There’s a high school on the Lehman College campus. It’s new: it was established in 2002, I believe. The building it occupies, however, is not so new. In fact, it’s a repurposed space. On the scale model of the campus (constructed by a student decades ago) on display at the library, the school is labeled as “Reservoir Building.”

Students from the high school tend not to know that their one-story school (with its one hallway and an enrollment of 400 students) was originally a utility  building. When they see the model for the first time, they’re just excited to see a building they recognize. It’s really endearing.

That’s being hopeful, as I’ll probably snooze the crap out of the alarm. But this is what happens when you live 20mi from work (1.5hrs by public transit) and like to give yourself time to wake up, shower, make breakfast, and prepare lunch.

I’ve been looking online to see what other professionals keep in their offices.  Based on a couple of blog entries I’ve found, I’m compiling a hefty list of things that I think I’ll keep in/around my desk.  Aside from the standard office artillery (staplers, pens, highlighters, scissors, etc.), here’s what [I think] I need:

• Headphones (big ‘uns!)
• Headset w/microphone (for videoconferencing and tutorial-creating)
• Lamp
• Visitor’s chair
• Fan
• Space heater (because every library office is freezing, especially in the summers)
• iPhone/iPod charger
• Shawl (’cause, honestly, I get cold after sitting still for hours at a time)
• Houseplant(s) (even though I’m awful at keeping them alive, I think it’s important to have something green in the office)
• Bulletin board & pins (or white board & markers — whichever the college provides, really)
• Toys & trinkets (for distraction purposes)
• Personal items (photos, inspirational notes, posters, etc.)

Of course, I’m also thinking of having an “emergency drawer” because I was incredibly grateful when my supervisor at my previous job had a spare pair of pantyhose for me to wear to an interview when my pantyhose ripped.  In this drawer, I will keep:

• Eating utensils:
  • Spoon / fork / knife
  • Chopsticks
  • Plate(s)
  • Bowl(s)
  • Cup(s)
• Pantyhose
• Spare clothing:
  • 1 pair of socks
  • 1 shirt
  • 1 sweater/cardigan
  • 1 pair of shoes
  • 1 pair of slacks
  • 1 skirt
  • 1 blazer/jacket
• Sewing kit
• Umbrella
• Spare sunglasses
• Mints / gum
• Lint brush
• Hair brush / comb
• Hair elastics / pins
• Mirror
• Lip balm
• Excedrin / OTC painkillers
• Band-Aids
• Cough drops
• Baby wipes
• Tissues & napkins
• Hand lotion
• Snacks:
  • Nuts
  • Dried fruit
  • Chocolate
  • CLIF bars
  • Cookies / candies
  • Tea bags
• Reusable shopping bag
• Hand sanitizer
• Tide stain pen
• Flashlight
• Toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, etc.)
• Petty cash & change

Am I missing anything crucial?  What does an academic librarian (whose responsibilities include coordination of the e-book program and creation of instructional modules on the web, as well as reference, instruction, and collection development) keep in/on/near her desk?

I kinda hate that I’m worrying about this but it’s there and it’s real and I’m trying to deal with it the only way I know how: by making lists.  I mean, clearly, I will not be hauling boxes of this stuff with me on Wednesday (first day! eek!) but, instead, acquiring these things over the weeks and months that I’m on the job… However, it helps me to write this down so I can clear my head for the next paranoid OCD adventure :)

I was actually finally getting used to the idea of spending time on public transportation everyday but then I went and made a schedule.  Now I get to see exactly how awful this will be.  I would be working 8 hours everyday and commuting 4 hours everyday.  My mother has been trying to convince me that it’s normal and doable but it seems unbearable to me.  However, when I went to speak with my supervisor yesterday, he pretty much told me the job is 99.9% mine.  The odds of finding another candidate with my qualifications, he said, are slim to none… so if I want the job permanently, it’s pretty much mine.  He also informed me that the library will only begin looking for a permanent person in Spring 2011, so I will have the job during that time, too.  In other words: this job is going to last me until at least May 2011.

Since my supervisor gave me the go-ahead to start my life, I am now looking for an apartment!  I have an appointment tomorrow to see an place in Crown Heights.  If all goes well, I’ll also be looking at another (cheaper!) apartment in Prospect Heights (which is where I really want to be).  I’m very excited!  I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time.

This is a substitute position. In a college setting, that means the library unexpectedly lost an employee and opened up a search to quickly fill this recently vacated position. This person, however, is not permanent. Instead, a full search (which can take months to complete) will be conducted when there is more time and resources. The person in the substitute position, of course, is eligible to apply for the full position so, in a sense, the substitute position may become permanent… but there is no guarantee of that. Unless a full-time person is found, the substitute position can last a maximum of 4 semesters (2 years) but needs to be renewed every semester. So, for the time being, I have a guaranteed 9-5 job until the end of January 2011. At this point, though, there’s no telling what will happen after that. That’s kind of exciting, right?

…Well, no, not really. Because I don’t know what will happen in 6 months, I can’t move on with my life. I can’t make plans and I can’t relax. The college where I will be working is located in a different borough forty miles from my current location. Commuting up there would take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. And that’s just one way! Ideally, I would love to move closer to the job, cut my commute in half and live in a really hip part of NYC. (I currently live on Staten Island, the least hip place in the city. Anywhere from here would be a step up.) However, because nothing’s set in stone at this point, I can’t do that yet. What happens if I don’t get the job permanently in 6 months? And I can’t find another full-time gig in time? Do I have to come crawling back to my parents with my tail between my legs?  No way!  So I suffer in the meantime. I have to deal with a long commute from one outer borough to another. It’s also an expensive commute: $5.50 for the Express Bus into Manhattan and $2.25 for the subway to the Bronx, or $7.75 one way. That’s $15.50 each day — or $310 per month — on just the commute. If I look at it another way, that’s over 80 hours of reading and/or knitting time a month! Maybe I’d also be able to use that time to work on the article I’m trying to publish.

It’s so hard to look positively at this situation because I want so badly to move to Brooklyn. I even got into a heated discussion with my mother and sister yesterday over it. I was telling them how I was going to brazenly move to Prospect Heights, job security be damned. They, meanwhile, were trying to tell me to wait a while, build up a decent savings account (while I live rent-free on this godforsaken island) so that I’ll have financial security in the future. Near future, they stressed. I was in tears because I knew they were right but I really wanted out. (I told you I really want to move to Brooklyn!  I’m also still young so I’ve got a bit of a rebellious side that rears its head every once in a while.) It kills me that they’re right and that I have to stay on Staten Island for another 6 months.

I just have to suck it up and deal with it, I know that. And I will! I know that you have to work hard for what you want and that things aren’t always fair. I just needed to vent.

Speaking of which, I left my job. Well, one of them. I will no longer be helping out at the reference desk but I am still involved in another project under another title at the same library. However, starting next week, I’ll begin my new job at another library. I’ll be on the reference desk for 15 hours per week, answering questions in person and by phone. I think I’ll also be on chat reference duty for much of that time. I spent several days this week running around campus, getting my paperwork done and taking my photo for the ID card. I was also given a tour of the library and I can genuinely say that I am looking forward to starting this job. The librarians and other staff members seem really nice. However, given that I was introduced to the library when classes were not in session, I do not know what to expect of the students. The first week at any college library is filled with questions like “Do you have this textbooks?” and “WHY DON’T YOU HAVE THIS TEXTBOOK!?” which is always nerve-wracking for everyone involved. I’m just glad I wasn’t there for the first day of classes (today) because I would most likely get a migraine.

So that’s what’s new in my life. If I’m not working (or worrying about interviewing for a full-time gig!), I’m knitting. People are starting to request things and I’ve yet to make something for myself. The vest is for my sister, the slippers are for Alex’s sister. Alex’s mother also requested a vest and his father wants a scarf. Alex himself wants a cardigan. I’ve also picked out a shawl that I want to make for my mother. (Well, I didn’t so much pick it out as I saw a coworker’s shawl and fell in love with it.)  As such, I’ve decided to continue coming in to the newly formed knitting group at my (old? current? existing?) job, even though I will not be coming onto the campus regularly.  I love my coworkers and colleagues so I’ll take any excuse to hang out with them.

6:22 AM Hit the snooze button on my alarm clock.  Toss and turn for a few minutes.  Get up and turn off the alarm that has gone off at 6:30.  Make way to bathroom to shower, wash my face, and brush my teeth.  Get dressed.  Check personal email.

8:00 AM Go upstairs to eat breakfast with parents.

8:25 AM Get in car and head towards Brooklyn.  (I carpool with my parents.)

9:30 AM Arrive at work.  Check work email.  Check personal email.  Catch up on RSS feeds.  Sign into Twitter and see what’s happening in the world.

9:48 AM Talk with co-worker about bicycles.

10:00 AM Begin Job #1.  Log into the FTP server where my project site resides.  Start tweaking HTML, CSS, and PHP code.

10:42 AM Quietly mutter obscenities as the Internet connection waxes and wanes.

10:47 AM Leave my cubicle for fear of smashing something as the Library’s servers go down temporarily.

11:00 AM Return to desk after making a quick trip to the deli for coffee.  Note that the servers seem to be back up and the Internet connection is holding steady.  Put nose back to the grindstone.

12:42 PM Get up to stretch my legs and back.  Consider getting a snack but decide against it.  Fill up water bottle while chatting with office manager.  Return to work, try to figure out why certain things don’t work in Internet Explorer.

1:34 PM Check email.  Update Twitter status.  Continue working on my project.

1:56 PM Log out of FTP server, shut down machine, pack my stuff, and head for my 2 o’clock shift as an assistant at the Reference Desk.

2:00 PM Begin Job #2.  Circle the Desk to make sure that all fliers and handouts are in stock and in neat piles.  Examine all of the public catalog look-up terminals to make sure that each station has scrap paper and pencils.

2:43 PM Phone rings.  Student needs help using the Library’s online catalog to see if we own copies of 2 books she needs.  We do.  She thanks me and hangs up the phone.  I do the same.

3:02 PM Sign into Gmail Talk.  Chat with Alex about mundane things.  Learn that he’s still looking to buy a bike and needs help finding a good one for a decent price.  Hit up craigslist and eBay to look for such a bike.

3:14 PM Student approaches me to ask if I can help him print something.  I accompany him to his PC and note that the default printer is incorrect.  Set printer to correct one.  Student thanks me as I’m walking away.

3:57 PM Zero in on a great road bike for a decent price.  Excitedly tell Alex (via GTalk) about it.  He likes it, too, and will be contacting the seller soon.

4:02 PM Phone rings.  “How late is the Library open today?” I’m asked.  “We close at 6 tonight,” I answer.  “The summer schedule is different.  On Mondays and Thursdays, we close at 9 PM.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we’re only open until 6.  We’re closed on Fridays and the weekend.”  Student thanks me and hangs up the phone.  I do the same.

4:33 PM Find myself alone at the Reference Desk, as the librarian who was supposed to cover the 4 – 6 PM shift has not shown up.  Help student find statistics about healthcare employees in the U.S. over the last 5 years.

4:52 PM Make small talk with the intern who’s passing by.  He congratulates me on my “promotion” to Librarian (since I am now at the helm).

5:13 PM Alex tells me the road bike was sold.  On the hunt to find another bike.

5:28 PM Begin to power down the librarian-use-only computers.  (Of the 12 available, I turn off 10, leaving 2 on for last-minute stragglers.)

5:42 PM Decide it’s about time that I read the newspaper so I hit up the New York Times website.  Also helps to combat the boredom of a summer afternoon at a college library.  Check email and Twitter.

5:53 PM Shut down the remaining 2 reference computers.  Turn off the public catalog look-up stations.

5:59 PM Power down the 3 reference desk computers.  Circle the Desk to make sure handouts and fliers are still in order.  Fix the piles that are slightly askew.

6:00 PM As Circulation staff makes “library is now closed” announcement, I pack my stuff (and glance around nervously to make sure I have everything with me), bid goodnight to the support staff, and head out the door.

6:22 PM Arrive at my mother’s place of work.  Head to my father’s workplace.

6:34 PM Pick up father from work.  Drive to nearby Japanese restaurant for dinner.

7:11 PM Pay bill and leave the restaurant.  Get in car and head home to Staten Island.

7:58 PM Home at last.  My cat, Dixon, greets me.  As he plops down on the floor and exposes his belly, I pet and nuzzle him.  I come up to the aquarium/tank and greet its inhabitants: 2 goldfish and 1 turtle.

8:05 PM After taking off my shoes and putting down my stuff, I feed the cat and clean his litter box.

8:30 PM Change into my “home” clothes (usually PJ pants and a t-shirt I wouldn’t wear out in public).  Sit on couch and turn on TV.  See what’s recorded on DVR, watch what’s of interest (usually “The Simpsons” or “Futurama”).

9:30 PM Pick up laptop.  Check email, Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds.  Go on craigslist and eBay to look for bikes for Alex.  Email him links to the ones that look reasonable.

10:12 PM Dixon’s meowing so I give him some attention.  He plays with a toy, I chase him down the hall, and we roughhouse for a bit.  I’ve now annoyed him so he leaves me alone.

10:30 PM Turn off the UV lamp atop the aquarium/tank, make sure cat has fresh water, brush my teeth, and head to bedroom.  Read a few chapters of the book I’m currently reading.

11:48 PM Unable to keep my eyes open any longer.  Put book away.  Turn off light.

Yesterday, she came into the library again for more assistance. This time, it was about a different topic. However, before she explained her new problem to me, she asked, “Do you remember you helped me last time?” Now, I’m usually very bad with faces. I help dozens of students every day and I can’t keep track of every one of them. However, I remembered her and I was even able to vaguely recall the topic she had been researching. (I must have spent about 30-45 minutes with her that day. That is significantly more time than I get to spend with most students.) So once I responded in the affirmative, she said, “I got an A on that paper. My professor was very impressed because she wasn’t even aware that the tool had existed. It’s so new that she hadn’t even heard of it yet.”

I’ve had students come up to me days or weeks later and thank me. However, I’ve always been at a loss as to who they are or how I’d helped them. In some cases, I’d forget by the next day. (I don’t know whether this is a testament to the volume of questions I field everyday or to my poor memory.) In this case, the student took the time out to explain to me who she was and exactly how my assistance had helped her.

To my knowledge, this is the first time that my services had gotten someone an A.  Needless to say, I was beaming.