What I wish I'd known as a new librarian...

No, really.  I love it when you come to the library.

School Library Journal is awesome.  Every issue is chock full of good stuff such as the recent article, "What Every New Media Specialist Needs to Know," smartly reblogged by Mary Woodard in Top Shelf.

The article put me in mind of my first year as a librarian, and the many things I didn't know (see tags).  To this end, the following is a partial list of things I wish I'd known.




As always, the list is in random order and not necessarily by order of importance...

1.  There is no such thing as a library emergency.  
The laminator film may be wrapped many times around the spool, but trust me, it's not an emergency.

2.  People are more important than things.
Books to be shelved?  Reader's advisory to be done?  Pick the kids every time.

3.  Most of the deadlines in the library are your own deadlines.
Do you find yourself working later and later because you can't pack up the library like the bag of hope you dragged home every night as a teacher?  Tend to what's on fire, and then go home and read a good book.  You'll be a better librarian for it tomorrow.

4.  The kids can spot a fake every time.
Don't recommend books you haven't read.  Ditto for booktalking.  The kids will know, and they will decide that the books must be crummy if you can't bother to read what you're trying to get them to read.

5.  Three strikes and you may be out.
One of my library school professors claims kids will give you three chances when you recommend a book.  After the third dud, she believes they won't ask you again.  Pretty scary, huh?  That means you need to listen, get to know the kiddo, and read like a maniac.

6.  The library is a shared space.
It's not your personal space.  It's not your classroom.  It's not even your library.  It belongs to the entire school.  Let your attitude reflect this philosophy.

7.  Say yes more often than you say no.
This goes for helping kids as well as helping adults.

8.  Everything you do that first year sets a precedent.
Think carefully before you answer, and remember that it's ok to say, "Let me check and get back to you."  

9.  Don't be afraid to leave your footprint.
Make the library and library program your own.  Give it your own personal flair.  That's what will draw students and staff in.  Change things slowly?  Not on my watch!

10.  You have sixty days to view your job with fresh eyes.
This isn't my wisdom, but I wish I'd said it.  Don't waste even one of those sixty days.

Librarians, what would you add to this list?  Whether you've been in the profession two weeks or twenty years, what do you wish you had known?

More things I didn't know OR the first week of school

Although it's just the middle of June, I know that many of you (especially new librarians) are thinking about the start of school (at least in a tiny corner of your head).

As I mentioned earlier, there were an awful lot of things I didn't know as a new librarian.  Like what to do the first week of school, for one.

As a teacher, I knew what to do.  Collect forms.  Play get acquainted games.  Write the dreaded "What I Did this Summer" essay.  Review rules and procedures.  Collect more forms. 

But as a librarian, none of this applied.  The bell rang that first morning, and kids scurried to their first period classes.  The library--empty!  Ditto day two and three.  Where were my classes?  Weren't teachers supposed to come sign up to bring their kids to the library?

I quickly realized that most teachers weren't going to come to me.  I had to hunt them down and ASK them to bring their classes to the library.  Who knew that being a librarian involved cold sales calls?

And I didn't actually have a lot of ideas.  Hmm.  We could check out books.  And...wasn't I supposed to be doing library orientation or something?  Geez.

I'm guessing you're not as hopeless as I was, but in case a few ideas will help, I'll offer a bit of advice for the first week of school...

1. Don't assume that teachers will come to you.

2. Don't assume that teachers are too busy to come to the library the first week of school.

3. Figure up how quickly you can see every kiddo in school if you compress the schedule.

4. Make the rounds BEFORE school starts to every team in the building.

5. Let the teachers know that your goal is to get a book in the hands of every student during the first week (nine days, or whatever) of school.

6. Ask if they would be willing to sign up to bring their kids as soon as possible.

7. DON'T do library orientation.

8. Yes, you read that right.  DON'T do library orientation (more on this in a minute).

9. Check out books to kids.  Make an effort to learn their names.  Start building relationships with students and staff.  Encourage kids to come on their own any time they have permission.

10. Do something fun and flashy the first time kids come to the library.  Book trailer? QR code scavenger hunt? You Tube video about libraries or books or the latest version of Did You Know? 

11.  Be SURE to schedule the teacher's next visit to the library but DON'T let them book more than the first six weeks of school.  Otherwise, you'll have an instant fixed schedule.

And about library orientation...

Library orientation is boring.  Orientation presents facts in isolation that no one (but the librarian) cares about or will remember.

Do NOT show a PowerPoint that "teaches" kids how to use the Dewey Decimal system, how to use the online catalog, or about the parts of the library.  Refrain from telling kids all the RULES (shudder) of your library.

Is this really the first impression you want students and staff to have?

Instead, do something fun and welcoming.  Keep it short.

Afterward, simply let them know they can check out X number of books for X number of weeks.  There are no fines.  If you have an overdue book, the Mafia will not be called, but you'll need to return it before you can check out another book.    

That's it.  NO orientation.  NO rules.  NO long, dry speeches or handouts they'll leave on the floor.

Instead, tell the kids,  "This is YOUR library.  You are welcome any time.  I'm here to help you find books you'll enjoy reading and information you may need.  I hope to see you often!"

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?!