I mentioned in my last blog post – ‘every day I make someone smile’. Yes, I probably do, but it’s not down to telling them a good joke or offering them a chocolate, it’s about helping them find the answer to an enquiry. Like anyone in an information role I work through steps to ensure I can answer as accurately as possible. I ensure that I ask the right questions, use the right resources and have the tenacity to find the answer. I make the best use of the resources available to me and I am constantly sourcing additonal information to improve the service that I deliver.
The list below is a selection of some of the enquires I received this week in the local studies department;
- American author emailing to find out when he can come in to collect digital copies of archive photographs of the local football teams
- TV researcher from a new family history programme following up earlier emails about local printing and dying industry – what examples of archives/photographs can we send for final selection
- Where can I find plan/map of Dumbarton cemetery?
- American lady enquiring about a Scottish Long Clock – just bought the old clock and the label of the back has a few words leading the enquirer to Dumbarton
- Local walking group wanting to know if I present local history talks over the winter period
- Do we hold copies of local newspapers for 1884 in particular July to October.
- Another local authority contacting us on usage of certain archive photographs that we hold for a new exhibition, looking at reproduction costs / copyright
- Information on a boat built by Denny the ‘Sir Walter Scott’ what information do we hold on its build. Also looking for a copy of the book ‘William Denny Shipbuilder’, he could source a copy for £250.00. (I could send him an inter-library loan for under a tenner. Or show him online where he could buy it for under twenty).
- Man brought in an old bottle he fished out of the River Leven can we tell him anything about the local dairy company name engraved on the bottle.
- Someone wondering why their great grandmother was born in the local Poor House.
- Gentleman from New Zeland looking for information on the Nobles of Ardmore and Ardkinglass’ covering both the Kenny and Geils families. Including local maps and photographs where possible.
- Council Legal Department asking for ownership details from valuation rolls from 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.
- Library Centenary Year – mug shots in local paper, staff want copies for archive and personal use.
This list does not constitute my whole working week, however it does represent how varied the enquires received can be.
Do we all get a feeling of inadequacy at times, unless we happen to be Yoda?
I’ve realised that it’s now 12 months since I started my Chartership journey and I still feel rather perplexed by the whole process.
I’ve perused CILIP’s Chartership webpage, read the example submission, joined the JISC mailing lists, attended the portfolio building course, collated the information from personal to professional, included the wider context, dissected my service and filled several folders full of potential evidence. [remembering to breathe in and out]
Then when I think I’ve got the 1,000 words, the contents page devised and the evidence ear marked for final submission, I get that overpowering feeling that it’s just not good enough.
When I look at some of the exciting young librarians on Twitter, the work they do everyday to promote library and information services is fantastic. I often think that what I do doesn’t measure up….I’m not an advocate like Jo Alcock, Ian Clark , Bethan Ruddock and others.
I’m just the Local Studies Librarian for the fourth smallest local authority in Scotland. Nonetheless every day:
I can make someone smile, a genuine eye smile.
I make it easier for people to locate information.
I find that piece of information they have been searching years to find.
I can help find the last piece of someone’s puzzle.
I help people become familiar with their heritage.
I can correct someone’s assumptions.
I can listen to someone tell me a little about themselves, just because I’m there.
I find things every day that make we want to cry.
I find things every day that make we want to smile.
I can spend days on just one enquiry, relate that to a statistic.
I can teach people to locate information for themselves.
I make researchers jobs easier.
I geek my job.
If you found the above list rudimentary then I’m sorry but at times it’s the simple things that matter. If you want to read the in-depth version then I’ll post you the 2, A4 folders full of reflections over the past year. I could have typed out all the facets of my job but I’m afraid my job description is rather long.
I think these are the things I’ve found frustrating not being able to mention during Chartership, the passion as individuals we hold for our jobs. I adore what I do, yes it’s an operational post, I have great colleagues [not quite yoda's yet!] who are great strategic thinkers, who have more time and energy to spend on the strategy but I think you need the ying and yang in all organisations to bring out the best in everyone.
So, hopefully come October I’ll put my submission for Chartership in the post and hope that the information I’ve included passes the board. Yes, getting the nod does matter, I’ve spent a long time getting the post-grad and writing the Chartership portfolio.
