LEEP Weekend was this weekend as I’ve mentioned.  It is always an event.  Last fall I mainly treated it like the work experience that it was, although I had some good coffee and great conversation with Ginger and Dawn who were in one of classes I broadcasted.

This time I made it social besides work.  I am broadcasting 3 LEEP classes this semester.  2 had class Friday and the other Saturday.  These were ‘my peeps’—my own small patron base—the folks I am responsible for each week to help class take place and hopefully go smoothly for all.

Working in a job like mine one has a very select patron base.  It is select in being a somewhat intimate population, certainly less than a 1000.  Also select in that it is almost entirely students, staff and faculty of GSLIS.  It is a great responsibility, privilege, and pleasure to serve these folks.  It sometimes boggles my mind that I’m this involved in helping provide education to my peers. 

Hey, Jill, Matt and Rae-Anne, have you ever offered a demonstration of how LEEP classes ‘work’ during LEEP weekend?  Or is that done during Boot Camp?  I’ve had discussions with a few LEEP students who admit interest in, and lack of knowledge of, how we make class happen.

I do miss the library though.  Different responsibilities, different
duties—some small overlap, different patron base (larger, more diverse
in many ways), different but often similar disappointments, the same
small pleasures of helping an individual with a need. 

It is sometimes so absolutely amazing how by doing something that is
so small to you that you feel it shouldn’t even be mentioned;
nonetheless  it makes someone’s entire day.  That is  immensely
rewarding for me.  Even the small victories help too.  That is how I
want to be known as a librarian—someone who will give me their best
even if they aren’t always completely successful as we all work within
constraints.  Maybe these small actions aren’t making a massive
difference in the world, but I like to think that it helps in a small
but important way.  I know that if my various information/tech needs
can go relatively smoothly my life will be generally better, less
stressed, etc.  Pretty ironic for a guy with my apparent energy level
to be concerned with making the world a little less stressed for his
patrons.  I often find myself hoping that my energy isn’t stressful to
others.  I am trying to do the best I can for you with what I have to
work with at that moment.

I had a nice time talking with and helping people this weekend.  I
am quite happy if I think I helped a few people’s trip go a little
smoother.  I did reset a password or two, get people’s printers set-up,
do a few AV set-ups and take-downs, trained a few people for LRL
access,….
Other folks, I am sorry—like the nice lady this afternoon
with the Mac laptop that just wouldn’t go to the Cites page.  We were
in the UIUCnet and had a strong signal….

Technically, LEEP weekend continues tomorrow and I hope to see
Taylor, one of the instructors I worked with in the fall.  Otherwise
it’s back to normal for me.  It seems to me like it was a successful
LEEP weekend.