A Day in the Life

After I made the decision to begin this blog, I struggled with the direction the blog should take. Should I write book reviews? Talk about library issues? There's so much to choose from! I decided to devote this first post to giving readers a glimpse of what happens beyond the view of the public on an ordinary day here at HVL. Most of you see me at the circulation desk, checking out your books and answering questions. But as you will see, my day entails much more...
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
11:30 a.m.: On my way to work, I make a couple of stops. First I head to Gilman Electric to pick up the light bulbs I requested last week. (Our beautiful lighting design, alas, requires special order bulbs.) Next, I stop at Walmart to get some white craft paint for the Christmas ornaments that will be sold as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Library. I also price card tables--we were given an amazing Christmas Village that I want to set up in the meeting room for Christmas in Harrison, but all our folding tables will be in use with the Cookie Walk and Gingerbread Men Decorating. The tables are about $30 apiece; we have some time, so I'll think about this and see if I can come up with any other ideas. Finally, I am on the road. I listen to "Maine Calling" on MPBN on the way; today's topic is old cemeteries in Maine, and the host is interviewing a couple of experts. Hmm... I'll make a note of this, that might be an interesting program for the library.
12:50 p.m.: I arrive at the library. First, I check for damage from Hurricane Sandy; we don't appear to have suffered a power outage, so the server for the library catalog remained online, yay, as well as our wireless service. I don't need to call the state and have them talk me through resetting the router. Volunteers arrive and need to be given today's jobs, so I get them settled and begin opening my email.
1:00-2:30 p.m.: Open the library. Pull books that have hold requests and put them on the hold shelf. The checks have been signed--prepare bills to be mailed. Fix the printer's paper jam. Renew Inter-Library Loan items on our Portland Public Library account. Talk to a patron about a book he is looking for; we don't own it, so I make an ILL request from Portland using their online system. This reminds me I need to tweak the procedures on our end, and edit the form we are currently using to notify Portland when we receive items from other Maine libraries. I make the changes, explain them to Joy, and have her make copies of the new forms. I realize I have to speak to the ILL supervisor personally, as an item has arrived that we did not request--a mixup at a library in Arizona sent our request elsewhere, and we got someone else's. Back to email; send an email to the Book Club reminding them of this week's meeting. Reply to an email from our computer guy saying he needs a model number off the barcode on the bottom of my laptop to order the new battery it needs--unfortunately for me, there about 6 barcodes on the bottom of my laptop, none of which clearly state they are the model number. Call Trustee Karen Toohey to tell her she has been reimbursed for the turkeys she bought for the Turkey Supper. Call Trustee Bill Wood to tell him the photo he gave me for the newsletter won't work, and I need him to either give me another or stop by for a "mug shot".
2:30 p.m.: The woman who does the newsletter layout has sent me this year's first draft; I review what she's done, answer her questions, and think about what else needs to go in the newsletter. I decide I need some time to think, which I won't get today because it's Halloween, and let her know I'll get back to her ASAP.
2:45 p.m.: Storytime tomorrow! It's also Parent-Teacher Conference day, so no school; this might mean a big group for Storytime, so I check the supplies for the craft I planned and ask Joy to help prep. I review the stories and activities planned to make sure I don't need to make any last-minute adjustments. I think what I planned will be fine, so I won't reinvent that wheel.
3:00 p.m.: Wow...we've already pre-sold 4 ornaments for the Friends' fundraiser. I guess I'd better get the prototypes ready--the Friends will copy the three different ornaments I've made. Time to get out that paint I bought, as well as the glue gun! First, though, I print the list of overdues so Joy can double check the shelves to make sure nothing got put away without being checked in. (I hate sending an overdue notice for something that's already back.)
4:00 p.m.: Request more items through inter-library loan.
4:30 p.m.: Hang the ghost outside and prepare the candy for trick-or-treaters. Bill Wood stops in to have his picture taken.
5:00-7:30 p.m.: Hand out candy and admire costumes. In between trick-or-treaters, I check the inventory list the volunteers have been working on for items that need to be marked as lost, or changed in some way in the catalogue. It's a slow job, but good for when I need to stay at the desk for long periods of time.
7:45 p.m.: 200 people have come through the door since 5:00, and I've given away 5 gigantic bags of candy. I'm beat! Time to head home. I've been trying to listen to non-fiction audiobooks on my commute; I've found being captive in the car is a good way for me to "read" non-fiction, which I tend to put aside in favor of fiction, especially when I'm tired. I finished Outliers, and I'm still waiting for Midnight Rising through inter-library loan, so tonight it's chick lit from the HVL collection: Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess. It's actually just the ticket after a day like today...