1.0ALSC Bloghttps://www.alsc.ala.org/blogALSC Managing Children’s Services Committeehttps://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/author/managing-childrens-services-committee/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="PgzdbDTkfS"><a href="https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2026/02/other-duties-as-assigned-opportunity/">“Other Duties as Assigned”= Opportunity</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2026/02/other-duties-as-assigned-opportunity/embed/#?secret=PgzdbDTkfS" width="600" height="338" title="““Other Duties as Assigned”= Opportunity” — ALSC Blog" data-secret="PgzdbDTkfS" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> That quote, “other duties as assigned” has become a catchphrase in my library. It refers to the things we find ourselves doing as part of our work that aren’t in the job description and not what our MLS degree education (where required) prepared us for. It could be ice skating in a chipmunk costume, building life-size people from chicken wire, or playing with mud. Why would we volunteer for such things? And why, as managers, would we encourage our staff to do the same? Opportunity • We do them primarily because it’s a way to keep the fun in our work. C’mon, imagine getting paid to be an ice-skating chipmunk. • Fun in our work feels like play, and play is known to stimulate parts of the brain not always used during routine tasks such as ordering materials or creating schedules. Staff can learn a new task better when work...https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Chippy-Skating-w-Text-1.jpg10661126