The Librarian Life

When I first started working at a school, I was really anxious about how I would handle having to juggle so many tasks. I am the only person that works in the library. There is something daunting about being the only librarian and something wonderful about having control over your own space. But it is indeed very overwhelming. There is always something to do.

But I love Mondays. They are my favorite because only a few classes come in so I have the most free hours of the week to get things done. The other days, classes come back to back and I am not doing much more than reading to students, helping them find books, and checking them out.

I thought I'd share this rather productive day because I know when I was starting out as a librarian I went searching for posts about library routines. This is what my Monday was like today:

8:30-Turn on the library computers and set up tables and their displays. I open up my email and correspond with other staff about current issues. I also help out two parents looking for books for their kids.

9-A kindergarten class comes in. I do story time and then let them browse through the books on the tables.

9:30-Answer more emails (they never seem to end). I also make copies and then make deliveries for teachers and staff requesting things from the library.

10:20-I shelve books and pull some nonfiction ones from the shelves, knowing that my next class has a need for nonfiction books.

10:40-More time with my emails!

11-A 4th grade class comes in and I help them out with checking out books and AR issues.

11:50-Lunch!

12:20-I get through some more emails and then work on delivering student workbooks to classrooms.

1-I start pulling books for Hispanic Heritage Month. I also have students come in on their lunch and I help them find books and chat with them about random things. If you work with children life tends to be like one of those at&t commercials.



2:30-A 6th grade classroom comes in and they are brilliant. They were rascals last week but have turned it around and work quietly.

3-I start cleaning up, organizing for tomorrow. I make a list of things I need to do, which includes finishing the Hispanic Heritage book display I'm going to present next week. I also have new books that have just come in that need to be labeled.

3:15-But everything can wait because I get to go home and work on my home-to-do list.

And that's my library day.