Reflection: Activity #1: Introductions

I found it really interesting to read everyone's introduction and it made me aware of my unique position in the Vancouver School Board. Unlike many of my colleagues, I get 3 whole days in the library and I am very well supported both by my district and the Vancouver Public Library.

Because I am working in a joint space, it does mean I have less in the way of autonomy in the library. I don't get to say how my books are arranged or catalogued, I don't get to say how the space and displays are organized, I barely get to work the circulation desk. I found that my involvement at the library over the year was limited (I don't have a desk at the library...my desk is in the school's computer lab). On a more positive note, this was my first year in the position and I did benefit from having a staff that has worked there for a long time. I found them to be very generous with their time and knowledge.

Next year, now that I've gotten my feet wet, I do plan on pushing for more school involvement in the library. Hopefully I will be able to get a library club going through my school and hopefully I'll be able to have a space in the library for school promotions. I will also have to push my administrator for this as well. Because the library is already staffed through the VPL, he sees my position of three days a week as superfluous and he would like, I think, to have me in more of a resource position that would support individual students and absent staff. What he doesn't see is that the VPL staff don't teach our students how to use the library; they are there to facilitate patrons to find their materials not teach them how to find them themselves.

Another issue that I face is that my position has been a revolving door for the past five years. Unfortunately, the staff at my school are reluctant to use the space because a) the space is used by some less savoury members of the public and b) there hasn't been a consistant library program at the school so I am having to overcome their past issues with the library also.

This post has gotten severely off the topic of cataloguing at my school but I thought it might give a better understanding of my situation and of why joint school/public spaces are a good idea in theory only!