Just another fun day on desk, and a short day at that due to a doctor's appointment. Today it became abundantly clear that I need to know a lot more about the databases. eLibrary, InfoTrac General OneFile, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch all came into play today. My question to Librarians is this: Which database could you not live without and which one do you use the most with the public?
SS taught me some really nifty tricks in Sirsi, and showed me how she added the "Display title hold" wizard to the Adult Ref desk! Incredibly useful and easy to do!
I also got over my fear and picked up the phone to answer calls and even called over to other branches to have items pulled off the shelf for arriving patrons. Even banished myself for on hour to our children's desk, though it was very quite and I didn't get to do much.
All in all, an easy day. Wish I had something incredibly exciting or life altering to report, but the "Display title hold" still makes me drool, just a little...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
VolunTeens!
Last night was my first internship experience off-site at another branch and was spent at the Twin Hickory Library shadowing and helping their YA librarian with their VolunTeen interviews. First, while I know that its not unique, I love the term VolunTeen instead of volunteer. With AM I got to do a little bit of everything over the course of 5 hours. The first hour was spent at dinner, which was fantastic because I was starving. But, it also allowed us a chance to talk and for me to ask LOTS of questions. What happens at TW is so much different from what happens at DU.
AM receives more applications each summer for her VolunTeen program than she has spots to fill. In the past, she has interviewed each teen that has applied to give them the opportunity to go through the interview process. This summer, however, she just doesn't have the time to interview each of the 50 teens who have applied. Tonight, I got to sit on 4 of her interviews. She has a standard series of questions that she asks each teen, and allows them to follow along on their own sheet. Of course, one of the secondary reasons for the interviews is to impress upon them that the majority (75%) of their time will be spent shelving, since that is the primary need. Since that leaves 25% to do other things, there are several areas in which they let the teens help and they give their top three choices.
Overall, her program is really impressive. She does her whole summer program schedule at the beginning, and after 8 or 9 hours of work, everyone has a place. It seems that with so few places hiring teens, that the aggressive ones are looking to replace those hours volunteering. Some even looking for 40 or 50 hours a week. AM has a fair way to make sure that everyone gets the minimum 2 hours a week. Some teens ask her for 20 hours per week, some just ask her for 2 or 3 and she does her best to treat them all equally. She starts them at 2, and then adds to those who want more in proportion.
My first hour was spent with her on the Children's desk. Spent a lot of time looking up information on the new summer reading lists that just came out. We also talked about how she does her paperback and leasebook ordering. Www.earlyword.com is one resource she uses since she finds it more timely then SLJ. She does read the reviews in the standard literature, but enjoys the added information she learns from this site and even Amazon pre-orders. She also likes the updated awards lists all in one place.
I am excited to go back and help out with this great program and learn more about how she does things!
AM receives more applications each summer for her VolunTeen program than she has spots to fill. In the past, she has interviewed each teen that has applied to give them the opportunity to go through the interview process. This summer, however, she just doesn't have the time to interview each of the 50 teens who have applied. Tonight, I got to sit on 4 of her interviews. She has a standard series of questions that she asks each teen, and allows them to follow along on their own sheet. Of course, one of the secondary reasons for the interviews is to impress upon them that the majority (75%) of their time will be spent shelving, since that is the primary need. Since that leaves 25% to do other things, there are several areas in which they let the teens help and they give their top three choices.
Overall, her program is really impressive. She does her whole summer program schedule at the beginning, and after 8 or 9 hours of work, everyone has a place. It seems that with so few places hiring teens, that the aggressive ones are looking to replace those hours volunteering. Some even looking for 40 or 50 hours a week. AM has a fair way to make sure that everyone gets the minimum 2 hours a week. Some teens ask her for 20 hours per week, some just ask her for 2 or 3 and she does her best to treat them all equally. She starts them at 2, and then adds to those who want more in proportion.
My first hour was spent with her on the Children's desk. Spent a lot of time looking up information on the new summer reading lists that just came out. We also talked about how she does her paperback and leasebook ordering. Www.earlyword.com is one resource she uses since she finds it more timely then SLJ. She does read the reviews in the standard literature, but enjoys the added information she learns from this site and even Amazon pre-orders. She also likes the updated awards lists all in one place.
I am excited to go back and help out with this great program and learn more about how she does things!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Time to meet the TAB
Today, in addition to learning the joys of the copy machine, I spent some more time on desk and started to read through the CREW guide.
The highlight of the day was my first TAB meeting (Teen Advisory Board). The Northside TAB consists of students Grades 6 to 12 who consider Dumbarton or North Park to be their library. Tonight, we had 13 show up and the agenda was full! They discussed the upcoming volunteer activities, cut out sea animals for decorations, and gave their input on upcoming Magazine and YA Leasebook selections. I enjoyed meeting the kids, several of which I had seen at the New Years Eve party back on Dec 31!
KH really does a great job in putting the information together for the TAB to evaluate in an eye catching manner. She takes the lists of books that B&T will be publishing soon in the YA section, takes the book cover pic and adds the description to it, and then prints the "review" sheets for the meeting. The kids read over them and initial if they think that they or their friends would be interested in it. LK said that she has picked some really popular books this way that she might not have given a chance otherwise. She can only choose 10, and so it helps to get their input.
I am looking forward to the upcoming activities and to running this meeting in the future!
The highlight of the day was my first TAB meeting (Teen Advisory Board). The Northside TAB consists of students Grades 6 to 12 who consider Dumbarton or North Park to be their library. Tonight, we had 13 show up and the agenda was full! They discussed the upcoming volunteer activities, cut out sea animals for decorations, and gave their input on upcoming Magazine and YA Leasebook selections. I enjoyed meeting the kids, several of which I had seen at the New Years Eve party back on Dec 31!
KH really does a great job in putting the information together for the TAB to evaluate in an eye catching manner. She takes the lists of books that B&T will be publishing soon in the YA section, takes the book cover pic and adds the description to it, and then prints the "review" sheets for the meeting. The kids read over them and initial if they think that they or their friends would be interested in it. LK said that she has picked some really popular books this way that she might not have given a chance otherwise. She can only choose 10, and so it helps to get their input.
I am looking forward to the upcoming activities and to running this meeting in the future!
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