Having Balance

It?s been real quiet at my place of work this week. Graduation was this past Sunday and the summer session hasn?t started yet. With not that many people needing reference help, I’ve been spending most of the work day at my desk in the back room. Even when I?’ at the reference desk, reference questions from patrons have been few and far between.

At my previous job, I was probably spending 70-75% of my time at the reference desk, working with the public. That was way too much. By the time I resigned, I was pretty much at the point of being burned out. Consequently, after I finished the Web Master Certificate program at Marquette University several years ago, I considered a career in web development. In fact, I applied (and even interviewed) for a few jobs in that field. Quiet times like this week at the College make me glad I didn’t get those jobs.

While school is in session, the time I spend at the reference desk (helping students, faculty and staff) and in various classes demonstrating library resources, probably amounts to about 40% of my working hours. I very much enjoy the mix of working with patrons out in the public, and having time to work on things like the library’s web presence at my desk in the back.

We all need balance in our lives. Too much of a good thing can spoil it. Not enough of a good thing… well, I guess that’s obvious. If you can find that balance point, your psyche will be all the better for it. This week I came to realize what good balance I have in my work life, and I am grateful for that.