Chris -
Wow, that's not just burnout material, that's worthy
of a whole forest fire! But to clarify...it's
more than understandable that you are feeling fried
considering the situation you describe. The "burn-out"
case I'm describing has no such problems, working in
a beautiful, amply-funded and supported SLMC. She just
doesn't like technology, the direction libraries are
taking away from print materials, lumps all kids together
because of the actions of a few bad ones, etc.
The real issue remains, should this attitude be manifested
around the kids (in earshot). You've come here to the
listserv, let off some steam, laid out a justifiably
infuriating situation. But would you say and do all
of that in the library in front of the kids? No. (Well,
I hope not). Instead, you're working your butt off to
improve things. You didn't deserve the mess you were
handed, but you're working on making things better, and
that must be because you think the kids (dislike them
at times or not) are worth it, and because you believe
in what you do. That's the difference.
Best of luck!!
Steve
Steven Patnode
MLS student
SCSU
sun85@aol.com
>>Steven,
I understand the feeling of burnout and I'm only two years into my job.
I came into chaos in July 2001 -- the library was a mess. Books were everywhere.
There was no
organization. The previous LMS did not spend any money on the place -- but then
again, he had 35 classes a
week -- no prep time. He always took off the week of the book fair -- he hated book
fairs and left the
assistant to run the place. I made a lot of quick changes to help clean out the
place.
Last summer, we got new carpeting and shelving -- I did not have all of the
shelving in place until
mid-March. I spent a week last August frantically packing up all the books in
preparation for the
carpeting and shelving -- got no help except from my husband and two sons, ages 11
and 6.
Then, two weeks later, I had to teach. I had no materials to use --all of them were
in storage except for
the 1,500 books we left out on some old shelving. No encyclopedias, dictionaries,
etc. It was hell.
And yes, you develop a dislike for the kids through all this -- especially when
they complain that the
shelving is all my fault. And that the collection stinks -- well, maybe if the
previous LMS did his job,
etc. But he did not have the time since he had seven classes a day to teach.
Oh, and never mind the teachers who complain just as loud and more often to the
principal.
Oh, and I should add that my office was moved in the middle of the year -- into the
video storage room.
Seems we needed a conference room, and my former office was the choice. So I cannot
find what I need to
teach.
Will I be better off this year? I hope so. At least I'm not packing anything
anytime soon.
Chris
Steven Patnode wrote:
> Unfortunately, burned-out librarians like that are
> everywhere. When interviewing my nephews for one of
> my MLS courses, they told me they no longer used
> their school media center because they had overheard
> the LMS telling someone that she hated kids and couldn't
> wait to reach her goal of collecting full retirement
> in a couple of years. This was not an off-the-cuff comment
> said on a particularly bad day...they said very few kids were
> using the SLMC because they had felt unwelcomed by this
> LMS for years. This has all been corroborated by a
> teacher friend in this school who also does not use the
> SLMC if at all possible.
>
> This is in New York State, where the state is now coming
> up with more ways to keep enthusiastic new librarians
> out of libraries by no longer granting provisional certifications and doubling
>fieldwork requirements,
> while honoring the tenure of miserable,
> fed-up librarians who are coasting for their last
> few years of their jobs and collecting fat paychecks
> while ignoring and/or insulting the students.
>
> Sad.
>
> Steve Patnode
> MLS student
> SCSU
> sun85@aol.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-
All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
LM_NET Help & Information: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archive: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
LM_NET Select/EL-Announce: http://www.cuenet.com/archive/el-announce/
LM_NET Supporters: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ven.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-
LM_NET
Mailing List Home