A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE LIBRARY

By Anne McLaughlin, Children’s Librarian

What happens at the West Warwick Public Library during the course of a typical day? In addition to the statistics kept at the library, a Monday in October was chosen for staff to make note of the ordinary and extraordinary events of “A Day in the Life of the Library”. On Mondays the library is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with various shifts of part-time and full-time staff. An average of 400 visitors a day pass through the doors in search of information, to borrow books and videos, or to attend programs.

On that gloomy, windy Monday morning, the first person in the building was Jill, the technology coordinator, who turned the alarm off, and turned the lights on since the custodian was out that day. She began her troubleshooting rounds of computers. She worked on plans for the computer lab being created on the upper level. During the day she worked on processing book orders.

The custodian, Ray has scheduled a day off. He is the other early person who may turn off the alarm and turn on the lights and open the door at 9:00 a.m. Early in the day he cleans the restrooms, empties the trash cans throughout the building and vacuums a section of the building. He has many duties inside that keep this building clean and at the correct temperature. He often has to attend to grass and leaves outside this time of year.

Monday is a busy day for Dana, the administrative assistant, who was on the job early to prepare the payroll for 27 full and part-time employees. She did a bank deposit for fines and fees and sorted bills to be paid. Before 11:00 she gave in to her bad cold and went home sick.

The assistant director, Tim Heigh, was in early and unlocked the front doors for the public at 9:00 a.m. His first job of the day was to prepare money deposits. After doing some paperwork, he met with reference staff to discuss plans for the new computer lab being created on the upper level. After leaving for the afternoon, he would return to the library for the evening Board of Trustees Meeting.

Library director, Fran Farrell-Bergeron prepared her report for the Trustees meeting. The library is now open on Sunday afternoons and she had to work on the Sunday schedule for the year. After looking at the mail, she answered correspondence. She reviewed job applications and planned interviews. She prepared for the upcoming Volunteer Recognition night that would honor over 100 volunteers.

Paulette, the reader’s advisor, deals with inter-library loans, locating books placed on hold at other libraries for the statewide delivery pickup. In between calling people about books on hold, she helped people find books and use the library computer catalog. Patrons called her to place holds on new books, best sellers, and Oprah’s reading club selection.

Computers in the Circulation Department were ready for the day before 9:00 am. Circulation assistants Anna and Barbara checked in books returned in the outside book drop overnight. Their department head wouldn’t be in during the morning because she was coming in later to train new staff. First patrons of the day came in to use the photocopier, read the newspaper, and browse for books in the stacks. A patron returned overdue books, asking if the library took debit cards. People went upstairs to use computers and look for books. When staff could get away from the desk they shelved videos and new books. By mid morning all chairs in the leisure reading area were filled with people reading newspapers and the latest magazines. People sat in the new book section looking over books. Staff said it was a quiet morning although there had been quite a few adults in their area.

Just after 9:00 a.m. a phone call came in to the Children’s Department from a second grade teacher at the local elementary school canceling their morning visit due to the wind and rain, rescheduling for the following week. At 9:30, Headstart called to cancel their visit due to a staff shortage.

During the morning the Children’s Department assistant sorted and shelved a full cart of book returns, repaired books, prepared new books for the shelves. Despite the bad weather there was steady traffic in the department. Parents browsed in the children’s video section. One mother asked for stories written in diary format for a fourth grader. Another parent dashed in to get space books for her fourth grader’s report. A parent asked for books on face painting. A college student came in sheepishly asking for a children’s book explaining Sikhism, the eastern religion. There was a phone call asking about storytime programs available for four-year-olds. A harried grandmother relaxed as her three preschool grandchildren looked at books, played with puzzles, and on the preschool computer. Today was the day a delighted kindergartener got her first library card.

On the upper level, two staff members helped people locate phone numbers, cookbooks, and books on saints. Researchers looked at old newspapers on microfilm. People used computers to search the web. People were working on resumes in the adult computer room. There was a phone call about the Rhode Island Cemetery Database available on the computers. In the mail was a request for an obituary from an old newspaper.

In the middle of the day library staff relish the relatively quiet time before school gets out to catch up on paperwork, open mail, prepare orders, and check book review journals. Patrons on their lunch hour browsed in the new book section. A young man in his 20’s stopped in at the library on a visit in town because he’d played school sports with the sons of two staff members years before.

On her morning off, Amy, assistant Children’s Librarian/Young Adult librarian was picking up donations of prizes for Teen Read Week activities being held October 17-23. Every day middle school students ask Amy if they have any mail because she’s coordinating a teen pen pal matching program among several Rhode Island libraries.

Middle school students wielding heavy backpacks literally invade the Children’s Department after school. Today it took them awhile to settle down at the study area tables. They waited their turn to use on-line computers. A steady flow of students came in during the afternoon to do research and use computers. Students worked on assignments about Native American Indian tribes, ancient Egypt, rocks, and Plymouth. A second grader got a library card of her own and was given a mini-tour of the children’s department. A mother with a third grade boy asked for book report suggestions. A preschooler asked for books on “real” dinosaurs. A request for a papier-mâché recipe came from a girl who needed to create a 3 dimensional figure of a bird. Browsers looked at Halloween and costume books on display. The Children’s Librarian went to a local housing apartment complex to present a Spooky Storytime from 3:00 to 3:45. At 6:30 Amy presented a “Book-It Pictionary” Teen Read program.

This evening two new staff members were being trained at the circulation desk, learning the basic procedures about check-ins and checkouts, library policies and procedures. An adult needed help using the computer catalog to find out if the video “Grease” was in. He was excited to learn that computer classes would soon be offered in the new computer lab. Both the adult and children’s computer rooms had a steady flow of people signing in to use the computers for word processing. A printer in the Children’s Computer Room needed trouble shooting. Little ones huddled around the Preschool Computer playing computer games.

Back from vacation, Cyndi, the reference librarian, was plowing through a week’s worth of mail. Today she made four requests for patrons to libraries outside Rhode Island for books that no RI library owns. Evening shift reference assistants check in new magazines, always ready to put aside projects to help patrons. A patron asked for 19^th century art books. A tutor and student used the tutoring area on the upper level. People in Quiet Study were reminded about the no talking policy in that room. As the evening wears on, study tables in both the adult and children’s departments gradually empty out.

The Family Literacy program is held from 6:30 to 8:30 with parents being tutored in English individually while the children do group activities with an adult. Tonight one of the Spanish speaking literacy students was excited about getting her library card so she could borrow books for herself and her children. At 7:00, Amy and a teenage volunteer read pumpkin stories to the children in the program. The Children’s Department got quiet after 8:00 p.m.

After 8:30 in the evening, stray books and furniture are tidied up, and it’s time to remind people about closing time. Students call home for rides. Staff say goodnight to library trustees leaving their meeting. Time to lock up, turn out the lights, and close the doors on another day in the life of the West Warwick Public Library.