Arrived in Denver with significantly less drama than was involved in getting to Anaheim.* The Reference Renaissance doesn’t actually begin until tomorrow but today held registration and a reception, replete with mediocre snacks and pricey booze. I digress, the snacks are not the reason I’m writing.

You know I seldom wax personal here at shinylib, but I have some personal reflectin’ to do. It’s necessary sometimes.

I went out with friends and colleagues this evening for dinner and such and as always happens I tell a lot of stories. (I’m not a player I just talk a lot… a ha ha) Anyway, I was talking about experiences I have had in the recent and less-recent past and I realized (again) that I can be a total ass sometimes. This isn’t really news, but it’s a good thing to reflect on from time to time and to keep in check.

It’s interesting to me how I can leave all most of my judgments at the door when I go to work. I’m not there to stress you about anything, my job is to help make your life easier and I love that you might get to learn something new. But when I’m not on the clock? I’m like a lot of people in our profession, I’m sure: hyper critical and especially snarky about things I find less-than. The world and it’s people frustrate me and don’t behave according to logic and it makes me cranky. It’s temping to say, “Well, I’m not a librarian all the time,” and just dismiss it, but I’m not sure that I’m not a librarian all the time. I don’t shut her off at the end of the work day and leave her in my office. Maybe I should, but I don’t know how.

Anyway, I was reminded tonight that people are more apt to learn things when you’re not an ass during the delivery. Well, the message was more eloquently put, but that’s the sentiment. It’s so easy to remember this when I’m at work, but I need to work on transferring this to my personal life. I’m sure that given time it will make me less $^$%&#@$%* and that could be a good thing. Work-life balance, yanno?

That’s enough personal reflection. More later on conference happenings. Needless to say I’m going to a LOT of virtual reference sessions. That is both good and bad. Good because it’s something I dig, bad because while I’m doing that I’m not getting informed on other realms. Good things I have 2 colleagues here from PCC with me, we can share the knowledge.

*What, I haven’t told you about the near mid-air collision?! Ask me about it sometime…