In addition to my writing, LASR/WC, Goddess Fish, family, and home-- I'm also a librarian. Librarians don't just check out books. Here's 13 things I normally do during a regular day.
1. Check out books.
2. Check in books.
3. Explain to patrons that, no, they can not check out more books when they owe over $10 in late fees.
4. Explain to patrons that, yes, they did indeed bring the books back, but the books were three months late and, even at just ten cents a day for each book they checked out, when they had out fifty books and kept them out an additional ninety days, fines tend to add up.
5. Teach patrons how to use the card catalog (which now exists on a computer and not in a drawer)
6. Explain to patrons that they will not find our non-fiction books in the fiction section.
7. Help patrons set their account up so they can place things on hold and renew books from their home.
8. Check in DVDs, put them on the cart to put on the shelves, then check them back out to other patrons.
9. Explain to patrons about the fabulous things we offer in our 24-7 Library, including basic skills, audio book downloads, test preparation, and foreign language learning.
10. Call patrons and remind them that the book they had us borrow for them is in the library and they can come pick it up.
11. Register new patrons who have never had library cards before and explain the rules.
12. Tell patrons who have had library cards before and who are still in our statewide system that they need to bring back the twenty books they still have out from the last library they had a card at before I can issue them a new card.
13. Gladly announce when it's closing time. :-)
Seriously, I love my job at the library. Today (I'm writing this on Wednesday night for Thursday Thirteen) we had a man come in who had recently been laid off his job. He was sixty and was going back to college to try to learn a new skill. He didn't have a library card, so we fixed him up and showed him how he could go onto the computer to study and brush up on his reading skills because he had tested out at the tech school as reading on a second grade level. It's being able to help people like this that make my job so rewarding.
And, on the "just when you think you've seen everything" side, we had six books turned in today that were due in 2004 :-) Better late than never.
What's the longest you've ever kept a library book?
~*~*~
The daily "How Much Are Judy and Marianne Alike" poll:
1. Check out books.
2. Check in books.
3. Explain to patrons that, no, they can not check out more books when they owe over $10 in late fees.
4. Explain to patrons that, yes, they did indeed bring the books back, but the books were three months late and, even at just ten cents a day for each book they checked out, when they had out fifty books and kept them out an additional ninety days, fines tend to add up.
5. Teach patrons how to use the card catalog (which now exists on a computer and not in a drawer)
6. Explain to patrons that they will not find our non-fiction books in the fiction section.
7. Help patrons set their account up so they can place things on hold and renew books from their home.
8. Check in DVDs, put them on the cart to put on the shelves, then check them back out to other patrons.
9. Explain to patrons about the fabulous things we offer in our 24-7 Library, including basic skills, audio book downloads, test preparation, and foreign language learning.
10. Call patrons and remind them that the book they had us borrow for them is in the library and they can come pick it up.
11. Register new patrons who have never had library cards before and explain the rules.
12. Tell patrons who have had library cards before and who are still in our statewide system that they need to bring back the twenty books they still have out from the last library they had a card at before I can issue them a new card.
13. Gladly announce when it's closing time. :-)
Seriously, I love my job at the library. Today (I'm writing this on Wednesday night for Thursday Thirteen) we had a man come in who had recently been laid off his job. He was sixty and was going back to college to try to learn a new skill. He didn't have a library card, so we fixed him up and showed him how he could go onto the computer to study and brush up on his reading skills because he had tested out at the tech school as reading on a second grade level. It's being able to help people like this that make my job so rewarding.
And, on the "just when you think you've seen everything" side, we had six books turned in today that were due in 2004 :-) Better late than never.
What's the longest you've ever kept a library book?
The daily "How Much Are Judy and Marianne Alike" poll:
You Are the Fairy |
 You are charming, cheerful, and a little bit magical. You make other people's lives better. You are a bit eccentric at times, but you truly care about people in your own way. You are hyper and restless. It drives you crazy to sit still, and you are usually the first to leave any event. You are unpredictable and flighty. No one can guess what you'll be up to next ... or where you'll be! |
I have great respect for librarians. They proved to be invaluable to me when I went back to school to get my GED. Kudos to you.
ReplyDeleteHappy T13!
Being a librarian is something I've always thought of choosing if I were given another option for a career. Love your story on helping people. The overdue books remind me of something in the news some weeks ago about a dead celeb's borrowed book discovered only recently. I can't remember the borrower's name. I'm thankful that card catalogs are now computerized. The system makes thesis writing fast and easy than if you have to manually comb through all those references.
ReplyDeleteYeah! A librarian who doesn't tell me to "Shhhh!".
ReplyDeleteHave a great Thursday!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/10/dorothy-is-my-favorite/
An aptitude test determined that I'd be a good librarian. I think of libraries as embassies of safety and learning. A revolutionary idea.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I renewed a book three times and didn't understand why I couldn't keep it longer. I am sorry. LOL! Thanks for the list.
ReplyDeleteThe Food Temptress
I named a character in one of my stories after the librarian in my elementary school. She always used to say to me that one day she'd see my work in an art gallery or on the library shelf.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, it was a career I considered for myself, once upon a time. :)
Happy TT!
I was so excited when I first found the card catalog had gone digital. I thought it would make everything easier. Now I wish they were back in the drawer. Hopefully the library will find a more user friendly programmer.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my local library and use it a lot. I tend to order all my books on the online catalogue and my hubby picks them up for me since he works nearby. The librarians all know him by name. I think it sounds like a great job.
ReplyDeleteI'm a model borrower. I never have overdue books. :)
Number 12 is my favorite! I am a school librarian and I can feel your pain. Love the inspirational note about the man getting back into the work force!
ReplyDeletewww.thelemmelibrary.blogspot.com
I miss hitting the library regularly. We moved and I never got a card in our new state. I'll have to change that.
ReplyDeleteI still have a library book from 2000. I couldn't find it to give it back so I paid the fine and chalked it up to "left it on the bus". I of course found it when we moved in 2008, but only after we were across the country. Do you think they'd still let me turn it in for the refund they offered? *grin*
Happy TT,
~Xakara
A 13 Paragraph Sneak Peak into Secrets of Night
Librarian is one of the career ideas I tossed around for awhile. I'm a total bibliophile so I think it would fit.
ReplyDeleteYou just made me want to go visit the library! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
I confess, I haven't used the library in more than 15 years, as the closest branches aren't convenient to where I live, but I always hit one branch's monthly used book sale, which is held in a different facilty, not at the library. In fact, there's a sale this weekend. Whoo-hoo! Thanks for visiting yesterday!
ReplyDeleteWordTrix