Mail and other things I didn't know about

Today's post is for brand new librarians and admittedly not a life-changing topic, but one I would have appreciated knowing about as a newbie.

I was hired as a librarian very early in my MLS coursework, and I knew nothing.  Seriously nothing. 

I thought that several years' teaching experience and being a reader were probably all the preparation I needed.  But when the bell rang on the first day of school and I went into the library, I realized that enthusiasm didn't equal knowledge or experience. 

Hopefully you're not in that boat, but if so, please ask questions!  Get a mentor. Observe good librarians.  Read. Go to conferences and professional development sessions.  Ask more questions.  Read more good stuff.

But I digress, as usual. 

That first day I was greeted to a giant stack of mail.  Catalogs, magazines, and a myriad of envelopes and packages.  And I was so green that I had no clue as to what was important and what wasn't.

These tips may help.

1.  Go through the mail one time only.
2.  Separate it into stacks:  catalogs, journals, periodicals, packages, interoffice mailers, and the rest.
3.  Go through one stack at a time, beginning with what looks like junk first. 
4.  Keep one copy of major library supply catalogs such as Highsmith and Demco. 
     Place these in a labeled magazine file.  When you get the newer catalog, recycle the previous one.
5.  Personally, I recycle all catalogs for books and AV materials.  I'm going to order from reviews and using
     an online ordering tool, so I rarely need the other catalogs for anything.  And if you discover you do,
     trust me, the next one will come SOON.
6.  Recycle mail that looks like junk.  If it doesn't look like a bill or isn't personally addressed, you probably
     don't need it.
7.  Now you're down to packages, interoffice mail, and journals.  These will need your personal attention,
     but the stack should be more manageable now!

Above all, remember that everybody was new once.  Don't be embarrassed to ask (LOTS) of questions, even ones that feel dumb.  You probably knew how to deal with the mail before this blog entry.  See how much ahead of the game you already are?!