Head Tale - Yet Another Librarian's Blog

Here's something that was posted to the Canadian Library Association mailing list this week that's a fitting way to end my week of FTRW posts: the results of the CLA’s Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom’s web survey titled “Tracking Challenged Resources in Canadian Libraries” (PDF) for the year 2006.

This report doesn’t include every instance of book challenges in Canada last year but does give a good overview of some of the types of materials that get challenged, the reasons why and the response of and/or actions taken by the reporting library.

Thanks to Toni Samek, who is chair of that committee, for giving me permission to post this document.

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"Perhaps You Will Become A Saint For A Child To Meet"

by Jason on Sat 03 Mar 2007 04:48 PM CST

"A sappy woman sent me a letter a few years back. She knew I was sappy, too, which is to say a lifelong northern Democrat in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt mode, a friend of the working stiffs. She was about to have a baby, not mine, and wished to know if it was a bad thing to bring such a sweet and innocent creature into a world as bad as this one is. I replied that what made being alive almost worthwhile for me, besides music, was all the saints I met, who could be anywhere. By saints I meant people who behaved decently in a strikingly indecent society. Perhaps some of you are or will become saints for her child to meet."
- Knowing What’s Nice - Kurt Vonnegut Jr,

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Job Hunt Update

by Jason on Sat 03 Mar 2007 11:48 AM CST

I've been fairly restrained (at least by my standards) in talking about my job hunt on this blog because I wanted to keep these details fairly low key for a variety of reasons, not least because I know that more and more employers do web searches for potential employers and you never know what might turn them off or change their mind, especially if you're blabbing every interview question they ask you or talking about them as potential employers.

I'm not hiding the fact that I have a blog (why would I?) in interviews if it comes up so I know I've told at couple potential employers about my blog - one I just mentioned it in passing and one I gave the web URL as we were talking about the potential of Web 2.0 technologies like blogs in library settings.

You never know what might offend them or change their mind as I said but I'm also the guy who just did a post about FTRW which included two of the most offensive words in our society unc*ns*r*d. But then again, if an honest discussion on a topic like this offends a potential employer, it's probably not a place I want to work anyhow.

So anyway, enough people have been asking me how it's going that I thought a fairly generalized update wouldn't hurt.

(Obvious disclaimer: all of these thoughts and observations apply to my own situation. Yours will very likely be completely different.)

Let's see - things were pretty slow at first, to the point that I went back to my "When Is The Best Time To Start at FIMS?" entry and added something about the time you finish being a factor as well. "Be aware: if you convocate at Christmas, you might not see a job posting, let alone get an interview for a month or two."

It picked up in the last few weeks and I'm now at a point where I'm at various points in the interview process for four different jobs including one firm offer and one informal offer. I've been upfront with all that I'm interviewing for a few different positions and all have been very understanding about my desire to hear from each one as to whether they're making an offer or not before I make a choice as I want to make the best possible decision I can obviously.

For a guy who talked non-stop about his desire to work in public libraries for all of last year, it's going to be a much tougher decision than I ever imagined, even though only two of the positions are in public libraries while one is academic and one is government. In fact, none is a clear front-runner in my mind right now and the thought of which one I would pick literally changes from hour to hour. (When I got the dreaded "What are your weaknesses?" question in one interview, I could have easily answered that I can be indecisive when faced with hard decisions.)

Each jobs has advantages and disadvantages - some pay more, some have better hours, some have better benefits, some have more holidays, some have parking (seems like a small thing but it's one of those things you have to consider - not having parking is another $50-70/month in the budget.). Some have more interaction with the public, some are more office based. Probably another silly thing to factor into the decision but some would give you a real office, some would have you in a cubicle. Some have a broad scope that would be incredibly challenging. One would have had me start today if I could, one doesn't start for another couple months. One is outside Regina. Some are fairly independent or part of a small workforce, some are working as part of a large team with over a dozen other employees. Some have supervisory roles. Some require travel. Some are very supportive of professional development. One is an eighteen month contract rather than full-time permanent. None have a dress code (beyond "dress professionally") at least that I was told about. (I didn't ask but this is another issue for me - I've always had an aversion to ties and if pressed, I'll say it's because I'm clautrophobic and will produce a doctor's note to that effect.

) I think all said they were willing to give me time off around when the baby is born which was great as that will be a major part of my decision.

So anyhow, it's getting closer and I would expect to have a final decision in a week or two. Stay tuned...

(Slightly off-topic but what did all of you do with your degrees? Mine arrived yesterday and it's a non-standard size - 17"x11" - so I'm thinking I'll probably have to get it custom framed. Damn UWO - costing me extra money one last time!)

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