Greetings from the Jean Outland Chrysler Library! I amRebecca, the new Library Assistant. I graduated recently from Old DominionUniversity with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History. However, my goal is to oneday be an art librarian. What a perfect place to start! As the new assistant Ifigured I would tell you all about my first couple weeks here. On the first day, I woke up that morning, did my usualroutine, and started to put on my makeup when I realized my entire face hadbroken out in hives! I rushed to the local pharmacist and asked what could helpreduce the swelling on my face and not make me drowsy. He assured me thatClaritin would work - it even said “non-drowsy” on the box. I would find outlater that this was not true. I finally pulled myself together and made it ontime for my orientation with the Human Resources Manager. I was with two othergirls and she started explaining what it would be like working here. Thankgoodness she has a really good sense of humor or I would have been a fidgety, nervouswreck the entire time.
Once in Jessica’s company, I was finally able to relax.Jessica was my former boss at the Hoffheimer Art Library on the ODU Campus, soI knew I’d be okay. She was also the one who inspired me to pursuelibrarianship! We ended up going to lunch and she filled me in on some thingsabout the Chrysler Library. During lunch she explained to me that she would beout on Friday and that I would be opening and closing the Library by myself.Nerve-wracking, but doable. Back at the Library, we briefly went through whatmy responsibilities were, a tour, and the assistant’s manual. Then she preparedme for the upcoming Friday. I picked up the routine with relative ease and thatFriday went surprisingly well. A coupleof students came in that day and I helped them with research, which is myfavorite thing to do. I met some of the staff and told a couple of museum goersabout the Library. The rest of the day I read Legacy, which is the well-written and entertaining history ofWalter P. Chrysler Jr. and the Chrysler Museum. So, despite my apprehension, thesecond day was not bad at all.
A week later I got to go to my first staff meeting withJessica. This meeting was really pleasant: everyone stands in abig circle and updates the other departments on special events or nice things agroup of people or someone in particular has done. I think it’s important torecognize the nicer parts of people’s work experience, especially in a museumof this size. After the staff meeting Jessica gave me a tour of the educationdepartment and the break area, where we could get coffee and water. Once backin our library she showed me our little eating area, which looked like ithadn’t been used in a while. Jessica explained that because she had been sobusy she was never able to use the area. That’s when I came up with the cleveridea to make Jessica and me a Library-Survival-Kit. This kit consisted of: A coffee maker, coffee, creamer – help us get our morningjumpstartA box of emergency chocolate – for those especiallystressful days Power bars – for whenwe are hungry and it’s not lunchtime yet Mints – so we don’tfrighten patrons away with coffee breath Sparkling lemon water 
The rest of training has gone really well. I have had manysmall victories from processing my huge pile of mail and putting one giganticcart of books away, to organizing the periodical section. I am beginning to understand how complex alibrarian’s job is and why assistants are absolutely necessary. I have learnedso much in my first couple weeks - from my daily tasks and special needs, tomind-boggling ideas and questions about the library within a museum. I am stillslightly overwhelmed by all of my responsibilities, but that’s balanced with ahuge sense of excitement about everything else I am going to learn and experiencehere.So far, I am absolutely taken with this placeand am convinced I have the coolest job in the world right now. Why is this jobso awesome? First, I am working with some of the most exquisite publicationsever produced. Second, Jessica and I act as the medium between information andpeople, which is absolutely necessary for any institution and the surroundingcommunities to develop and function. And finally, I am also working at theinternationally known CHRYSLER MUSEUM!
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