I actually have been in a funk this week, though, so my title isn't completely off-beat. I think it's some combination of job stress and leaving soon.
I'll be home in just over three weeks. I'm just beginning to get used to it here, and now I'll be leaving. I might just have to come back and visit someday soon.
Even if I wasn't dating someone down here, I'd have reason to stay. This bookmobile project is not quite finished yet, and I'm worried nobody will take the reins when I leave. I mean, I've laid the ground-work, but it hasn't been executed yet.
I got the idea and ran with it. I secured book and monetary donations. I came up with a cataloging scheme. I came up with a distribution plan. I convinced the management to undertake a job search for a manager for the mobile library - someone who's local so they know the languages, has a teaching background so they'll be good with the kids, and who doesn't have a job already so that they'll be able to fully concentrate on the library. We haven't found anyone yet, but convincing them that we need to be looking was actually a big step. I developed a list of books with which to build the core collection (once the finance department gives the word that the money has been successfully converted to rand and deposited into the project's account, allowing me to actually buy things). I found suppliers for these books (which you wouldn't believe to be so challenging, but it is when you're dealing in non-English language publications for Africa). I've identified and applied for assistance from several charitable organizations to continue growing the mobile library's holdings after I leave.
Why, then, do I feel so useless? Like I haven't done a damned thing with my time here?
I'll tell you why. It's because my pipe dream is not yet a reality, and I have this fear that it never will become so if I leave before it gets off the ground. I really should set more attainable goals.
This actually started off as just a way to get free regular adult fiction books for the library for staff to use for entertainment. I did that. Our fiction section is double what it was when I got here, and we didn't spend a dime. That's all because of me. But then I got the idea to get books for people who actually really need them. That's where the trouble started. I dreamed too big and got ahead of myself. And now I won't be happy until I've accomplished the impossible. Native-language books for the children of Welverdiend. I want it to happen. But I fear it never will.
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Anyway, beyond this, I've been busy with other things at the library here. Some of them are boring duties, like chasing down students with overdue books...or cataloging those god-awful reports. I'm so sick of them. Nearly 700 now that I've done. My progress on this front has been less than stellar in recent weeks, partly because I got wrapped up in my other, more interesting and worthwhile, project: the mobile library. Also, my lesser responsibilities have been eating up a considerable amount of time lately as well. Planning an Earth Hour event for the campus, researching book prices, processing new materials, and *gasp* even helping students! I've also been going through the collection with Sunel to re-arrange it and re-classify many of the books so that the subject areas are more consistent. On top of this, I'm starting to put together materials about my PFE for my "poster session" which is one of the criteria on which I'm graded for this class. It's all so crazy.
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