Librarian Ire

Control Issues.

This is a management thing I know it, but since I work in a library... On top of all the boss' other problems she has serious control issues. Nobody with these issues is a fraction as 'nice' as she would have people believe. [Smile all you want, I'm not telling you what I did this weekend!]

Some of the lovely things that she does:

Forward me a message telling me to forward the message to another person. Why can't she forward it? I don't know. But that other person is on the same listserv that the forwarded message came out on, so she got it already. Wait, why am I forwarding it?

Comes up to any conversation I may be having with another librarian and listens. Doesn't matter what the conversation is or if she was invited. If its discussing anything library related and its not our 'department' she kindly informs us that our discussion is a matter for blank. Oh my gosh! Silly me for speaking about anything that does not fall into my little world. I don't know God personally, so I guess I should never discuss or think about him/her/it.

I notice that there are links on the website that are broken. I inform the person responsible and volunteer to fix them, as I am beefing up my Dreamweaver experience and I know what's broken. That head of department thanks me for my work in an email cc'ing the boss - so I'll get credit - and I get an email from the boss telling me that my undertaking was not something I should be 'wasting' my time on. Its a matter for the other department and I should notify them and let them handle it. Oh drat! Silly me AGAIN, for helping things run smoothly! I mean, if it is not my department and my job as specified in my detailed position description, why I should just ignore it.

Then there's the instruction class to be taught. If, while we are going over them, I say "I like to tell them about blah blah here". I am quickly informed, "No. Students don't care about that." or "We've done that in the past and it doesn't work." Huh. I thought I was teaching this class. Can't I add my little bits if they are correct and helpful and don't deflect from the script? Seeing as I tell at least 4 students that very thing everyday it seems to be knowledge in demand and I should give it a shot since it takes all of 20 seconds. Or how about when I offer a suggestion that we don't go into a resource in depth as it will take more than the 2 minutes provided for everyone to participate. Instead we demonstrate it for them and let them know about the classes we teach on just this thing so they can learn more. "Students won't go to those classes." Wait, what? You are the head of instruction aren't you? You are the one who is always scheduling these classes and telling everyone in campus meetings how much all the students love them and attend them? Surely you are not rankled that I have thought of something that you didn't? That can't possibly be the reason for your hypocrisy?

And finally (although you can see that it doesn't end, right?) this is my newest favorite. I am told I should not be afraid to give my opinion. Its important for me to speak so that others know how knowledgeable I am. Okay, when are they impressed with my knowledge - before or after you provide at great GREAT length how wrong I am or how you believe we should change the way something was done so I don't screw it up again? Did I not, 30 seconds before you said this, come to you with an opinion on how something should be changed? Did I not just hog a good portion of our meeting the previous day giving my opinion? Perhaps you couldn't hear anything with your big head.

Sigh. I'm working on installing a full bar in my desk.

posted by Loki at 11:42 AM