Keeping it in the Family
When you think of a family business, library work wouldn’t normally be on the list. Yet with my brother, my mother, my cousin and I all in the field, it really is a family business for us.
Between us, we span school and public libraries, and archives; entry level to management; sole charge to large organisations; and we cover half the North Island!
Having older family members on the job means there’s always help and advice on tap. When I was studying and needed someone to listen to me work out what I wanted to write for an assignment, or to give me feedback, help was never more than a text or phone call away. Stressing over job interview questions – family role play. Need to learn about a workplace – have lunch together and visit. The support net is always there for those times when things aren’t going so well either and it’s there 24/7.
My brother and I both work with children and young adults. Even though we live in different parts of the country, we’re forever sending ideas back and forth: – our favourite stories for story time, holiday programme ideas, successful (and unsuccessful) teen events. We make the most of being lib-lings. Or maybe we’re lib-sibs? Either way, it’s great to throw ideas around without fear of ridicule. Similarly, we’re never in fear of sitting alone at conferences or training days. If the other family members aren’t there, then someone who knows them will be on the lookout for you.
Librarians on holiday is a whole other story. On family holidays, no-one thinks it’s odd that a trip to local libraries is on the itinerary alongside other, better known, tourist spots. In fact, it turns out that being ‘just two librarians on holiday’ is actually a secret code that unlocks sneak peeks and behind the scenes tours around the globe, as Mum and I first discovered in Australia.
By keeping it in the family, there’s never a ‘get better work stories’ moment. People get just what you mean when you talk about the perils of shelving in the 700s, or the deep satisfaction of a well-weeded section, the delights of book chats, the chaos of straight-after school time and the pleasure of a successful Harry Potter Book Night. And there’s always someone up for playing Guess the Dewey Number on long car trips (not a game that we have actually played before but might get added to the list).
Best of all, there’s always someone to help you celebrate success. Whether it’s a phone call, text, coffee or dinner date, there’s nothing quite like sharing your success with people who understand exactly what that means. We have celebrated new jobs, qualifications, successful events, programmes and offerings, as well as everyday life together. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.