The circular transfer

It seems a bit weird, but yesterday I had to fill out an Application for Transfer form - but only giving a choice of one school - so that I can transfer back to my own school, as a teacher-librarian. These days, most of the transfer process is done by computer; they enter all the data and the computer spits out your new destination.

After my job as Scan editor finished up in July 2002, the Department of Education and Training had no vacancies for teacher-librarians in my nominated districts, so I ended up back in a classroom, first as a supernumerary and then as a permanent teacher. I really like this school and, as much as I've enjoyed teaching Year 1 and 2 students the last few years, there is lots to miss about being the gatekeeper of information in a school library. Our current teacher-librarian has announced her retirement, and so - if all goes well - I will be moving into that position.

I've always felt that teacher-librarianship was my niche, where I could do the most good for the students and my colleagues in education. I'm looking forward to my return. (But it's daunting after so long away from the OASIS computer network - and budgets, stocktakes, book fairs, lost library books, etc.)

My greatest fear: remembering to write the correct four-digit school code on my form. That's no time to make a typographical error, and finding myself posted somewhere else more, um, scenic. Or my circular transfer ending up in the circular file.