Have to Keep Hopping....

There's an interesting sorta-meme going around called "Day in the Life of a Librarian." While I will refrain from a full minute by minute, I thought I'd share an account of yesterday, so you have an idea.

Times approximate

8:35 --Call WebGuy to let him know that I will be a few minutes late for the meeting: I have to drop the car at the shop because the power steering has decided it doesn't want to play nice.

8:37 --Since the walk from the car shop to the library takes me right past the doughnut shop...well....

9:05 --Hustle upstairs, box of doughnuts in hand (people in my dept duly doughnuted)

9:06 -- Meeting with RA and WebGuy. Discuss some details for new website. Conclude with need for me to draw squares and return them to WebGuy as promptly as possible.

10:20 -- Turn on computer, check email, check intranet for new incident reports and blog posts. Send emails to Madame Director and Madame Immediate Supervisor asking them for five minutes when they get it (separately--different topics/times); Add patron request to acquisition system; Email title to Teen Librarian to confer if I should buy a book or she should.

10:50 --Get call from Acquisitions Guru to understand that this particular sub-series in American Girl does not come through on the standing order but will be ordered today for patron requests. Bow to the wisdom of the Acquisitions Guru. Get call from machine knitter-- should she bring machine again? What day? Yes, March 25.

11:00 --Write out children's dept requirements for registration module for new calendar program

11:30 - 1 -- Draw physical layouts for children's website--where I want editable boxes for staff (draw squares--write in content specifications); Confirm some money details for Knit in Public day; Rewrite current to-do list and attempt to figure out what I can wade through in afternoon.

1 -5: On Desk- Answering reference questions, walking patrons to shelves, putting books on hold, pulling a teacher collection, create registration form for upcoming children's program, reseting children's game computers that require log out to get a game to end (several times), registering patrons for storytimes. Yes, we have tongue twister books --No, all of our copies of the Sneetches are out, can I put it on hold for you?

1:05 Madame Immediate Supervisor swings past desk to review layout of website main page and primary sub pages. Brief discussion on what will need to be updated, how often, and by whom. Meebo WebGuy to say I have my layouts ready.

1:15 Zooming on the computer screen doesn't mean it's going to print out a full sized page. It will print the original size of that image. No, we don't have a color printer down here. There is one upstairs in reference.

1:30 p.m. Review Knit In timeline and other details with Madame Director. Get approval for some purchases, discuss possibility of interviews with unique knitters in the community, debate where to get snacks from and where we can keep snacks for least amount of mess.

3:00 p.m. Is it three already? I've been sending out emails and confirming with my speaker, hammering out other details, begging for flyer expertise from Sibling-the-Elder [a graphic designer: I am not], WebGuy makes flying pass through children's to pick up layouts and point out immediate problems. I promise to discuss next week and have Parents/Educators site mapped out. As he leaves I advise not to lose my square layouts-- he just took my master copy!!

3:30 Visit from one of my pre-schoolers who is in day care now and can't come to storytime as regularly. I hear that the Mike Myers version of the Cat in the Hat movie was "Icky" and was turned off after ten minutes.

3:40 Teen Librarian comes by to discuss book purchases, make a recommendation, talk about Teen website layout, debate the hiring of new Gaming Assistant now that Former GA has moved across an ocean. Teen Librarian exits stage left serving as pied piper of gaming teen boys.

3:45 [phone] No I haven't seen your brother and we've talked about the fact I can't give out information like that over the phone --two minutes later brother walks out of the stacks--Your sister is looking for you. Brother mumbles okay and settles down at game computer with headphones on.

3:50 -- Who's working the weekend? Me. Learn of mayoral candidate to be in children's room on Saturday for meet and greet. (We're having all the primary candidates in for this little gathering. Not a debate, just a chance for voters to come by and ask questions in separate spaces in library.) Note to self: put on a little extra make-up Saturday morning--the press will be probably be here.

4:00-- Attempting to locate various picture books for 3 themes a day care provider is looking for. Success on most of the books. One appears to have vamoosed somewhere between circulation and the shelf in the past 24 hours.

4:40 Do NOT vault over the side of the boat. [3 foot drop] You could get hurt and I don't want anything happening. Alright? Look at me...alright? Okay.

4:42 Okay, off the boat. Yes I know it was him this time and not you but I just spoke to both of you and you're done for the day on the boat.

5:00 Hello Reference? Me. Is Head of TS still up there? This computer won't let me access the F: drive from a website. Yes the F: drive is functioning. On his way down? Awesome.

5:06 [phone] Hello Youth Services....yes, that was me calling from my cell. Five minutes? Okay...

5:10 He's off the boat, she's waiting for Head of TS--he'll be down in five, this teacher collection isn't fully pulled, I've got to get outside for the nice person driving me home. Would you list me on the intranet out until Saturday?

5:11 This pile on my desk; this pile in my bag. And there was no weeding done today. But I did get four things crossed off my to-do list!!