An ancient library folktale
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 06:54PM The BookShelver: a library folktale
with apologies to Gerald McDermott's The Stonecutter and all of Japanese civilization
There was once a lowly bookshelver working in a small school library. Each day she patiently reshelved books and did other small tasks under the direction of the librarian. The librarian, it seemed to her, had a wonderful position - selecting new materials, directing aides to do her bidding, and having lots of interesting tasks that varied each day. Who could be more powerful than the librarian?
One night the bookshelver prayed to the Spirit of the School, asking to become a librarian. Low and behold, the next morning when she arrived at the school, she found she had become the librarian!
She loved the new job - she shared those stories she'd been shelving with students. She taught teachers how to use new computer software. She helped the principal find information he needed for a report. And she was content. Until one day the library supervisor came to visit. Ah, the supervisor with his vast budget, his ability to make policy, and his contact with the real powers of the school district - the principals, the directors and the technology director. Who could be more powerful than the library director?
That night the bookshelver prayed to the Spirit of the School, asking to become the library director. Low and behold, the next morning when she arrived at the school, she found she had become the library director!
As library director she commanded a vast budget, made staffing decisions and created great long-range strategies. She loved watching as the building librarians trembled at her approach and how the clerical staff jumped to do her bidding. Until one day she was summoned to the superintendent's office where budget cuts were discussed. Who could be more powerful than the superintendent?
That night the bookshelver prayed to the Spirit of the School, asking to become the superintendent. Low and behold, the next morning when she arrived at the school, she found she had become the sup!
What respect she commanded by the principals and the directors! She represented the school at community functions and was interviewed on television and the radio. Everyone in the entire school bowed and quaked when she appeared, often by surprise, in a building. But one day the president of the school board summoned the superintendent to a meeting at which test scores were being examined. The school board president's scowl said it all - he had even more power than the superintendent!
That night the bookshelver prayed to the Spirit of the School, asking to become the president of the school board. Low and behold, the next morning when she arrived at the school, she found she had become the board president!
As board president, the bookshelver did not need to concern herself with the daily tasks and details of running the school. With broad policy strokes, the president set the entire school district on new paths - closing buildings, ratifying contracts, and making personnel decisions. At one meeting, as president, the bookshelver, who had forgotten her origins, decided to fire all library support staff so that taxes could be lowered. Who possibly could be more powerful than the president of the school board?
The bookshelver was finally happy and content.
Until the next school board election when she found all the fired bookshelvers had organized a campaign to vote her off the board - and elect a school board member who supported libraries.
In this time of budget cuts, those of us in "middle management" - really at all levels of management - find out how little power we actually have to save positions, to save budgets, to save programs. As powerful as your boss may seem, my guess he answers to somebody above him. That doesn't mean we all shouldn't exert what power we have to save the programs and services that we believe serve children best.
But be careful about who you villainize in tough times.
Reader Comments (2)
My bosses - administrators and school board members - have bee supportive of us through this fallout here in WI. Our employers aren't doing this to public ed, our state government is. To me, there's no sense in verbally beating up the powers that be in the community over it.
Hi Nathan,
I guess I was thinking of you in Wisconsin when I wrote this. I believe workers tend assume those who supervise them have more power than that they actually have. And it hurts when the supervisor is powerless to save jobs. You gov and legislators look like the real villains in this mess!
Doug