What I Do

I love reference work. And it goes without saying that I love reference books. For the last fourteen years of my professional life working in different libraries, I have dealt with reference books and reference work. It has always been a challenge journeying with clients as we go from one book to another in search for an answer. And it fills me with joy when my client and I successfully find the elusive information.

But a year ago I was plucked out of my comfort zone to become the Audio-Visual Librarian of Assumption College. Never one to back out on a challenge, I readily accepted the appointment not that I can do anything about it. And it took me the whole school year to adjust to the work and to the collection. I found myself reading AACR2 and using the DDC, something I haven't done for over a decade. Books on library media center management, instructional technology, and collection development of non-print materials became part of my reading list.

Ranganathan said "Every book its reader" but I couldn't say the same for nonprints. One movie can be used in a variety of context and so now I view movies not for entertainment but for finding content. It certainly has taken the fun out of watching. But I really can't complain can I because I get paid to watch videorecordings and I can't think of any other job besides those working in the theaters who get paid for watching.

Alas, I do not just sit in front of the TV and watch. There's more to being an AV librarian.