Thanks, Cameron.
is your library on the Library of Congress call number system or are they still using the archaic ewwy dewey decimel system?
Ewwy Dewey, dude.
Didn't you have your first day yesterday? Tell us all about it!
Yes, yes it was. I meant to post about it yesterday, too, but I was made of pure exhaustion yesterday. Let's see if I can even remember yesterday...
Going in, I knew how to do shelving (oh, but of course), I could discharge/check-in books that were returned by patrons, and I could do
very basic searches on the staff computer for books but I wasn't/am not very comfortable with that yet...I might be forgetting something but it was a lot of learning in the moment stuff yesterday and today and likely the rest of the week.
The librarian training me in Youth (I'm being cross-trained to be able to work in at least 2 departments) has a very hands off approach. Meaning, she told me I'm smart, stumble a little as I learn on my own. Oh, the mistakes I have made. Anyway, it being a branch and most people being excited about the new main, it's been relatively slow for most of the day both days, with a few spurts of crazy thrown in so at least that's been in my favor. It's been just busy enough that people are pulling books off the shelves and/or returning them so that I was able to pass at least 4 hours yesterday shelving, making me really sore from the repetitive bending over, squatting, rearranging, etc.
I also punched holes for name tags, to be placed in summer reading bags. I filled summer reading bags. Wrapped some boxes for a little activity (they try to match a painting with the artist...which just now reminds me I need to throw a sticker on those boxes). Copied a paper. Learned how to keep stats for programs. Learned how to override the computer registration for internet use. Straightened out shelves. Cursed whomever it was -patrons, volunteers, librarians, whomever- for being unable to put books in order. First official complaint: NF shelving
sucks the worst. Fiction and picture books are super-duper easy. Spanish is easy. Graphic novels are easy. Board books are the easiest. But NF shelving, curses...God, how terribly exciting! I was given busy work and it kind of annoyed me because no matter how much I ask to try to learn the ropes from the Youth, she's not really helping. I'm nervous that I'll be lost when she leaves because she won't just tell me "I'm doing this, to accomplish that." Until she leaves, no matter how much she says it's my area, it's hers and I'm helping her make it into her ideal.
Today, I trained in Circulation and that person was much better about helping me out but that's because she actually needs the help and knows it's to her advantage for me to know what I'm doing. But it was still a little slow, so we talked quite a bit when I wasn't doing
her busy work (sealing envelopes, anyone?) or the actual training stuff that could only be accomplished as the need to do the processes arose.
The director decided our hours of operation may change so that it's open every day of the week, until later in the evening. None of us like that idea.
That's about it for now, I'd say. I like to think any annoyance or snarkiness that may be coming across on the 2nd whole day I've been back to work is because I've actually had over a decade in the youth half of the position and am only just now getting paid to do it. No? That excuse doesn't fly? Okay, didn't think so.