Week One

I have a new mantra: No matter how smart you are or how educated you may be, the copy machine will always foil you in the end.

That's certainly been the case during my first week on the job. I copied a batch of library-related newspaper clippings only to have to do the whole thing over on account of the fact that the background was too inky. However, I finally achieved success and I think that the copier and I now have a mutual respect for one another. At least, I hope so. I have the feeling that it's plotting new ways to turn on me.

But waging war against the copier constitutes only a small part of what I've been up to. Over the course of my first couple of days in the marketing department I have:

• written numerous press releases for upcoming library events
• copy edited a list of blurbs that will be printed in the upcoming summer humanities brochure
• printed and stuffed envelopes to be mailed to Humanities Society members
• attended a department meeting
• visited the garage where the Bookmobile lives

I've spent most of these first couple days working under the supervision of Joanne Abel and Gina Rozier. Both are excellent to work with; Gina is perhaps a little intimidating, but I suppose that comes from serving as the department head. I will be spending most of the summer working alongside them, but they are open to me gaining some experience in parts of the library that are not necessarily directly related to marketing. After hearing that I am an ARM student, Joanne said that she will have to introduce me to Lynn over at the NC Collection, and I'm very much looking forward to that. Assuming that I do end up working in archives, I could more easily see myself working at a smaller, public library archive rather than at a massive university special collection, so I'm naturally interested to see what her job entails.

Meanwhile, the press releases take up a majority of my time. I must say, I am amazed at the sheer number/variety of events that the Durham Co. library offers. Most are understandably related to local history or feature local authors, but there are some that are so unusual, so out there. For instance, one of the branches is having a "zombie preparedness" event in early July. I think that is absolutely brilliant. Go to your local library, pick up a good book, and, while you're at it, learn to protect yourself during the impending zombie apocalypse! Awesome.

Next time: reflections on library-sponsored events. Who attends them, and why?