Ramblings on libraries and life upon the wicked stage

Today marked the 8th anniversary of my arrival at the Library of Doom, a nervous young graduate entering his first full-time job, as a humble Library Assistant.  I seem to recall that the day was sunny, and three ladies started at the same time as me, though none of them work here any longer.  I had been staying with two friends, who had generously opened their home to me while I searched for somewhere to set up camp.  I live with them again now, as we have purchased a house along with another friend, but in the intervening years I had four other addresses which were not also theirs.

In that time, I have moved from Library Assistant to Senior Library Assistant, with a four-month diversion when I was seconded into an Assistant Librarian position.  I have seen many members of staff come and go, watched students start and end PhD theses and become academic staff members, seen several new libraries start up, processed many thousands of inter-library loans and watched far too many ducklings grow up in our enclosed garden.  I have seen floods, leaks, power cuts, falling shelves and masonry, escaped animals, fire drills, injuries, potential law suits and deeply unpleasant bookmarks.  I have laughed, I have worked hard, I have lost motivation and found it again and I have, on more than one occasion, cried.

I have had to fill in only one medical self-certification form, for two days off work due to head trauma.  I had walked into a lamp post.  I have completed an MA in Literature and a Postgraduate Diploma in Information and Library Studies.  Outside of work, I have performed in eleven fully-staged shows and too many concerts to count, both classical and popular, with a slowly growing fan club of fellow library dwellers, alongside assorted others.

So what did I do at work today, to celebrate such an anniversary?  I attended a development workshop where one of the tasks involved writing a story about being a member of staff at the University of Doom in 2014.  I sat on a help point for two hours and helped only one person.  And I peeled stickers off books as part of transferring them from short loan back to the main collection.  All in all, a thrilling day!