A Little Update

Hello. My name is Lucy. And I am a shame-faced book blogger.

As you can see, my last post was in February, and that is rather poor. It’s not even like I have had anything really interesting going on.

Well, that’s a bit of a lie, I suppose.

I have probably made about three books this year which is a bit of a poor show, considering that one of my resolutions was to do one book-binding project per week. But I have been busy! I promise. And it’s been doing book-related things, as well. Win, win. 

The Story of the Assistant Librarian

Last November I had my first proper job interview ever, for a job that I really, really wanted. I dressed up all nice, brogues and all, and had an interview at one of the Isle of Wight’s Secondary Schools. I had applied to be a Reprographics and Library Assistant.

    

Alas, even with my shiny, shiny brogues I didn’t get the job. But I persevered, applying for an assistant role in the art department at the same school in the New Year.

My interest did me a lot of good as one of the other Library Assistants moved to Art and suddenly the position was free! At the end of February I started my first ever full time job as a Reprographics and Library Assistant. That’s my official job title. It’s on my ID badge.

I love being a librarian. I especially love preparing new books for the shelves and talking to the kid about YA books I shamelessly enjoy. A lot of my time is spent comforting the hard-worked photocopier and printer after stressed and unorganised teachers abuse it, so unfortunately I'm not in the library as often as I would like. But when I am in there, I love it, even the noisy and busy break times, where I haven’t quite found my librarian’s voice yet to tell all the kids to shut up.

So that’s nice: nice as well, because although we don’t get many new books in I still get a sense of what it popular at the moment among an age range I wouldn't mind writing for. A little bit of research, if you will.

 This links nicely onto my next bit of news. I was given a very floral diary for the job and I covered it with the coolest wrapping paper ever. A kid saw it and loved it, asking where I got it. When I told him I made it I think he was quite impressed. He asked me to make him one but I said instead that I would help him to make one.

So one lunchtime he came in. I kept reasonable control of the library by only allowing five people- to sit at each table. It is a library, not a common room, after all! They are obsessed with chess. Anyway, I claimed a table for myself, laying out all the materials. My little bookbinder came in and we covered a couple of exercise books. It was really great to introduce this concept of bookbinding to somebody so young.

So what did we cover these books with, I hear you cry?

I’ll tell you that story tomorrow. 

 And Finally...

In the mean time, here is a book I made to keep all my book – related ramblings in. I love using exercise books, and for university it was especially useful having different notebooks for different classes. It felt like being back at school again!

I have been participating in this year’s April Camp NaNoWriMo. But that’s a story for another time!

 You can find me here.

What book related frenzies have you been up to?