"You Know What Really Grinds My Gears...?" A Much-Needed Rant from a Substitute Librarian

**Long, heavy sigh**

OK, I don't want to include too many "rants" here, but there's something I have to get off my chest. Let me preface this by saying- I am a substitute librarian for a city. As such, I am sent to sub at approximately ten different branches. Now, these are all under central administration, so technically they're all supposed to follow the same rules and policies, but in reality this usually isn't the case. Each branch has a slightly different way of doing things, different places where they keep things, completely different layouts, and about 50 different names I have to remember to match to faces. I really don't mind working in such varied circumstances- in fact, I enjoy the experience of getting to see the unique character of each library and the community it serves, while also getting really good on-the-job training as a newer librarian. I consider myself pretty lucky to have this job.

But here is what I cannot stand: I am sent to a new branch I've never been to before and the staff treat me 1.) like I'm a complete imbecile who has no clue how to work in a library or 2.) like it's incomprehensible that I don't know something specific to that branch. Usually, though not always, this is an issue I have with the clerks. And today I got to work with some real gems.  The two clerks there had clearly been working together at this branch for a long time and were not too thrilled to have to work with someone new (ie. me). The entire day I was there they either ignored my presence completely or acted like I was a nuisance/in their way. And forget about asking simple questions like, where do you put the holds, or what is your policy on computer use? Each time I received the most condescending answer ever- like how could I not know how they do things? And get this: they actually said I needed to be initiated! Now, I don't mind some good-natured joking around or poking fun but really? C'mon, this isn't a sorority, although I kind of felt like I was in one with these two...

I took it all in stride but by the end of the day I was super frustrated. Even worse than their incredibly unprofessional behavior towards me, they were very unpleasant and abrasive towards patrons-- and even justified being rude and grumpy because "they had been there so long." Apparently I was supposed to be impressed that they had such a long record of working there. Ugh.

Honestly, I very rarely run into library staff that act this way, and in most cases I receive the greatest help and understanding from librarians and clerks who get the fact that, hey, how they do things at one branch can be completely different from how they do things at another, and it can be very difficult to keep tract of all those things. To all of those wonderful library staff, I am very grateful, because they have taught me a lot and have been very supportive as I learn the ropes at all the different city branches.

I guess what really irritates me is that I try at all times to be as professional as possible. I am only 26 years old, but I still expect the people I work with to be equally professional and to treat me as their colleague, not as their inferior. I don't know if any other younger librarians, or substitute librarians, or other professionals for that matter, have experienced less-than-desirable treatment from certain people who assume that age is an indicator of competence and ability to perform well on the job. 

I will end this on a positive note: besides the two "sorority sisters" I worked with, I really had a great day working with patrons. There were a lot of reference questions dealing with all sorts of different things, which kept me on my toes and made the time go by really fast. Thanks to my patrons, I left in a good mood, knowing that I had been of some useful service to them :)

And that, after all, is what really matters.

The Joys of Being a Substitute Librarian

OK, it's definitely not nearly as bad as being a substitute teacher. In fact, I like being a substitute librarian and it's probably one of the best starting-out jobs a newly-graduated library student can get (besides, you know, a full-time job) because it really gives you the chance to see all the different aspects of many different libraries serving unique communities- their programs, their layout, their policies... but the job still requires a good deal of patience and a high level of adaptability in order to make it and not get too stressed out- rolling with the punches is kind of par for the course in any kind of substituting-role...

I have been subbing at the city libraries for 7 months now, and have been to at least 7 out of the 11 branches in my area. This has really broadened my scope of how libraries function in a very short period of time. However, the job is not without it's share of difficulties. Case in point: yesterday.

I was asked to fill in at a branch I had never been to yesterday at noon- it was an easy 3 hour shift and I always like working in a new environment, switching things up a little. I was asked to sit at the Reference Desk (with a nice big friendly "Ask me!" sign on it, which kind of made me feel stupid). It was a pretty easy day except for this one phone call. A lady called in and said she was with a task force that was supposed to meet the next day. Apparently one of the librarians-- named "Jen"-- was supposed to be sitting in to moderate the meeting. Now, based on my limited knowledge of this particular branch, having worked there a total of 2 hours and 20 minutes, I assumed that the woman was talking about "Jen" the branch manager. Jen was on vacation and would not be back until next Monday...

This information did not please my patron. "I don't understand, I need to get Jen a message, this is urgent, I need to postpone the meeting." At this point I put the woman on hold to figure out what the heck I should do, since telling her I'd leave a message for when Jen got back was not at all what she wanted to hear. So, the clerk said there was no way Jen could get any message- she was in Texas forcryingoutloud- and the lady from the task force was just out of luck. Crap. Back to the phone. This repeated message did not make task force lady any happier and she hung up.

At this point I tracked down the only other librarian there, who, nicely informed me that there were TWO "Jens" that worked there-- yes, two Jennifers who both  happen to go by the name "Jen." Turns out, Branch Manager Jen is not who was sitting in on the meeting it was--aha!-- Young Adult Librarian Jen.

About 20 minutes later, task force lady calls back. I apologize profusely for the confusion and explain that "I'm new." Like she didn't gather that already, I'm sure. I probably gave her a near heart-attack when I told her her meeting-moderator was somewhere in Texas all week! Oops...

So anyways, it all worked out: the right "Jen" got in touch with the woman later in the day... but it just goes to show some of the frustration and confusion that can go into being a substitute librarian. It's a great experience but I suppose there's a "paying your dues" aspect to it, I mean it's not like I want to be a sub for the rest of my career. Moving about from place to place not only makes it so a librarian can never get comfortable with the rules and policies and norms of one place; it also means that I can't have a consistent presence at any one place long enough for me to start a project or program or really get to know many of the patrons at that location. Which is kind of sucky. I want to get involved and be connected with a community of people, and have some permanent impact, which is nearly impossible to do as a sub. But for the time being, I will try to enjoy these experiences-- even the confusing, awkward ones that make me feel like a bumbling idiot-- and chalk it up to being in "new-librarian boot camp!"