Our ‘View from my desk’ post for March 2022 is from Jan Richards AM. Jan moved to Tasmania (Bruny Island to be exact) in November 2020 after a long career in NSW public libraries. She now works as a consultant and continues to be involved with ALIA and IFLA as a volunteer.
Where and how did you start your LIS career?
With apologies to those of you who have heard my story before I can best be described an accidental librarian. When I left school, I was going nursing and was due to commence in the June following my HSC. I’d been measured for my uniform and my dreams were filled with visions of me striding in a calm, but purposeful way down brightly lit corridors, accompanied by the reassuring sound of starch (you must remember it was the 1970s). If you’d asked me then why I’d made that career choice I would have probably been hard pressed to give you a convincing reply. Many of my friends had chosen nursing and in it also meant I could pursue a blossoming romance.
My parents weren’t so keen on the whole Florence Nightingale escapade so when they saw an advertisement in our local paper for a trainee librarian, they urged me to apply as an interim job. Begrudgingly, and with the considerable ill grace that an 18-year-old girl can muster I agreed. You can guess the rest.
From day one at Orange City Library, I loved working in libraries and on the evening of my second day wrote to the hospital and told them I wouldn’t be joining them. I’m sure they were devastated. As for the romance it survived the long-distance pressures and the boyfriend has been my husband for almost 50 years.
Does your role in the LIS field match what you expected before starting out?
Consultancy was something that had been on my horizon for many years. I knew when I ‘retired’ 48 years after that first day I wanted to continue working with libraries in some form or other. I’d had a fantastic career in public libraries in NSW that included active engagement with the NSW Public Libraries association, ALIA and IFLA and contributions to stakeholder organisations and boards. Our sudden decision to move from NSW to Tasmania during COVID put the whole thing on fast forward. Thankfully I have a few close friends who have followed this path in libraries and allied fields and so I have been able to tap into their experience. No huge surprises to date!
What are the key issues you face in your role? What are the rewards?
The discipline of organising myself and not having a support network readily at hand has, at times, been challenging. For example, I thought I was a bit or a Word/Excel guru until I was no longer able to say ‘Therese, how do I?’ and boy, do I miss the IT team!
As for the rewards, they are two-fold. Firstly, I can continue to contribute to the networks which have been such an integral part of my professional life for so many years. This includes staying in touch with colleagues and making new friends. My team always joked that my phone was glued to my ear and being a consultant hasn’t changed that! It’s rewarding to be able to assist someone whether it’s with a major project or being someone at the end of the line who you can bounce some ideas off. The other reward is not being tied to your desk (the ubiquitous Zoom call aside!) If the beach calls there’s nearly always an opportunity to head down for a paddle.
What is a point of difference about your service?
I think I can honestly claim that I am Australia’s southernmost library consultant. I have a strong focus on public libraries but also work with colleagues in the wider GLAM and cultural sector mirroring my experience in local government and on government boards.
What career strategies and skills are important for a successful LIS career?
Like everything in life, you reap what you sow. My advice is get involved, the people you’ll meet, the places you’ll go and the networks you’ll form will be your entrée into an exciting career. Seek opportunities, keep informed, seize the day!
Actively seek out mentors, and no they don’t have to be in the LIS arena. I’m currently mentoring three wonderful young people as part of a couple of initiatives. It’s a delight to be able to track their progress and I hope in working with them I am giving back, repaying the people who mentored and guided me.
And finally tell us about the ‘view from your desk’.
My office is a separate building just below the house and I pinch myself every day when I unlock the door and gaze out of the windows onto the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and up to Mt Wellington. The waterway is constantly changing and as I write this the seaplane has just taken off (honestly). We are blessed to be surrounded by wildlife and it’s not unusual for the raucous native hens to look inquisitively through the door before continuing on their way.
My desk itself is a sea of paper, pens and post it notes and, as my office also doubles as my patchwork studio, a flurry of fabric! A zoom call necessitates a bit of careful rearrangement. My view can also encompass my canine assistant if she deigns to pop down and that is very much dependent on what else is happening and the snacks on offer.
I love my desk, I love my office, I love my life. Libraries ROCK.
ALIA Island 