Storytime. Summer Reading. STEAM Initiatives. These are just some of the types of programs a Children’s Library might do in any library in America on any given day. All these programs, for wildly different ages and groups of people, must be planned, scheduled, and prepared for. Programming alone is a juggling act, requiring a children’s librarian to impart early literacy tips to parents in the morning and help 10-year-olds solder in the afternoon. But the work of children’s librarians is not just visible programming work at the library.
Add in outreach – to local schools, to farmer’s markets, to fairs and festivals and community events. Don’t forget advocacy – attending town meetings, preparing your elevator pitch, and petitioning your elected officials for additional money and support. And marketing – someone has to make the calendars, write the press releases, and let the public know what you’re doing.
Now we’ve covered the work librarians do with the public – what about the work we do in “the back?” There’s collection development, which isn’t just buying books. Collectors need to both know their audience and know their market – what’s out there? What’s getting great reviews? What’s getting turned into a movie next month? Then there’s the umpteen administrative tasks of children’s librarianship: making sure you have enough coverage for programs and desk shifts, budgeting, pulling statistics, writing reports – a children’s librarian in management has an endless array of administrative tasks, often on top of regular librarian duties.
More than any profession I can think of, Children’s Librarians have a transferable, important skill – the ability to multitask. There are so many balls to keep in the air, and the public never does know just how much the friendly face at the desk is juggling to keep each population that uses the library happy, with their needs filled. Sometimes it can feel like you’re wading through a mire of felt pieces to be cut, emails to be answered, and schedules to be created. But to an outsider, everything seems to happen with ease and even grace. Multitasking is an invaluable skill – and Children’s Librarians are experts in it!
How do you help keep track of your tasks? Do you bullet journal? Utilize task managers such as Asana? Pen and paper lists? And how do you communicate to your administration the amazing juggling act you’re pulling off each and every day?
This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: VI. Administrative and
Management Skills.