So...what do you DO here, exactly?

I had just returned from a glorious vacation with my family last week and was feeling the stress of coming back down to reality, when a patron I see now and then asked me that question. At the time this woman started chatting with me, I happened to have been in-housing a large number of books left scattered by a family with four book-eating piranhas, as well as talking on the phone with a teacher trying to schedule an end of the year school visit. She's normally very friendly, so I know she was sincere when she asked "So...what do you DO, exactly?" As she only comes in once a month to get books for her grandkids, she rarely has the opportunity to see me "in action", so to speak. Sarcasm is my second language and I could have said something snarky, but I smiled and cryptically responded, "Oh gracious, there are an awful lot of things we do here behind the scenes. Never a dull moment!" That day happened to be storytime morning, and I had an extra 20 people from a local preschool joining us, bringing the count to nearly sixty that day. I was also preparing for their afternoon class to visit after lunch for an extra storytime that's not usually planned. Truthfully, we're busy almost every day, but there are LOTS of things to do here in May, let me tell you! Anyone who has ever had a hand in planning a summer reading program knows that it's no small task. We have three school visits to plan, six weeks of activities and crafts to organize along with a seemingly innumerable amount of "little stuff" to go along with our regular duties. She wasn't here for the two weeks it took for me to paint flowers on and make a tiny garden display inside the new "dollhouse" shelf we made here, or see me glue 1,000 tiny individual shingles on its roof.

She didn't see us helping the storytime kids plant seeds and learn how the tiny plants would soon grow into yummy vegetables.

She missed out on "Fred" my spider friend who regularly makes an appearance during storytime. She doesn't come along to the preschools I visit and isn't around when I host the parent/child groups for library tours. She doesn't know that I review several different websites and blogs to glean the newest and possibly best children's books to order for our library. I also make sure we have puppets and puzzles and games here as well as great books. I can't forget to mention all the help I need and get from Amy, the co-coordinator of our Children's Department. Whilst I was lounging in Florida last week, she and our Circulation Librarian, Liz, hosted the monthly Wii Gaming Night as well as made a fabulous display and activity booth for the annual Healthy Kids Day at the local YMCA. Both of those things are also part of my responsibility. Amy also had the unenviable task of mopping up a "puddle" left behind on the carpet by a toddler enjoying the activity table a little too long-- yet another service we provide here. Monday I painted the backdrop for the school skits and yesterday I painted the props, tweaked the script and scrounged for costumes. It's is a lot of work, but it's definitely not a thankless job. My boss compliments me often and this week I recieved a fantastic thank-you poster from one of the preschools I visit, describing all the things I do that they love, signed by each child.

So....what do I DO here? A great big lot of things and I enjoy almost every single one of them. Come in and see! :)