Well, after nearly a year of silence I am inspired to resurrect my blog. What has inspired me? Library people of course!
Being a Queensland Public Servant, I can hardly ignore the current events in my home state which have affected many people I know, within the library that I work and in other areas of state government. Last week, we lost three good library people. I know one personally, and have endeavoured to be a sounding board - hearing the disappointment, fear of the future and the blow to her self-esteem breaks my heart.
For those of us fortunate enough to have kept our jobs for the time being, the stress is certainly showing. A number of my colleagues have admitted to feeling tense, frightened, nervous. The loss of those three people has also added to our workload.
So what has inspired me in such dire times? The way that the remaining library team has responded. On a practical level, members of the team have stepped up to shoulder a heavier workload, rosters have been re-worked to ensure that opening and closing shifts are adequately covered.
On an emotional level, it was lovely on RU OK Day to be actually asked whether I was OK. People are conversing freely and unashamedly about their feelings with their colleagues, admitting to feeling "less than OK". Cakes were baked and shared to just make the team feel happier. As with many processes, communication is the key to navigating the stormy waters, and there is much talk and encouragement amongst the ranks.
Ultimately, service to our clients has not changed. The commitment to deliver a quality library service remains as our paramount aim. As always, a customer focus rules in our library and we are soldiering on.
Being a baby in library world, this is my first experience of major upheaval, but I understand that change is inevitable. I'm well aware of the incredible changes that have taken place in the industry due to technology, if nothing else. Despite the gloomy feelings that pervade our workplace currently, I'm heartened by the fact that my management team are supportive, and that my co-workers are pulling together to keep each other buoyant, and that the client remains our focus.
