(Amazing, Awesome) Day in the Life of a Librarian
I was originally going to do one of these posts yesterday and ran out of time, and I wasn’t going to do one today — but today was one of those days where everything was *worth it,* and I kind of want to preserve it.
9:05 a.m. - Arrive at library. I am always late, roughly by five minutes. Turn on computers, and lights. Go through notes from staff regarding yesterday’s night shift. Check email. Answer a few emails regarding YALSA committees.
9:20-9:40 a.m. - Set-up storytime room; rehearse fingerplays, songs, and action rhymes. Make sure each place at the craft table has all the supplies. (My teens set up the craft tables for me at the end of yesterday’s “Gardening” program.)
9:40 a.m. - Greet storytime participants as they arrive. Put out puzzles, coloring pages, and set kids up on the literacy computer while we wait until five after the hour to go into the programming room.
10:05-10:45 a.m. - Storytime! Theme today was “clothes” and it was a really good storytime. Our last book was “Polly’s Pink Pajamas” and one of my little girls squealed, “That’s my FAVORITE book!”
10:45-11:00 a.m. - Clean up after storytime; talk with some parents about our next storytime break and reminding them about the summer reading program.
11:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. - Write up storytime summary, cut out fleece countries (for a display), sign up kids for programs, and file papers from inbox. Talk to assistant director about volunteers; have minor freak-out that I won’t be allowed to have teen volunteers. Tweet with other librarians about this; receive alternate plan from @crplteens on what I can do if this happens!
12:20-12:40 p.m. - Alternate between reading “School Library Journal,” newest “Publisher’s Weekly” and the special Royal Wedding “People” issue while on “break.” Take note that my break did not include food and did not include leaving the desk. I have so much to do for summer reading, I don’t think I’ve had a break in two weeks! [Not that I couldn’t take lunch/dinner, but I would rather work through the break than stress at home about stuff that isn’t done. My choice!]
12:40-12:50 p.m - Go downstairs to set up for “Games for Kids” and file away old magazines. Also bring up popsicle sticks to attach to butterfly puppets for tomorrow’s daycare storytime.
12:50 p.m. - Help patron find ladybug crafts for her preschool/daycare. Another patron eavesdrops and also requests the materials I recommend.
1:00-1:50 p.m. - Discuss with co-workers a myriad of things concerning summer reading: letters home to schools, bookmarks to cut and pass out, new spine labels for display books (so our pages can put them immediately back on the displays and my staff won’t have to go hunting for returned books), our giant summer reading display, and registration. Resolve almost all issues (except our giant display) before heading out for a school visit.
1:50 p.m. - Arrive for school visit. Sign in, and wait in the cafeteria for second graders to arrive.
2:00-2:35 p.m. - Talk to second graders about summer reading. Am very pleased to say that I did this without a script, without notes or anything, and did not say “um” once. I never thought sophomore English public speaking would pay off.
2:40-3:15 p.m. - Arrive back at the library. Begin pulling books, printing out my extension activities, and making up a take-home sheet for tomorrow’s daycare storytime. Our theme is “Up and Down” storytime. I’m going to do a small series of opposites storytimes until Summer Reading officially kicks off.
3:15-3:55 p.m. - Go downstairs with co-worker to work on the giant display. We are making a giant 3D world out of fleece, poster board, and stuffing. I am responsible for cutting out the countries while my co-worker assembles the water. Afterwards, she agrees to stay downstairs while I do my program to finish hot gluing the countries to the world.
3:55-4:45 p.m. - Collect kids for our “Games for Kids” program (K-3rd graders). Only start with 5 kids; end with 11 kids in attendance. (Small numbers, but it was a gorgeous day out.) The kids request Legos as their game choice, so we settle on the storytime rug for Lego building. And yes, I lay down on my stomach and build right alongside them.
4:45-5:00 p.m. - My co-worker brings down the library’s camera to take pictures of the kids’ creations. They have built a castle, a pizzeria, a rocketship, a jail, and a hospital. There have been elaborate robberies, injuries, pizza deliveries, and a lot of wonderful moments. I convince the kids to chase my co-worker around the room after she steals a “pile of money” (read: stack of green Legos) and to put her and her Lego character in jail. Best program ever!
5:00-5:36 p.m. - Clean up Legos (with the help of the kids!), tape popsicle sticks to butterfly puppets and set-up books and flannelboards for tomorrow’s storytime. Go home, happily exhausted.
