Head Tale

The other offer was a full-time permanent position with the Provincial
Library and it had a very strong appeal as well.  But in the end, I
decided to go for the one that felt like it would be the best fit for
who I am and what I want to do.  (My parents think I'm nuts to turn down
a FT perm government job.  They might be right!)

If you read my blog, you'll know that I'm a big fan of seeing events
come “full circle” and this is the ultimate example for me.  When I applied to UWO, my
Statement of Intent focused heavily on the impact of my hometown library in my life.  Now, one short year later, I'll be responsible for that branch (and 47 others around southeast Saskatchewan!) 

I start my position as Branch Supervisor, responsible for the small
branches in various communities around SE Saskatchewan on Monday April 2
(well,  I actually started today for their AGM.)  My area covers 75
000 people over an 18 000 square mile area.

I'm extremely excited about this opportunity – it's in public library
system which is my main area of interest, it's where Shea's parents live
so she can spend a lot of time with them during her mat leave year, and
I'll be able to do a huge range of things – programming, collection
development, IT, reference and more – that I'd be unlikely to get to do to that extent anywhere
else.

I am extremely proud of my rural roots and the chance to work in many communities I'm familiar with is a dream come true.  On top of that, the people who come out of SE Regional, including the current
head of Regina Public Library, have a strong reputation in the library
community so that was a deciding factor as well.

Oh, and I'm happy to report that the two jobs I didn't get offered went to FIMS classmates and if it wasn't meant for me to get those jobs, I'm happy to hear it was a couple people I know.  (I spent an enjoyable day yesterday showing one of my former classmates/new colleagues who is originally from Ontario around Regina.)