What I Learned Today

Today was a Monday, and for me that usually means problems galore will be put on my plate. As I settle in to this job more and more, I am gaining a sense of how to "let things go" if they really aren't top priority. This means fixing the big issues first and moving on to the little things as I can. For anyone who knows me well though, you know how difficult this is for me! I am a person that likes...no, I NEED projects to be completed and checked off of my to-do list. Unfortunately, this job is just one big to-do list that is never ending. I'm dealing with that though...and doing ok.

Now, for what I learned today.

Librarians have a need to keep things in order. We like to have every little piece of paper in its proper spot, usually filed away in a file drawer, or neatly placed in folders on the computer for easy access. Problems occur when those poor files cannot be found! I ended up making a little boo-boo last week that almost cost us our entire long-overdue database. This would have been 5 years of steady, diligent work down the drain. *But*...I learned something!

1. If you are going to copy a file to a different location, make sure you save it as a different file name before altering said file. (I was in such a hurry that I started chopping up the poor database to make a template out of it that I forgot this very important step)
2. If you ever wonder if it's really that important to have a server backup files and e-mails every night...worry or wonder no more. It is DEFINITELY important! (For so long, those poor backup tapes went unnoticed, but today they were very helpful in restoring the data)

Lesson one learned.

Lesson two is that through this process of accidentally deleting data, I learned more about the workings of Backup Exec on our server, and how to recover files if its ever needed. I was oh so nervous to press the restore button in fear that I would wipe the tape somehow, but it loaded, found the file I needed, restored it perfectly, and I feel like the hero at the end of the day.

Lesson three: I think it's about time that we replace our black and white printer. Why this particular model was bought in the first is a mystery, but I'm finding that we can only get through 3 weeks of prints before needing a new printer cartridge. The specks say ink will last for 2,000 prints, or thereabouts, which isn't much for a main branch with heavy printing traffic. So, this lesson will involve learning about different network printers and making sure that I make the right decision when purchasing.

Now, to make another to-do list for the rest of the week that may or may not get done depending on what decides to blow up or break...