tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post5183100605791991599..comments2024-03-27T05:00:00.090-04:00Comments on Letters to a Young Librarian: Frenemies in the Stacks: How Relationships Define Library Work, by Morgan SohlJessica Olinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-73789425695216892592013-01-10T13:05:59.974-05:002013-01-10T13:05:59.974-05:00That is an awesome title!
Personal relationships ...That is an awesome title!<br /><br />Personal relationships at work are difficult to nurture, especially in a high-stress environment. Jennifer is correct - building rapport is important and the key to building rapport is the ability to empathize with our co-workers. The ability (not only to be compassionate) but to identify the things that (1) set them off, (2) make them passionate about their job, and (3) the expectations they have for themselves and others, including yourself.<br /><br />I worked with Morgan and we both seemed to strike upon the idea that (1) competition drove both of us to work harder, (2) we value transparency in our interactions, and (3) we made great frenemies! Once realized I think we had a much more furfilling work relationship.<br /><br />But as Morgan subtly hinted in her article; this process takes work and effort. It is an active process.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05764686989342179833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-87008116099340885322013-01-10T08:34:51.283-05:002013-01-10T08:34:51.283-05:00When I started as a shiny new librarian, I had so ...When I started as a shiny new librarian, I had so many amazing ideas and I tried to do them ALL. I'm great with kids, but I didn't connect well with the adult patrons, the shyness I'd struggled with as a kid coming back full force and whacking me in the head. It's taken me several years to build communication skills, relationships with patrons as families, not just the children, and to build rapport with the library staff. I know there will always be some that will never accept me (or forget the slightest mistake) but it's been a great growing and learning experience and when our attendance crossed 10,000 and our circulation 100,000 this year, I felt like I'd finally got it right! nd it doesn't hurt that our director is now the one implementing unwelcome changes so the focus is off me!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05096787155616041727noreply@blogger.com