06.11.08
A juggling act
Some days when I arrive at my office, my mind is abuzz with everything I need to do. Some tasks I do daily, like sending files of bibliographic records to Marcive for authority control or checking catalogers’ work as they cross-train into other areas. Other tasks are part of bigger projects, like updating documentation, filling out vendor profiles, or reviewing vendor work to assess the quality of shelf-ready books. Some days all tasks get pushed to the side as meetings, webinars, and employee counseling sessions eat into my time. Some tasks like the six-month overdue employee performance appraisals never get started, much less finished, because something else of burning importance invariably comes up.
It’s a never-ending juggling act that sometimes leaves me literally short of breath– I mean shallow breathing, hyperventilating, short of breath. It comes from the feeling that everything, from small task to big project, is due right now– a feeling that all are of equal importance and high priority. In my mind, I know this isn’t possible or even realistic. But in my panicked heart of hearts, I sometimes wonder if it will all crush me some day, like a tiny bug under a size 11 shoe.
Thanks to the stress, my hair is graying at a faster rate than some of my staff are working in a day’s time. My facial skin is breaking out and the skin on my forearms is getting blotchy (probably just age spots). I’m skipping lunch, working late, and I never exercise any more (bad, bad, I know). I think I look perennially tired, but thankfully, nobody has pointed it out to me (yet). I have more to read, to do, and to think about than ever before.
Despite all the stress, I’m enjoying the challengesof my job more than ever before. We’re starting a digitization project with OCLC’s CONTENTdm software, we’re getting shelf-ready books from two (and possibly three) vendors, we’re looking at ways to streamline our cataloging and processing procedures, we’re going to install Innovative Interfaces’ Floating Collections product, and I’m still trying to re-organize my department’s workflow and cross train staff in response to a consultant’s recommendations last fall. All of this is in addition to serving on numerous committees within and outside of my library. Every so often I drop a ball or two, but not for long. There’s always someone to remind me to pick it back up again.
06.03.08
Calm vs. crazy
Monday was such a calm day at work that I was beginning to think I showed up on Saturday by mistake. After a small flurry of emails between me and a vendor and a phone call to another vendor, the rest of the day was relatively quiet. Few people came into my office, the phone didn’t ring much and even email activity quieted down. It was kind of serene– and downright eerie.
Tuesday more than made up for it. I had to come in late, handle multiple problems, phone calls, and visitors, attend a meeting, work with a colleague to try to figure out how to set up new digitization software, and return calls to the director and HR director (which I ran out of time to do). I ended up working until 7:50 pm, because it was finally quiet in my office and in my mind. I was able to really dig into finding solutions to the problems we encountered while setting up the digitization software. I just wish I had time for that kind of stuff during my regular workday, rather than after everyone was gone.
Wednesday promises to be a hectic repeat of Tuesday, with another late arrival, three scheduled meetings, returning phone calls to the director and HR director, and handling whatever crises arises (I’m sure there will be at least one or two). I hope I have time for lunch. That sounds silly, but it’s true. Some days it’s easier to just skip lunch and use that hour to get more work done, rather than take it and have to work an hour over to make up for lost time.
Sometimes I wish everyone else would take a vacation– all in the same week– so I can get some work done without staying so late.
