Ever wonder what it’s like to have a job at the library? Check out this typical day of mine working at the Paul Smith Library:
9:30AM: I arrive half an hour before the library opens to help prepare by doing things like turning on the computers and checking in the books from the book drop.
10:00AM: Time to open up! I say “Good morning!” to familiar faces who come regularly to use the library resources.
11:30AM: After a busy morning of checking in books from other libraries, helping patrons find what they need, and working on projects with our fantastic volunteers, it has slowed down. For me this means time to work on inventory! I am slowly making my way through our collection, checking for any discrepancies between the online book record and the book itself. My favorite part is finding a book that had been marked “lost” so that it may circulate properly again.
1:00PM: Time for lunch! I go to the back to eat a sandwich and some fruit while reading a little bit of a book I have checked out. A coworker joins me for the last few minutes of my break and we laugh about the latest dinosaur pictures shared on the library’s facebook page.
2:00PM: I start to finish up and put the inventory work away for the day as the library has become quite busy. There have been many new people signing up for library cards today-yay! Time to help check in as many books as I can before I have to leave.
2:30PM: I finish helping my last patron of the day and then clock out. This is the time when I look for a handful of books to check out for myself and to read to children. The library is my favorite place for free educational materials! I truly enjoy working there and can’t wait to see what kind of new adventure awaits tomorrow.
-Rax Fisher, Library Assistant