Saturday, May 3, 2014

This Week at the Library; or, Fog and Books

Programs
Random Commentary
  • Tragedy struck on Monday night, when the incubator was overturned. Many eggs were lost, and I have my doubts as to whether those remaining will survive.
  • Our big event this week wasn't a program per say; every year we host the district Battle of the Books. The top six teams from each of our three elementary schools spend all morning at the library, competing in five rounds. Then they have lunch and an awards ceremony. This is nice because we offer a big space, only one school has to bus their kids, and the school librarians do all the work! I just do a little help with set-up, arrive early to let in volunteers, and try to keep the noise in the children's area to a minimum during the battles and bask in the applause of all the kids and parents for lending the library (-:)
  • We had our first staff meeting with our new adult services librarian - we are having a lot of problems scheduling staff meetings around vacation/programs/etc. I think the full insanity of our wacky computers is becoming clear to her...hopefully she doesn't run for the hills!
  • Wednesday Pattie and I joined some other youth services staff from the area for lunch and a sort of general exchange of ideas, summer info session at a nearby library. I just stole one of that library's staff members for my summer associate, but they were nice to me anyways.
  • Lego Club on Thursday - I had not really planned to do two Lego Clubs in a row, but this is what happens when you look at one month at a time, and don't check carefully back and forth. I'm pretty tired and stressed out though, so I am fine with it. I am starting my school visits early - the first is May 13th - so I need some leeway anyways. It was a smallish group - about 30.
  • Never mind about leeway! Have just planned to massive projects, on top of school visits, summer prep, etc. - inventory and moving the teen area! More to come later.
  • Friday we were closed for our staff development day. We had an all staff meeting (except for my aides who generously offered to skip school, but I told them I would not require that sacrifice), a speaker to talk about success/stress, our consortium administrator and systems administrator came to talk about changes and new technology - we now have the ability to take credit cards, do mobile circ and inventory, patron-initiated ILL, and a bunch of other stuff. After lunch we took ourselves on a walking tour around town. This was handy not so much for the historical buildings, but to see which businesses had changed etc. especially since quite a few staff don't live in town. We finished up with a quick round the table of everyone's reading habits and favorite genres. 
  • I only have one more week of programs and then I plunge, without a break, into school visits, training new staff, a couple major projects, planning for summer, etc. Every time I come up on a break I have this beautiful vision of all this time to get everything done and it NEVER WORKS OUT THAT WAY. You'd think I'd have realized this by now. Anyways, it has been a long, stressful, difficult winter for our library as a whole and I think we are all grateful to see summer coming, even if it will be busy.
Also, and finally, I am thinking of changing up my monthly reports. Does anybody have a sample they'd be willing to send to me? This is roughly what I have now (I have no problem with posting an actual report, but I don't have one at home. these are approximations of my numbers this past month) I'm thinking of reorganizing it to de-emphasize numbers and emphasize other things...maybe organize programming in some other way?

Statistics
  • programs: 40
  • attendance: 1200
  • circulation: 9,992
Programs
  • preschool interactive: 4/95
  • messy art club: 2/101
  • lego club: 2/80
  • mad scientists club: 45
  • we explore art and stories: 25
  • circus party: 300
programs with pattie (my colleague from the school district)
  • toddlers 'n' books 10am: 5/113
  • toddlers 'n' books 11am: 5/87
  • books 'n' babies: 5/110
  • coffee kids 'n' conversation: 21
  • Tiny Tots: 2/40
  • family game night: 2/30
teen programs
  • middle school madness: 18
  • teens on screen: 12
School visits and outreach
  • TLC: 3/45
  • Tibbets: 3/60
  • parochial school visit: 15
  • preschool visits: 2/35
Stealth programs
  • 200 people participated in Culver's coloring contest
  • 5 new families signed up for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and all participants read a total of 1,300 books
Children's Area
  • I completed the Things That Go neighborhood. We are currently working on the next neighborhood. These have been very popular blah blah blah
Professional Development
  • webinars and meetings and things
Other
  • there's usually not space left on my one page by this point

SO, what do you think? Ideas?

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