Purpose

Everyone in Massachusetts' agrees it's been a rough winter this year, 2014-2015.  It’s been hard to be enthusiastic about anything.  I'm sitting in a coffee shop this morning, attempting to get a jump start after working last night.  I had a shift at my local community college for the evening.

It was what we librarians call a bad technology night.  A college program didn't work the way it was supposed to and a student kept losing her work.  The office that could have answered her questions had gone home at 4pm.  Work stations decided to lose their handshakes with the printer so other students were playing musical chairs.  Another student didn't understand Roman numerals are letters and it doesn't matter if the letter has a serif or not.  Then she needed a Greek symbol in her word document and all I could do is hand her the brochure for the tutoring lab.

Never mind the students that had come to school without student IDs.  It was a trying night.  I stayed pleasant and kept remembering to smile.  I find smiling lifts my mood from outside to in.

Luckily a young man knew how to access Greek characters and helped out.  And that young woman was very grateful for the help we could give.  We're the last line of defense at night when all other support people have left for the day.

So yes, my circulation assistant and I earned our money last night and people did thank us as they left.  We made our small difference.

Imagine how extremely pleased I was to overhear a conversation as I am sipping my caramel latte and enjoying my Greek yogurt parfait.  A couple at the counter are evidently involved with a local town government and talking strategy to gain support for the town budget.  And one of the priorities they were emphasizing was their public library.  The man mentioned what a life line it had been for his wife the two years she had been home with their child.  She had made almost daily visits.  The woman mentioned the databases they could take advantage of without having to pay an individual subscription.  They mentioned all the activities and programs the library offered.  And they both laughed about the naysayers saying that there's no more need for books as everything is online.  They knew that isn't so.  Thankfully, the man understood that public libraries have regulations to meet in order to get funding.

I could have hugged them but kept control of myself.  It's nice to have my profession celebrated by civilians.  It made me feel all the tech support I had to give last night was worthwhile.  I've been involved with libraries since I was 14 years old.  While the profession has changed drastically in that time, it's still relevant.  It's rare to have a job where you feel you have a purpose and make a difference.  I've been blessed.