RELAX, YOU’RE NOT A SURGEON

Emily Clasper [Suffolk County Library Cooperative, New York, USA] has a good post on her blog, Library Revolution. Here is the part I especially like.

“I’m not really cut out to be a medical professional. Too much pressure. Too much at stake. Which is why (in part) I became a librarian.

“As a librarian, I certainly have certain responsibilities that could impact people negatively if I don’t perform them perfectly every time. But if I do have an of day, nobody is going to be paralyzed. Or disfigured. Or killed. They might just be a little grumpy.

"This is what I want to say to a lot of library staff: Relax. You are not a surgeon. Or a military officer. Or an air traffic controller. Getting that book on the shelf stat [immediately] will not prevent someone from losing a limb. Making sure that hold gets fixed so that Mrs. So-And-So gets the new James Patterson ASAP [as soon as possible] will not bring about world peace. Relax.

"Yes, you can genuinely and deeply effect your patrons with what you do professionally. You can influence people’s lives with the information and services you provide. You can educate, inform, entertain, and really make a difference to your patron and your community. But you also have the luxury of knowing that you are not in a life or death situation, and not every little thing needs to be made a Federal Case. Relax. I mean it. Take a deep breath. Ask yourself, 'Is anyone going to die from this?' And Relax."

URL: http://libraryrevolution.com/2007/07/31/relax-youre-not-a-surgeon/