shelves of the Hatfield Public Library. I'm not even going to think about Sizzling Sixteen till sometime in 2011.)

After about 45 minutes, my name was called and I walked into a little cubby with a very pleasant woman who looked at my filing history. It appears that because I worked for 2 weeks in a row at Springfield City Library (5 hours and 8 hours respectively) the unemployment computer gods expected me to continue that pattern. I had not worked the next two weeks and that freaked them out. I explained about my "on call" status and the pleasant woman reopened my claim. She also was required to send a form to the city of Sprinfield asking why I worked for 2 weeks and then not for 2 weeks. I'm sure the staff there have dealt with this sort of situation before and will fill out the form in a way that does not endanger my status.

This week was a busy week for me. I taught a workshop for MLS in West Stockbridge on Tuesday, worked at Springfield CL for 5.5 hours on Thursday, and taught another workshop for the Connecticut State Library in Middletown CT on Friday. When I logged on this morning, answered all of the questions and said Yes, I did work, an additional screen appeared asking how much I made. I filled in the amount, and my confirmation said that was too much money to collect an unemployment check. Not a problem as I have plenty of money coming in from my week of work. However, it also said that if I was still unemployed, I needed to reopen my claim.

So I guess it's back to the Northampton career center on Tuesday. I'm armed with my contracts from CT State Library and MLS saying I'm an independent contractor hired to teach a few specific workshops. I have a schedule of the workshops I'll be teaching and I'm hoping all will be well - until the next time.

I also hope I find a real job soon.

Back in the Saddle Again

Only temporarily, but it feels good.

Yesterday, I sat in on the Vermont Catalogers' Roundtable and then went to lunch with several of the group. Next week will be very busy as I have 2 workshops to teach (one in Connecticut and one in West Stockbridge, Mass.) and I will be be playing substitute cataloger at Sprinfield City Library for part of a day.

I spent a lot of last week preparing for next weeks' workshops. The handouts always need reviewing and revising and I often think of a slightly different way to present the material which sometimes means a prop. If so, that means I have to obtain an appropriate prop. I decided to use a very specific book when I teach "Behind the Bibliographic Record" on Tuesday. It's an older book and I found a used copy via Amazon.com for 1 cent. Of course the postage is $3.99. Since I wasn't willing to pay more for expedited shipping, I'm not sure it will be delivered in time for the workshop on Tuesday. I hunted down a copy in a local library and picked it up in person. The handouts are all photocopied and I'm all set for that workshop.

I have another on Friday on MARC records. The handouts need one more going over, I added a quiz at the end and I want to add another. I read in the New York Times recently that taking a quiz enhances learning of the material because in the process of taking the quiz, the person is thinking about the subject matter in a different way, strengthening its place in the brain. The quizzes are not difficult (although if you're new to MARC they probably are), we'll review the correct answers in class, and they won't be getting a grade - all in an attempt to make the learning process as unintimidating as possible.

Now I just need to think up an amusing anecdote or two.

Big Plans, Fewer Results, No Regrets

When I first learned that I was not hired by the "new entity" MLS and realized I would have the summer off, I began to make plans with what to do with all my free time. Thoroughly clean the house was one. Keep up-to-date with what's happening in the cataloging world. Create this blog and post every day. Go through all of the material that had been given to me by a career counselor and pursue a new career. Exercise every day.

Well, of course, I haven't quite met all of those goals, but I've done okay by my estimation which is the one that counts.

The house is getting cleaned - and thoroughly - although at a slower pace than I had originally thought. Slowly enough that the rooms I first scoured within an inch of their lives are now ready for a re-do and I still have a couple of rooms to go. I live in a very large house with lots of nooks and crannies as well as lots of windows and sliding glass doors. It is not easy to clean.

I subscribed to AUTOCAT and OLAC-L and read most of the emails, but not in detail and save very few. I had signed up for a free trial of the RDA site, but never looked at it before it expired on August 31. My cataloging feels rusty, but I have been able to practice a little through my substitute librarian job at Springfield City Library.

I've posted to this blog once or twice every week or so and always when I have some burning issue that needs to be expressed. I think of things to post more often, but what's in my head doesn't always make it to my fingertips. I was also going to investigate more sophisticated ways of using blogs. Maybe I'll do that soon.

The career search materials are sitting on my coffee table within easy reach. I'm feeling more inclined towards picking them up and seriously beginning a job search. That will happen soon.

The one goal that I've fulfilled is to exercise (almost) every day. For many years I've used a series of Yoga audio tapes. One set I bought about 25 years ago. I used them sporadically for the first 15 years (I was teaching aerobics at the Greenfield YMCA most of that time) and more regularly for the last 12. About 12 years ago, I purchased the tapes that accompany Jon Kabat-Zinn's book Full Catastrophe Living and have alternated among all of these while also going to Curves 2-3 days/week for the last 3 1/2 years.

I discontinued my Curves membership in June figuring I could spend that money on other things. I also borrowed some DVDs on Pilates and Yoga from my local public libraries (I use 2 that are the same distance from my house) for variety. One, Katrina Fitness presents Ease Into Pilates, I purchased.

So now when I wake up each morning, depending on my energy level and the amount of time I have, I can do one of two easy 45-minute (no tree postures) Yoga routines; one of two harder 45-minute (tree and other balancing postures) routines; one 20-minute Yoga routine; one 30-minute Pilates routine (a little more rugged than the harder Yoga); or an aerobic walk to the end of my road (1 mile) and back (1 mile, inclined up). I generally take Sunday off unless I missed a day during the week.

The best thing about exercising at home is that I don't have to make myself presentable to the outside world, not even when I walk.

What a great way to start every day.

A Disappointment

Two weeks ago I interviewed for a job in which I was really interested. Today I learned I didn't get hired. The position went to an in-house candidate. I feel better about that than I would if someone outside of the organization got "my" job; an insider always has a head start.

For one job many years ago, I was the in-house person who was hired. It was my first professional library position and it started me on a great career. I 'm glad someone else has now had that opportunity, although I still wish they had hired me.

My job search actually started back in October of 2009 when I learned that CMRLS would undergo a major change as of July 1, 2010. We knew than that many people among the 6 Regional Library Systems would not be continuing with what we began to call the "new entity". In November, I had my first interview for a pretty interesting library position in Connecticut. I didn't get it, but I figured I still had lots of time.

It was the end of May that I was told I was not chosen to be one of the Advisors for MLS. By that time I had applied for another interesting library job nearby, for which I was not interviewed. Today's disappointment was not the first.

I've been checking the MBLC job listings and reading the Help Wanted Ads in the local paper. There are several open positions for Reference/Instructional librarian, and the Instruction part sounds good, but I'm a cataloger and don't know if I could (or want to) make the transition to Reference Librarian.

Anyway, NO ANTs. While I may be disappointed in the outcome of this job search, it could very well mean that there is something bigger and better waiting for me.

I am grateful that
1. I still have money in my savings account to last me for a while
2. My partner is making a lot of money right now and can support us for a while
3. I can collect unemployment benefits
4. I have some part-time work for a few additional dollars
5. I'm an intelligent, energetic, and resourseful person and will soon fine gainful employment.

Public v. Private Sector

I was offered a job today. It sounds like an interesting job and it's for a great company, but doesn't pay very well - at least for my needs right now. So I turned it down.

If a private company has an opening, the person in charge can call someone he/she knows will do a good job and ask "Would you like this job?" During my career, I've been hired that way twice. These were not jobs that were advertised, but I was found via word-of-mouth. There was sort of a job interview beforehand, although it was really more of a conversation to see if we were both interested in each other.

In many ways, hiring in the private sector is much easier than the public sector - which is where I've worked for most of my life. There are other differences between the two. There is an energy level in a private company that just doesn't exist in a state or municipally funded organization. Perhaps it's that awareness of the bottom line and the fact that if a private company doesn't earn more than it spends, it ceases to exist.

However, there is a level of stress involved and those billable hours mean your job is pretty much on the line all the time.

As I search for a job, I'm wondering if I would prefer to work for a private or public organization. Ultimately, I may not have a choice. I may have to accept whatever is offered. But until then, I'm pondering.

Life Goes On

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity.

I was hired as the on-call cataloger at Sprinfield City Library. Working for a municipality (this is my first experience) requires a LOT of paperwork. First, I was sent several forms to fill out and mail back. This was all the stuff for withholding federal and state taxes and the city retirement fund. Then I had to go to Springfield and meet with the city HR person, bring my passport to make sure I'm legal to work in the U.S. and fill out more forms.

Then I was sent to Mercy Hospital for a quick physical and drug test, both of which I passed.

Last week, I attended an orientation with the Diversity Officer for all new people hired by the city (there was one other person) where we learned about ethical conduct (good) and sexual harrassment (how to avoid it, not how to do it). Then I went to the Library for "training".

As an on-call person, I can only work when the regular cataloger is out, but I do get up to 8 hours of training. Since I'm not familiar with the specific work flow at SCL, I needed to learn that and also get up to speed with my original cataloging as I haven't done any at all in a while and very little for the last few years. This will also give me some current field experience which will definitely help when I teach cataloging.

This week, I'll get more training and I actually get to work for one full day. The change in my routine (more on that later) is good and I get to earn a few extra dollars on top of my unemployment benefit.

I also had a job interview on Friday. I don't want to go into details about what or where until I know more, but it's not a library position.

Today, I need to do some preparation for cataloging workshops that I have scheduled in a few weeks both in Massachusetts and Connecticut. October seems far away, but I know better.

There is one kind of discouraging thing about all of this thorough housecleaning that I've been doing the last couple of months. I'm about three-quarters of the way through the house and the first rooms I did need cleaning again. At least it won't take so long to do them this time since I probably won't unscrew the light bulbs or switch plates.