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Re: "Underpaid...and not Well Understood"



I think of pointing out the importance of history and archives to the public
as a holy quest, to be entered into with evangelical fervor.  The importance
of what we do cannot be underestimated, and my contact with the public in
regard to history has been overwhelmingly positive.  I am perhaps an
extrovert in a field of introverts, but I love interacting with the public,
other people who work in my library and other archivists.  I think that
everyone brings different skills, knowledge and gifts to a given situation.
I personally love every patron contact, every donor meeting and every
interaction I have with the public.  (Ok, maybe not _every_ interaction, but
most of them.)  I mean, after all, I'm really saving all this stuff for them
to use.  Without them, my job is just shuffling papers and trying to
discover whether a post office opened in 1864 or 1865.

*Jumps off soapbox with a flourish, and twists ankle*

Shaun Boyd
Archivist
Local History Collection
Douglas Public Library District
Castle Rock, CO

> Date:    Wed, 24 Jan 2001 19:34:12 -0500
> From:    Louise Sandberg <lsandberg@MAILSERV.MVLC.LIB.MA.US>
> Subject: Re: "Underpaid...and not Well Understood"
>
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> Yes, underpaid!  Yes, underappreciated! Often isolated.  I, however,
> love what I do.  I am half time archivist and half time reference
> librarian for a busy public library in an old mill city.  ONe of my aims
> is to increase the use of original material research in my student
> population.  Enthusiasm is contagious.  Every project from finding aids
> to outreach activities require my own research which I love. I hide in
> my work area trying to get things done, but someone is always pulling me
> out for some task or other.  Personally, I can't imagine doing anything
> else.
> Louise Sandberg, Special Collections
> Lawrence Public Library
> Lawrence, Massachusetts

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