The BOCES program has an office here on campus and we are offered volunteers to help in the library on a regular basis. Our last worker didn't find the work to her liking (they get to clean the computers and keep the books neat and straight on the shelves - very serious and necessary work). She got reassigned to a dining hall in another institution and loves it. I am relieved she found a better situation.
Now we have a new person, and it turns out he is an amazing artist. He brought his portfolio along, and I am seriously considering hiring him to do some artwork for Jairus House. He could surely make a decent living with his brush and pencil skills. Still, there is more to life than just being a one sided individual, and his volunteer work will help him gain job experience and the ability to understand the ethics of working for someone else and doing stuff you really would rather not do in ways you would really rather not do it.
I expect he will chafe a bit under the constraints of this work, but will do it well. The best part about getting him set up was to hear updates on our previous volunteers. They are all doing well and gainfully employed. I am delighted to know that we were able to provide some small supporting role in their ongoing success. Now if I could just figure out who's plate to put the volunteer supervision back on in our reconfigured workforce . . .
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Let the Interviews Begin
We have restructured our staff yet again, trying to find a way to increase the system person's position now that we are hiring a new librarian. I calculated and fussed and parsed out the work every which way from Sunday trying to find an amenable work load for each position in my area.
We finally found a workable, yet collapsed solution, mushing the evening supervisor with reserves responsibilities, and trusting that we would be able to find a competent night person to fill the position. Lots of people shook their heads and gloomily announced that the hours were too late, too severe for anyone to want to work them on a regular basis. "You are out of your mind if you think you will get any applications for that job!" we were told.
Yet, lo and behold, before it even was posted, there was interest. I mentioned it to a friend who immediately sent her husband by to apply. Hardly before the ad was up, we had three applications. I am shocked that we got over a dozen solid applicants, several of whom were abundantly qualified. The job market is working for us is all I can say.
We perused each application, comparing them in a chart, and selected the two best candidates. They both look wonderful on paper. Let's see if they are as wonderful in person! Let the games begin.
We finally found a workable, yet collapsed solution, mushing the evening supervisor with reserves responsibilities, and trusting that we would be able to find a competent night person to fill the position. Lots of people shook their heads and gloomily announced that the hours were too late, too severe for anyone to want to work them on a regular basis. "You are out of your mind if you think you will get any applications for that job!" we were told.
Yet, lo and behold, before it even was posted, there was interest. I mentioned it to a friend who immediately sent her husband by to apply. Hardly before the ad was up, we had three applications. I am shocked that we got over a dozen solid applicants, several of whom were abundantly qualified. The job market is working for us is all I can say.
We perused each application, comparing them in a chart, and selected the two best candidates. They both look wonderful on paper. Let's see if they are as wonderful in person! Let the games begin.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Online Training Gone Awry
So we have been taking what were supposed to be basic training seminars for one of the library software tools. The advertisement sounded wonderful. Learn how to use this tool better. Yes, good idea. Only that's not what we got at first.
The poor person presenting seemed to be rushed and unorganized. She sent us the wrong login information and we all called in to tell her we couldn't login. After we finally got that settled, she would stumble about trying to get set up to show us how a function worked only to find that she couldn't access the right server or that the search she used didn't give the results she needed to demonstrate the point she was wanting to make.
Several times online attendees would start talking and she would hurry to mute them while doing her best not to lose her train of thought. Once in awhile she pushed the wrong button and the screen went somewhere she didn't intend. Part of the time she flipped from one open application to another and we had no idea what on earth she was doing.
Clear as mud. Not to mention that we never got her handouts until the last minute, and sometimes not even then. Poor woman. I wonder if she had any idea how she came across to her online audience. The company sent around an evaluation survey which I was happy to fill out in all honesty.
So the next session was taught by someone other. And the "other" person was quite knowledgeable and helpful. Except he sent his handout after the fact, but at least we got it, and understood what he was showing us.
Makes you wonder what is happening at that company! Did they spring the teaching on someone last minute, or load her plate so full she had no time to prepare? Was she just over confident? I'm sure she does a much better job at whatever else they hired her to do. And it makes me think twice about "winging it" if I have to do any online presenting. Just not a good idea to aggravate people you don't know and won't meet.
The poor person presenting seemed to be rushed and unorganized. She sent us the wrong login information and we all called in to tell her we couldn't login. After we finally got that settled, she would stumble about trying to get set up to show us how a function worked only to find that she couldn't access the right server or that the search she used didn't give the results she needed to demonstrate the point she was wanting to make.
Several times online attendees would start talking and she would hurry to mute them while doing her best not to lose her train of thought. Once in awhile she pushed the wrong button and the screen went somewhere she didn't intend. Part of the time she flipped from one open application to another and we had no idea what on earth she was doing.
Clear as mud. Not to mention that we never got her handouts until the last minute, and sometimes not even then. Poor woman. I wonder if she had any idea how she came across to her online audience. The company sent around an evaluation survey which I was happy to fill out in all honesty.
So the next session was taught by someone other. And the "other" person was quite knowledgeable and helpful. Except he sent his handout after the fact, but at least we got it, and understood what he was showing us.
Makes you wonder what is happening at that company! Did they spring the teaching on someone last minute, or load her plate so full she had no time to prepare? Was she just over confident? I'm sure she does a much better job at whatever else they hired her to do. And it makes me think twice about "winging it" if I have to do any online presenting. Just not a good idea to aggravate people you don't know and won't meet.
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