My Favorite Job

     I worked for the University of Arizona Main Library for 17 years. It was strange, because the month before I got the job, I went to a job counseling place on campus to get ideas on what kind of job I would like to have. One of the questions they asked was "What kind of work environment would you like to work in?" My reply was a large modern, clean building. Wow, that's just what I got. It had only been built 8 years before I started to work there.
     
     I had several positions there, mostly clerical. I searched a national database online for information on the books the library had received. That information was sent on to to the copy catalogers who then ordered catalog cards.

     Later I had a job checking those catalog cards when they when were mailed to us and made sure the cards were sent to the correct places in the library system. I filed the cards in those big file cabinets the library used to use.

       In another position, I was able to do some copy cataloging myself. By that time, we weren't using the cards anymore. We entered the information about each book directly online which was immediately available to the students--before the books were even labeled and sent upstairs.

      I learned how to make call number labels for the books, to apply them, stamp the books with our Library's name, and put security strips in each one. I taught student workers to do that too. This is called Physical Processing. I also learned how to physically prepare other items for public use like music scores, music CD's, microfilm, and so forth and was responsible for teaching student workers how to do this.

     As a member of a team and a work-group, I spent  time on  committees to help write up goals and processes. Team members were also required to spend time on Information Desks where I helped the public find where or how to locate what they needed by using the library' online catalog. I even spent some time working at the Check-out desk for both books and media.

     I learned how to repair books and taught student workers to do this. I inspected returned books that were damaged and figured out whether we could repair them in-house or if they had to be sent to the professional bindery to be rebound. Then I used a special software program to enter the information needed by the bindery for each book, packaged them up, and sent them on their way.

      Wow, that was a lot of work!