Wednesday, February 9, 2011

A little discouraged, a little overwhelmed...And then there was light!

This week I have been playing catch-up. I didn't get to spend much time at the site last week, so I had double the workload for this week and not enough time to do it.

As the book inventory portion of my project continues I have discovered that my initial plan for categorizing and organizing the books in the collection was a bit flawed, which in turn resulted in repeat work of what I already decided was complete work. So, I sighed, took a deep breath, and just pushed on.

There is also the task of deciding what books are unfit for the finished library collection. My supervisor has warned me that we will need to evaluate some of the materials to make sure that the content and messages that they offer are consistent with the mission of the organization. Some of the donated materials may not be suitable for the library. I wonder if a collection development plan is necessary...and if so, is this another elephant to add to my plate?

However, there is a silver lining to all of this; my highlight for the week. I am becoming well-acquainted with many of the staff members at the facility. One of them, who I engage in conversation frequently, said to me:

"You know, on your first visit, when you told us that you wanted to build us a library, I thought, 'Well, that's sweet of her, but we'll see what actually becomes of it.' And then, you started bringing in all those books and you showed us just how serious you were! And now, we are all very excited about what you're doing for us! This is all going to be so great when it is finished!" She continued, "Don't get discouraged. He has a plan, and you are in it. You are here for a reason!"

Enough said. No more complaints.

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