Looking at being a solo librarian?

LIScareer.com -- The Librarian & Information Professional's Career Development Center has some information you might be interested in. One of the author's remarks asserts that as part of the solo's day routine tasks such as e-mail and mail are interrupted by research questions, and of course, those questions are the main reason why we're here, rather than 'interruptions' per se, as one person on the SOLO list pointed out. I think the author was just trying to indicate that you have to be flexible and adpative rather than focussing too much on a routine. Also, there wasn't as much indication for the administrative planning, cataloguing, and other duties of a solo librarian. But still, it's a good start.

I love being a solo. Yes, I have to work to make sure I network with other librarians and grow professionally, and no job is too small or too big, but I find it challenging in a way I'm not sure I would being one of many in a larger library. I've done this for nine years now, so I don't feel overwhelmed and feel like I have input in the larger organisation and a good sense of control over my domain, without sounding like a dictator, hopefully. I keep up with other solo librarians through lists (I can't afford to be an official member of the Special Libraries Association, with its SOLO division, but I can still subscribe to their list) and of course with other medical librarians, and I am a member of the Medical Library Association, Kentucky Library Association, as well as our local consortium, which I think has just reorganised under the name Kentucky Medical Library Association. All of those keep me informed and networked. If any students or new librarians are interested in solo librarianship, I'll be happy to correspond with you.

Here are a couple of other articles, too, this time from Information Outlook:

September 2004: "Flying Solo?" by Donna Fisher
http://www.sla.org/ebrary/index.cfm?docID=10064544&page=25

March 2005: "How Can You Be a Manager? You're a Solo!" by Carol Simon, former Solo Division chair
http://www.sla.org/ebrary/index.cfm?docID=10075196&page=15