Do not misconstrue this – I loved my time in the University at Buffalo’s M.S. Information & Library Science program. My professors and academic advisor were a wealth of knowledge, my classmates were equally as passionate about the field as I am, and the remote format of the program allowed me to have the flexibility to continue working in the public library.
Category: What I Wasn’t Taught in Library School…
Why This Small Library Hired an Artist instead of a Librarian
With shrinking budgets and expanding roles, librarians everywhere have to continue to wearmany hats. Or maybe just one big hat with “Other Duties As Assigned” embroidered on it.With that reality, most librarians must do EVERYTHING, including their own marketing theirown programs. In comparison, larger metropolitan libraries with multiple branches have wholeteams dedicated to just that task. But Mukwonago Community Library, a smaller library in Mukwonago, Wisconsin with only 25 employees total, found a way to strike a balance between the two extremes.
Setting Realistic Expectations for Summer Programming (and Yourself)
As youth services librarians, we often enter June with a mix of excitement and pressure. Having realistic expectations for summer programming is essential. Summer reading season represents possibility, with higher attendance, energetic programs, and meaningful engagement with families. However, it can also bring an expectation that every program should be a hit. There is also the feeling that we should somehow sustain peak energy all summer long. After months of planning, it is easy to imagine summer unfolding exactly as we envisioned. But summer rarely follows the script. Summer Doesn’t Always Go According to Plan One week may bring a packed room, while the next feels quieter. Some children jump right into activities, while others prefer to watch before participating. Mixed ages show up together and attendance fluctuates. As a result, even the same program can feel completely different from one day to the next. This unpredictability is not a…
Stress Relief in Time for Summer Reading
Whether you’re a school media specialist steeling yourself to fulfill continuing education coursework, or a public librarian hyping up for wall-to-wall reading programs, relaxation is likely NOT the first word that comes to mind when we youth services folks think about summer. It’s easy to feel overworked, overstimulated, and under-appreciated at any time in the library, but the heat tends to turn everything up to eleven. You can’t expect to be at your best for your patrons, students, colleagues, friends, family, and, most importantly, yourself if you don’t indulge in little breaks to depressurize throughout the day. Here are five one minute(ish) stress relievers that make an immediate difference without making you look too goofy in a shared office. Even better, they work for people of pretty much every age, shape, and capability! Starfish Breathing Choose a hand to be your “starfish.” Then use the pointer finger of the other…
Bookmark this Blog Post: When You’re Feeling Down, Here’s Some Youth Staff Inspiration!
Librarians are a passionate group of people. I think I speak for all of us when I say we didn’t get into this job for the glamour or the paycheck; we got into it for love of our communities and a genuine passion for literacy. That passion can carry you a long way, but there are always unexpected detours and bumps in the road. Maybe you’re dealing with budget cuts. Maybe your building is under renovation. Maybe you’re facing censorship attempts, staffing shortages, or a team with conflicting personalities. Maybe programming isn’t landing the way you hoped or you’re feeling pressure to justify your department’s value. Maybe you’re burnt out from wearing too many hats or frustrated by the gap between what your community needs and what you have resources to provide. Whatever it is, you’re not alone. I’m the Assistant Children’s Director at Rogers Public Library in Rogers, Arkansas….
“Other Duties as Assigned”= Opportunity
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…
Everything I Need to Know I Learned In Library School
When I graduated with my degree in education, I was required to create a capstone binder that outlined how I met “core competencies” related to education and teaching. It included things like assessments, teaching of certain core subjects, and demonstrated student growth over a period of time. After graduating, I was so happy to never do anything like that again. That is, I was…until I got to library school.
How to Manage Behaviors in the Library
The toughest thing about working with kids can often be setting expectations and managing behaviors. Most articles available to librarians about “classroom management” include advice such as follow the rules of the institution you work for or build rapport with patrons/students. While this is good advice, it does not leave room for questions, especially from those who may not have an educational background. As someone with this background, what kind of librarian would I be to not help others build their background knowledge?