Ever Have a Cruddy Day at Work?

My job is usually so boring. But today I got some annyoing excitement-- I'm being required to work the reference desk 3 hrs a week. I am a cataloger. I don't "do" reference. Training? Here's our manual. Difficult questions? Ask a reference librarian for help, except they're both going on vacation during our alleged training period. Are the Ref Staff going to be reciprocating and helping in Tech Services? No (unequivocal, it seems.) Rewrite my job description? Oh, of course, dear! least we can do. Temporary? (.......)

I am the arrow, shot from the bow. My purpose is clear.

I'm a professional. As they repeatedly pointed out, I have a professional degree in which I received reference training. You know, 13 effing years ago in library school, where I took my one required effing ref course, and have never worked a day of reference professionally since.

I am the arrow, shot from the bow. My purpose is clear.

This would have been a lot easier to take, if you'd tell me your thinking about it, then given me the chance to object, then argued against my objections logically, so I could come around to agreeing with you, eventually, or at least be numbed by argument to the point where I'll agree to it so we can stop talking about it. Unilateral decisions are incompatible with "collaborative relationships," after all.

I am the arrow, shot from the bow. My purpose is clear.

I am not going to cry at the staff meeting where they announce this to everyone else. I'm not! Got to practice my poker face during lunch. I'm not alone, at least; the Acquisitions Librarian is in the same doomed boat as me. We can roll our eyes at each other during the meeting.

I am the arrow, shot from the bow. My purpose is clear.

I know this is stupid to rant about. People argue all the time in librarianship about doing reference, it's no big deal, makes you a better cataloger, blah blah whatevs. If I wanted to point spoiled students to the bathroom I'd have effing volunteered. Well, I'm off to read the sad reference manual now, my only training. Maybe they will give me a small hat and tin cup, and an organ to grind, too.