Backwards and Forwards

This week has been a wild ride for me. I honestly questioned my ability to present six lectures at three different conferences on three varied subject areas all within one week, but I survived and based on comments I’ve received, I did an outstanding job each time. The week began with the Military Seminar. I should have recalled that when coordinating an event, you should decline to offer any of the programs because you’ll only exhaust yourself. Several people were not pleased to discover that I was the representative for the center rather than my manager, but those same people approached me after my pension presentation to tell me how impressed they were with my lecture. One even tried to offer a compliment in saying they could understand why my boss allowed me to speak at this event. Okay, I thought, considering I was the one responsible for the entire seminar.

A few days later, I co-presented a two hour lecture at the Indiana Library Federation Conference along with my amazing colleague, Dawne. I managed to shock her when mid-lecture I used the example of ?ucker for a search. In my defense, I definitely kept the attendees on their toes. Dawne and I attended Delia’s session as backups to help with any perilous questions. Delia had the group chuckling at several of her death quips. The only backup she needed was a mention of the Daitch Mokotoff Soundex, which I just personally like saying. At the end of the week, there was the all day conference in Indianapolis. It was my first experience as the main speaker at an event. Four lectures on varying immigration topics and a very pleased audience. This was my forward momentum, another example of the changes in my career.

A few weeks ago, I received messages from several of my former employees, who were distressed about decisions involving my old collection. I was devastated to hear about the changes, yet felt it was another reminder that accepting my current job was a smart decision. The night before I spoke in Indy, the last true genealogy librarian left from my time and experience at my old library, sent me a message that she was being transferred and her position dissolved. I was a bit shell-shocked by this. It was the final death nail in my legacy. No specialized librarians in that collection; no one that the societies respect; no one with even basic knowledge of genealogy research; no one to offer original classes, only to read the notes and powerpoints I created almost seven years ago; no one who understands the book ordering; no one who cares for the history of that collection. It truly breaks my heart, but it also was a sign that I have to continue in my forward motion.