I love being a librarian, but I would be lying if I said that my job always filled me with sunshine and roses and visions of kitty cats and vegan cupcakes. Under-staffing, under-funding, difficult patrons, bureaucracy and just down-right cranky burnt-out days can bring a good librarian down. I do my very best to keep a smile on my face, though it’s not always easy. To combat a perpetual case of the grumps, I have several packages of this one fake tattoo (I’m afraid of needles):
I got this at SITE NYC in Astoria
[not my arm, source]
In addition, I have kids’ cards and drawings all over my (often-messy) desk to help me remember that I’m appreciated and that the work I do is important. There’s nothing like a rendering of your physical appearance in which your head is three times the size of your body to cheer you up. I mean it.
I obtained 50 thousand (number may be slightly off) small, white picture frames at Materials for the Arts and immediately came up with a craft for my library’s school-aged kiddos. School and the daily muckety-muck must get them down too, and I figured they could do will some DIY inspiration.
In addition to the frames, I cut out 50 thousand pictures of things I thought they might find inspiring or comforting:
This was a very popular class, but here are just a few of my favorite finished products:
Stickers added because I'm a dork.
Appreciate the Gaga-fication of J-lo
Never underestimate the unending appeal of Star Wars and dogs
Extra points for extra sparkles
It was a secret desire of Batman to be always surrounded by sequins
I don't get the appeal because I'm 50 thousand years old
Oddly, no one used this picture (please note my semi-veiled sarcasm):
C'mon, kids! You're killing me! WHO IS THIS?
When I quizzed the kids on who it was, the most common response was Michelle Obama.
headdesk
I had one frame that someone left behind. I dropped it on my supervisor’s desk and said nothing. It remained there for a long time:
I'm writing a book called 100 Ways to Confuse and Delight Your Boss
Love, libraries, and beLiebers, Ingrid
