I am

home, propped up with pillows on the bed with the laptop on a lap desk atop two more pillows, listening to Loreena McKennitt and trying not to fall asleep after such a busy week while still managing to get some rest. I started out my day very stressed not by my impending work, but rather various things from my life outside of work, but forced myself to put aside my anxiety to get things accomplished, and felt much better as a result.

I did manage to get that job application in as well, and I do hope you'll wish me luck. It would be a very exciting job with benefits, a nice salary, and it would utilise my history background very nicely, as well as my training in archives and preservation, the latter of which I was fortunate to study under George Cunha, a pioneer in the field and a fascinating man and storyteller. I totally revamped my cover letter and résumé. What I had been sending out was much more like a curriculum vitae, and was too dense and packed. Instead I got the entire résumé on one page by concentrating on the most important stuff and targeting the résumé to reflect skills needed for the position I was applying for. I feel more confident as a result. I do hope I get an interview (and of course, the job!)

The position is at the public library downtown, in the Kentucky Room, which is devoted to local and state history and genealogy. One of the things that excites me about working in the public library is that there are patrons of all walks of life with information needs who seek assistance, and I think it would be a more stimulating environment than the one in which I work now. Also, I'm excited about the prospect of being one of many librarians with varied backgrounds. As a solo librarian, I've relied on professional organisations and electronic lists to interact with those of my own profession; it would be so nice to not be the only one in my organisation who really 'gets' what a librarian is and what she or he can do. Don't get me wrong, my co-workers are great, and I've been fortunate to work in teams within the hospital and really contribute, but I feel a little isolated from my profession at times.

Okay, I think I'm going to stretch out, put my feet up (it's hard to believe it has been two weeks since my surgery and I'm doing really well), and concentrate on not actually falling asleep. I should work on the notes tonight, too. So, no sleeping just yet. Tomorrow I'm going to pay my rent, take A to the grocery, watch The Grand Budapest Hotel with friends, and finish the notes if necessary. But I'm going to try to get up early enough to enjoy the morning a bit, maybe watch something fun on my own. I need to renew some books at the library, but of course I can do that through their mobile application (yay!) But I might take the books on cover letters and résumés back and get some on interviewing. I am a shy person, and it's very difficult for me to present myself to a group of strangers in a way that really markets my assets, for at heart I'm still a bit of a socially-awkward geek. I'm fine when dealing with patrons or co-workers in a professional setting--I just tend to choke when it comes to interviews. So I'm looking for some tips that will help me be more confident and 'wow' my interviewers. Still, I'm not really sure you can get that out of a book. :)