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The Multitasking Librarian: Some Tips For Happier Living
by Chris Hollister
Just getting through the work week is a complex equation for today's librarians, one in which the variables are constantly changing. Balancing one's family and/or personal life with the demands of the profession can be stressful, and that stress can take its toll. It is somewhat ironic that I should be writing this article now -- I'm feeling particularly frenzied these days, and could benefit from my own advice!
Working for a small college library, I wear many professional hats - - Reference Librarian, Coordinator of Interlibrary Loan Services, Systems Assistant, and Webmaster. Like most academic librarians, I am also expected to pursue scholarship and professional activities, and to participate in college and community service. When the time comes for contract renewal and/or promotion, all of these areas together comprise the criteria by which I am evaluated. This, however, is just part of the multitasking story.
I also have a family with school-aged children. Time and word count constraints prevent me from elaborating on this aspect of my life -- suffice it to say that our home is an active one, all day, every day, and that, with my cumulative activities and responsibilities, I sometimes feel overwhelmed. It has been my experience that, for today's librarian, hectic lifestyles like mine are more often the norm than the exception.
Over the past few years, as time has become an increasingly scarce commodity and my stress levels have increased, I have collected a few snippets of wisdom that regularly help me to regain my temporal, psychological, and bibliographic balance. I refer to them as my mantras, as I need to recite them to myself constantly. In fact, I have a copy taped to the wall by my desk -- and additions and revisions are not uncommon.
As with anything worthwhile in life, practice, persistence, and discipline are the keys to success. Undoubtedly, readers will perceive one or two of my mantras to be somewhat cliché, or of little relevance to their own circumstances. Still, I hope and trust that some of the following snippets of wisdom will benefit the many multitasking librarians out there.
- Use your strengths to create order.
As a professional librarian, you have exceptional organizational skills. Use those skills to plan your days, weeks, and months in advance. Whether planning for meetings or for meals, you should designate a time each day or each week just for organizing your schedule.
- "A man's got to know his limitations."
Okay... Forgive the Clint Eastwood quote, but it precisely sums up my point. Your resources are finite. You can only focus on and do so many things simultaneously before all of your activities are adversely affected. As part of the organizing and planning process, you must set priorities for your personal and professional life, focus on what needs to get done first, get it done, and then move on.
- Learn to say "No."
As librarians, we regard all of our various activities as "good" -- and indeed they are. As motivated professionals, we see the logic in continuing to take on all of these good tasks. Still, the law of marginal utility dictates that too much of a good thing can be a problem, and, for librarians, that is certainly the case. Saying "no" to some of the tasks that come your way does not compromise your position. It allows you to set boundaries, create order, and focus on and do a better job with the multiple other activities you are already involved in. Additionally, saying "no" is only fair to your family. They, too, deserve the opportunity to pursue activities of their own. But, more to the point, they deserve more of your time.
- Keep the lines of communication open.
Reflecting on the binds that I get myself into personally or professionally, I can see that a lack of communication is usually at the core of the issue. And, it is usually because I fatuously perceive myself as being too busy to stop and talk, place a phone call, send an e-mail, or write a note regarding what I am up to. The act of simply taking a moment to explain the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why!) of a situation goes a long way toward preventing problems.
- Kids come first.
Your children will only be the age they are once. Take full advantage of this time with them. As my youngest child's teacher says: "Kids will forget that the dishes once lay dirty in the kitchen sink, but they'll always remember the time you spent together."
- Live in the moment.
Once you do set your priorities, do not allow other matters to impinge upon your time, or your ability to make use of or enjoy that time. This especially holds true for your personal time. Ruminating on work-related activities while you are spending time with friends and/or family compromises that time and those relationships. Don't sell yourself or your loved ones short.
- Take time for a sanity break.
We all have interests and hobbies that provide enjoyment and relaxation, and which allow us to regain our psychological balance. For me, it's communing with nature, hiking, bird watching, etc. You must make time for whatever allows you to relax and refuel. Ignoring or abandoning those interests and activities is unhealthy for you, your family, and your library.
- Stuff happens (...note the obvious euphemism).
Be prepared for the unannounced, the unplanned, and the unpredictable. Though this statement seems contradictory, readers of this article know how true it is. Stuff happens, and we need to be prepared to accept and adapt to whatever events might occur. I find that one's sense of humor can work wonders in such situations.
Beyond his multitasking activities at work and at home, Chris is an environmentalist and an amateur naturalist. He is currently active in tracking and documenting bird species for the ATLAS 2000 Breeding Bird Project in New York State.