Undercover in the library

I have an interview at a local public library on Friday. It just so happens, though, that I have never been to this public library before. Their website is somewhat short on information. So there’s not much to build a *vibe* on. Do I want this job? Dunno. So, this afternoon, I went over there to poke around. Sure, there’s no law about checking out some place you’re set to interview, but I felt like I was doing something sneaky. I lingered near the reference desk to see how they were answering questions. I stole furtive glances at the computer being used to check out books to see if I was familiar with their software. I checked out their hours to see if I could piece together any information about what a schedule at this library might be. I browsed their collections, trying to get a feel for their strenghts and weaknesses. I surveyed their collection of Kay books. I watched the patrons….did they look satisfied? What parts of the collection were they using? What did they think of the computer policy? I tried to get into the restroom. It was locked, in use apparently. One of my moments of triumph : at one point the door marked “staff only” opened while I lurked in the nearby stacks. They have desks in there! I knew it!

I still don’t know. I’ve never seen a place so completely devoid of a vibe. Or rather, with so neutral a vibe. Yes, it’s a small collection, but hey, I saw plenty of stuff I wanted to read. Lots of magazines, and plenty of books on tapes. They have a small teen section, but they seem committed to it. Their building was small, but it was busy, people were using it. And it was in a lovely small downtown area. Harrumph. Guess I’ll know more after Friday.

~ by meteowrite on October 11, 2006.
2 Responses to “Undercover in the library”

1.

Oh jenn! I think it’s a great idea that you scoped out the prospective job location. My advisor would have approved. You’re doing your homework like a good girl. And when they interview you and ask you that first conversational question: Have you ever been to this library before? You can breezily answer, why yes, yes of course I have. You have a lovely books on tape selection and you seem committed to your teen literature.

You have the edge!
Break a leg!

jean said this on October 12th, 2006 at 9:02 am
2.

Back in the dark days when I interviewed people for jobs as a way of getting a paycheck those people who actually had come to the work site to scope us out always got at least a 10 point head start. I figured A: they were motivated, B: they had the brains to follow through, and C: they had enough analytical skills to know what to look for. Well done. (But how was the military history section??)

Goodyear said this on October 12th, 2006 at 10:23 am