Slight stir the last couple of days because of the arrangements for the interviews for the head of library post. The senior uni person responsible for the day failed to invite any library staff to the presentations the candidates had to give and failed to arrange any tours for the candidates.

After our Head (who retires in June) complained they allowed one 'nominee' and so one of our two 'Associate' librarians was invited. (He's not interested in promotion as he has his eye on a place in France he'll be retiring to soonish).

Some of us, however, continued to press for a more open process. When a new Dean is appointed the presentations are open to anyone in the faculty to attend. Several others apart from myself thought the head of the library post should be treated in the same way. I'd just got our staff association rep on the case, when our Head, who'd heard what was going on pushed again and got four more places to attend the presentations.

So it was that I ended up being one of the four and going off to the exalted towers of University House to spend the morning listening to four 20 minute talks on library problems and strategies. There had been five but one candidate had withdrawn.

And fascinating it was too. At all sorts of levels. I may even have learned things which may stand me in good stead for the future should I ever go to do anything similar. I remember - and you go back to the early days of this blog to read about - my own presentation for my job. So nervous and stressed that I pretty much read it which wasn't great.

Two things I did learn from the day: one - I'm getting older and am no longer going to be having bosses more senior to me in age! two - it wouldn't have been *such* a stretch me going for the job when you saw some of the candidates.

Of the four, there were two men, two women. One of the latter was my boss (the other Associate Librarian). The two guys were unimpressive although one did manage to include the only diagram in his PowerPoint which I liked and he had a natural style (although it included a lot of 'yeahs' which weren't loved). The other only seemed to come alive at the point when we could ask questions. The first woman certainly seemed more like head material although her presentation was a bit theoretical and dry. My boss had good content (and the only handout) but was obviously as stressed as I was and read her 2000 odd words) which didn't impress even though we knew it wasn't her.

Of course I have no idea how the interviews went but I was certainly glad to sit through part of the process. One of my colleagues, the science librarian, has expressed the opinion that we should have an external appointee for a change and some 'new blood' after several internal promotions to the position. We shall see.