Friday, May 11, will be my last day as an academic librarian. I will be moving to a new position at Rome Technical Library, U. S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) ( official fact sheet) in Rome, NY. The official purpose of AFRL/RI is:
The Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate is located in Rome N.Y. The Information Directorate is focused on basic research and advanced development in the cyber domain. Its diverse workforce of more than 800 military and civilian scientists and engineers are charged with leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting information technology capabilities for our air, space and cyberspace force.
I will continue my blogging about libraries in the 21st Century and may blog a bit about my new job. You will not see many frequent posts as you have in the past. I will still write about library services in New York State and rural broadband access.
Why is this a reboot?
I have worked in academic libraries since 1982 (?) when I started as a circulation clerk at Olin Library at Cornell University. I need a change and this is the opportunity that I have been looking for since May 2011. I have enjoyed working with students, faculty, and academic librarians but I am getting tired of being a study hall monitor and helping students that don’t even have basic reading and writing skills. I may sound a bit like a curmudgeon. That is not my intent.
With this new positions I will have new challenges and opportunities that I never had in academia. One of the requirements of my new job is that I attend three continuing education opportunities each year and it will be paid for by my employer. This includes national conferences as well as local and regional events. I am looking forward to that after many years of working in institutions where there was virtually no money set aside for real travel and training.
My new duties
Here is a piece from the posted job description that outlines briefly my duties:
Job Description:
Croop-LaFrance, a premier Information Technology service provider in upstate New York is seeking a highly motivated Librarian to join our team. The ideal candidate will provide professional services to maintain and update the library collection in support of the information needs of the scientific community in a small, full service library.
Duties include cataloging, reference service, online research, acquisitions,ILL, and web page maintenance. The selected applicant will be able to direct and train a small support staff.
Position Duties:
Provide Librarian support services at Rome Research Site (RRS), maintaining the library collections of books, serial publications, documents and other materials, assists groups and individuals in locating, and obtaining materials, furnishes information on library activities, facilities, rules, and services.
Assist in use of reference sources, such as card or book catalog, or book and periodical indexes to locate information.
Issues and receives materials for circulation or use in library, assembles and arranges displays of books and other library materials, maintains reference and circulation materials.
Answers correspondence on special reference subjects, may compile list of library materials according to subjects or interests, and may select, order, catalog, and classify materials.
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more of my adventures in librarianship.
