When I was a kid, I always dreamed of doing something creative with my life. I wanted to be an artist, or a writer, or a Lego sculpture maker. I wound up in library world, which is a perfect fit for me and allows for creativity, but my job definitely isn’t as “right-brained” as I would have imagined.
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Thinking about my job, I’m lucky to have the opportunity to exercise both halves of my brain. Even in school this semester, I’ve written papers and shared my thoughts about books for youth and then flipped the switch in my brain to work on cataloging records. Thankfully, we have a wonderful cataloger, so cataloging is not my responsibility at work, but it is fun and interesting to learn about another dimension of the profession. At the circulation desk, I use my left brain for using exact match systems to search the catalog or a database, but then I get to be creative and design a bulletin board or a poster.
I’ve been reading the book Quiet by Susan Cain, and this has sparked a lot of thoughts about extroverts and introverts. In some ways, my job requires me to demonstrate both qualities in different situations. Programs and working on desk can demand an extroverted style, but I probably wouldn’t have my interest in books if I weren’t a true introvert at heart. Both are crucial.
Librarians, do you feel the same sense of balance from your job? Please share in the comments!
The Lupine Librarian 