The New Job

On May 19 I will start my new job as Head of the Continuing Resources Division, Central Technical Services, University Libraries, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

Whoosh! What a mouthful!

As I told a friend, in library land we have very big titles for very small jobs.

Actually, it’s not all that small a job. The Continuing Resources Division is that part of the UB Libraries tasked with acquiring and maintaining all newspapers, magazines, journals, and other periodicals (in print or online) and any other electronic resource. The staff I’ll be joining includes four librarians, each of whom has a national reputation, and a number of support staff, most of whom are actively involved in staff organizations at UB and in Western NY. A very impressive group of people!

So, nearly three years after moving to Buffalo (June 2005), I will finally have a full-time job with benefits, a decent salary, and a five-mile commute from our house. It’s been a long time coming!

I wish I could say the past three years of unemployment / underemployment have been wildly productive, empowering, mind-altering, or whatever. The reality, of course, is that I’m a lousy housekeeper and absent any larger structure or purpose I tend to sit around and dither. Besides keeping Naoyuki fed and clothed, doing a bit of yard work and a lot of travel, my most significant accomplishment has been getting back to the gym on a regular basis. (And there’s no downplaying the significance of that; it was way overdue and the psychological and physical benefits have been extremely positive.)

Likewise, I’m extremely thankful to have had my job as a part-time reference / instruction librarian at Genesee Community College for the past year and a half. The earnings were low but they helped with the overall domestic economy and, more than that, the work gave me some structure (and sanity.) Helped that the GCC folks are totally topnotch and fun to work with!

My last day at GCC will be Friday, May 16.