Seven years has gone by since creating Stand-Up Librarian, and did I celebrate? No. I worked at the library and went to bed early. Now I know how married people must feel. In the beginning, it's all champagne toasts and blog posts but after seven years, you are just grateful to still be around.
And I am!
I've been working at the library for over two years now, spending the past year cataloging DVDs, Blu-ray discs, vinyl records, and as of this week, I start working on the CDs. That's like over 5,000 items! And the cool thing is I have done most them from home on a laptop computer. Oh, the perks of technology.
Stand-Up Librarian Designs is going great as well. Thanks to adopting an adorable cat that likes to walk on a leash (more on that below), I started making pet accessories! And my Finn is the perfect model.
I am also very proud to share - in honor of this 7th anniversary - my first ever jewelry item! A personalized open book sterling silver pendant that I designed and made in the library jewelry workshop. Yep, my library is very special in so many ways, this being one of them. It is now available at my Etsy shop.
I've still been working on the book but not as much as I hoped with having a full-time library job and fashion business to keep me busy. I did however go back to the Eckerd College Writers in Paradise Writers Conference in January and work on my manuscript with the incredible author Ann Hood. I learned a lot from her and my classmates and from their input, I hope to make some changes that are necessary to prepare it more for publication.
Finally, the most important thing I did in the last year is adopt my sweet cat Finnegan Butterbeer C.K. named after authors James Joyce (Finnegan's Wake) and J.K. Rowling (butterbeer being my favorite thing in Harry Potter), and my fellow ginger comedian Louis C.K. Finn has truly added to my life in so many ways from inspiring me to create new things in my accessory line (and many costumes for us to wear!) to teaching me the responsibility of being a parent and most importantly, giving me the unconditional love, companionship and laughter that I so desperately need. That's not to say that I don't get that from my on and off boyfriend that I have had for almost two years, but when you work mostly by yourself and from home cataloging, sewing, and writing, it can at times be extremely lonely and isolating. Finn has kept me company by either sitting next to me at my sewing desk or in the box of library materials as I catalog. Of course, he spends most of his time in the library, sleeping in his book box under my card catalog and even has his own special section where he keeps his book scratching post and all of his cat books. He has absolutely become my muse and I hope to incorporate him in future library events when I have the time to do them again. Yes, I miss performing very much and I hope when the time is right that I will be back to doing it.
For now, I am just so happy that after seven long years, I am still here. If only once a year on the blog but always, always standing up for libraries. I am grateful to be a librarian but nothing makes me prouder than being a Stand-Up Librarian. A word I created seven years ago for a job that just didn't exist until I decided libraries needed one. Thanks again to those who believed in me when nobody else did.
To stay in touch with what I am up to, you can find me (and Finnegan) on Instagram (Me: @standuplibrarian Finn: @finneganbutterbeerck )which is where I spend most of my time online these days.
Have a great summer!
Meredith
Crazy Cat Lady & Stand-Up Librarian
Have a great summer!
Meredith
Crazy Cat Lady & Stand-Up Librarian
