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Back to work

I’m about 10 days from heading back to the library after taking a three week break in order to get settled with Eliza. We’re 11 days into Eliza’s life, and I can’t imagine going away for 10 hours a day from her. Everyone told me this would happen, and of course I knew it would, but the reality of the situation is beginning to surface.

We’ll see how the next 10 days go, but I’m betting that the first bit back into libraryland is going to be disorienting. Those of you with kids, how do you manage?

By griffey

Jason Griffey was most recently the Director of Strategic Initiatives at NISO, where he worked to identify new areas of the information ecosystem where standards expertise was useful and needed. Prior to joining NISO in 2019, Jason ran his own technology consulting company for libraries, has been both an Affiliate at metaLAB and a Fellow and Affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and was an academic librarian in roles ranging from reference and instruction to Head of Library IT and a tenured professor at the University of TN at Chattanooga.

Jason has written extensively on technology and libraries, including multiple books and a series of full-periodical issues on technology topics, most recently a chapter in Library 2035 - Imagining the Next Generation of Libraries by Rowman & Littlefield. His latest full-length work Standards - Essential Knowledge, co-authored with Jeffery Pomerantz, was published by MIT Press in March 2025.

He has spoken internationally on topics such as artificial intelligence & machine learning, the future of technology and libraries, decentralization and the Blockchain, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property. A full list of his publications and presentations can be found on his CV.
He is one of eight winners of the Knight Foundation News Challenge for Libraries for the Measure the Future project (http://measurethefuture.net), an open hardware project designed to provide actionable use metrics for library spaces. He is also the creator and director of The LibraryBox Project (http://librarybox.us), an open source portable digital file distribution system.

7 replies on “Back to work”

I didn’t manage: I stayed at home with my two kids until the younger one was in second grade.

Took a huge career hit (which is why I’m still working at age 60) but don’t regret a minute of it.

My daughter hopes to do the same, when grandkids start coming.

I’m 6 days away from coming back after 3+ months off, and you’re asking me? 😉

Other than the distinct impression that the European and Scandinavian countries are onto something, I’ve no idea. But if you figure it out, wouldja let me know?

Coffee!! It does wonders in both helping you recover from 3 am feedings and offering a bit of warm comfort — even if it is a poor substitute for a good cuddle 🙂

Congrats on the newest addition.

After we brought our son home, I took a month off from work and then worked from home (nights and weekends while I took care of him during the day) for another month and a half until my wife was off for the summer.

Getting back into caring about library technology, library politics and the projects that intersect the two was then pretty difficult since it suddenly seemed totally insignificant.

I think taking some time off to bond with him helped me form my convictions about the boundaries between professional and personal life and how the latter is, from now on, going to take precedence over how I approach the former (which is the reverse of how it was before he came home).

Congratulations and get some sleep.

Well, actually you don’t manage. You just kind of get through it, is all Disorienting is a very good word for it. The first month is probably the most difficult, but after that you find you have developed a new family routine and everyone figures it out. I agree with Ross’ comment – everything else suddenly seems utterly insignificant compared with a child. Rest up and we’ll see you when we can. – Va.

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