I can’t remember exactly which blog I saw it on, but I like the idea of reflecting on things I’m thankful for. I was thinking of maybe trying to blog regularly about things I am thankful for. Maybe, because I don’t want to get sappy about it. Or commit myself to something I can’t do. I mean, what if I am not thankful enough to find things to blog about?
Then I read Steve Pavlina’s 200 things I love about writing – he’d meant to write 20 but made a mistake and turned it into 200, and decided to see what he could come up with. He says “Consider making a similar list for your own career”. And I thought, in for a penny… here is my list of 200 reasons I am thankful I am a librarian:
- learning
- learning obscure stuff
- learning not-so-obscure stuff
- other people
- other librarians
- learning from other people
- people who use the library
- working closely with colleagues with different backgrounds
- colleagues with so many different interests
- conversations
- conversations with intelligent people
- conversations on different topics
- change
- books
- computers
- technology
- trying to figure out what’s next
- trying to figure out what’s important
- information
- serving
- going the extra mile
- anticipating what the library user needs
- being myself
- being the expert
- being the learner
- stimulating people
- stimulating my team mates
- asking questions
- answering questions
- finding the right questions to ask
- finding answers
- evaluating the answers
- teaching
- coaching
- mentoring
- encouraging the overwhelmed
- helping
- guiding
- holding the learner’s hand
- listening to the user
- listening to colleagues
- listening to myself
- understanding the user’s needs
- understanding colleagues’ needs
- understanding my own needs
- ideas
- knowledge
- thought
- systematic
- connection
- connecting people with ideas
- connecting people with information
- connecting people with each other
- flexibility
- adaptability
- agility
- inspiration
- creativity
- community service
- not-for-profit
- common good
- helping people improve themselves
- improving myself
- history
- tradition
- local culture
- professional culture
- preserving history
- preserving what community sees as important
- providing books for leisure
- providing entertainment
- providing a meeting place
- providing study materials
- non-judgmental
- neutral
- open to all
- empowering people
- empowering each other
- enabling discovery
- enabling questioning
- fulfillment
- stopping discouraged students from dropping out
- a listening ear
- a shoulder to cry on
- giving
- sharing
- growing
- making a difference
- challenging the status quo
- challenging oneself
- facing challenges
- delivering services with a limited budget
- delivering creative solutions with a limited budget
- working together
- people don’t recoil from you
- people think you read books all day
- amusing stereotypes
- good conditions
- nice environment
- smell of books
- access to information
- access to a network of intelligent people
- meeting enthusiastic interesting people
- helpful colleagues
- helpful culture
- passionate discussions with colleagues about the future of our profession
- passionate discussions with colleagues about books we’ve read
- responsive to feedback
- buying books (using other people’s money)
- looking through publishers’ catalogues
- learning about interesting new electronic information resources
- learning about interesting new electronic information resources even if we can’t afford them
- translating a title
- transliterating a title
- cataloguing that obscure book
- looking at a book in an unfamiliar language and trying to work out what it’s about
- looking through donations of old books and finding gems
- looking through donations of old books and finding stuff that’s got cat pee on it
- looking through donations of old books and not knowing what you’ll find
- trying to work out what the client is asking for
- trying to work out how you are going to find what the client wants
- being a detective
- using old technology
- weeding the collection
- weeding the collection and getting sidetracked reading that book you didn’t know existed
- weeding the collection and finding that book that’s been missing since 1992
- telling an academic staff member that that journal he’s wanted for years is now available
- working together
- collaborating on projects
- public speaking
- getting over my fear of public speaking
- teaching a group of 5 students
- presenting a lecture to 500 students
- finding ways to make that class you have taught 100s of times interesting for yourself
- willingness to try new things
- curiosity
- enthusiasm
- motivation
- positive
- responsive
- “can do” attitude
- lots of opportunities
- lots of opportunities to challenge myself
- taking care
- passing it on
- enabling expression
- being constant
- reliable service
- willingness
- willingness to try
- good attitude
- interest in other people
- interest in each other
- accuracy
- being exacting
- having fun
- laughing at ourselves
- daring
- engaged
- part of the community
- leading the way
- providing building blocks
- just in time
- just in case
- using our imaginations
- willingness to play
- being cautious
- throwing caution to the wind
- providing support
- always there
- defined goals
- changing goals
- staying relevant
- keeping up
- not a fad
- approachable
- open
- kind
- courteous
- humble
- proud
- considered
- thoughtful
- intellectual
- simple services
- appropriate services
- services people want
- serious
- serendipitous
- strategic
- certain
- uncertain
- big picture
- attention to detail
- attentive
- able
- intelligent
- creative
- funny
- committed
- driven
- what’s next?
Okay so maybe it’s not so difficult to be grateful after all. I’m sure there’s repetition in this list, and maybe my meaning isn’t always clear (the lucidity of stream of consciousness depends on one’s clarity of thought, doesn’t it?) but it was a very useful exercise regardless – it’s always good to be positive.
It took Steve Pavlina 30 minutes to come up with his list, it took me about an hour (the last 20 minutes during my commute to work this morning). I even went over the 200 limit!
Addendum: Just noted that the Annoyed Librarian’s just posted Five Reasons I Like About Being a Librarian.
2 Comments
I am an adjunct Associate Professor of Mathematics at Rider University, active as a substitute teacher and mentor in high schools, and a retired professor of physics from Rutgers University. I have taken extensive notes from my experiences and given them to my protégés. Recently I collected them into a book. I suggest that your library purchase the book for the benefit of students, parents, and teachers.
I just wrote a book, “Teaching and Helping Students Think and Do Better”. This is available on amazon.com, ISBN 978-1-4196-7435-8. May I suggest that you order a copy for the library? The readers will be very pleased!
The reviews are superb. Students, teachers, and professors who have looked at the book give it the highest rating.
Typical comments that I hear are things like this: “Hi, Dr. Aranoff!” said a girl, “I got a 100 on the test! I am so happy! Thank you so much!”
I also wrote a paper in Gifted Education Press Quarterly
Wow! Great list 🙂 I can relate to them.