In a lot of ways the first week back is similar to the first week home: major adjustment process at the same time that it’s not. You slip very easily back into your life being run by an office-set schedule, and you simply slip into your place as a cog in a very very well oiled, well running machine.
The flagship has been home for me for so long now that I don’t even know if I’m aware of her anymore persay, I know her like the back of my hand, and as a result, there’s very little I have to do to get used to her again. With a few exceptions of course. For one thing it never fails to amaze me how muddled the shelving system can get in the three and a bit weeks between when Spartan (my old co-librarian, who did the fall flagship voyage), leaves and I take over. I mean really, how hard is it to keep the shelves full and neat? And who on earth aligns their books to the back of the shelf instead of the front? So that is taking me several hours – will probably take me several days – to set to rights. And there’s always the other little things like missing keys and changed passwords that you need to figure out. But overall, it’s an easy transition.
One thing that’s a huge change? Were it not for the fact that I have exceptionally understanding management onboard, who – before I even got here – scheduled both the ITO and the onboard computer expert to help me out during rush times, I would be doing it all alone this time. Head Office removed the secondary librarian position as of this season, so gone are the days of being able to lean on a partner. With the dual position in place, this means a heck of a lot of work to maintain the flagship standard; and I am so so grateful to management for scheduling me some help. I will owe these guys massively by the end of the season; as I know that – as good at my job as I am- I couldn’t do this without them. Just because of the sheer volume, especially at the beginning of the voyage.
Talk about going from a dead stop to full throttle in 24 hours!
Baptism by fire. 🙂