Library day in the life - wearing several hats

This post is part of the sixth round of Library Day in the Life is running from Monday 24 to Friday 28 January. You can find the other participants, and sign up yourself, on the project wiki, and watch the #libday6 hashtag on Twitter.

8am accessed the County Library catalogue in preparation for my first Doorstep Visit. Drove into town and 9.30 started browsing the collection of audio books on cassette and CD. It was like being a child in a sweet shop. Hilary, the co-ordinator suggested some authors and then we drove out to where the material was to be delivered and discussed it for an hour as well as putting the world to rights. A further hour was spent at home with the co-ordinator discussing scope and extent of the scheme and our Library Routes

Quick lunch then off to a Department Library to provide cover via the Temporary Employment Service for a three hour session.

Arrived to find that the invigilators had been off sick and there was a mountain of shelving.
Also on help desk meeting visiting scholars, postgrads and undergrads, emptying book box and advising on copyright regulations.

Final job will be to clear library, switch off all computers, photocopiers and scanners and all lights. The first time I covered here one bay was left floodlit since I could not locate the switch hidden behind the stack. A very useful plan was added to the supervisors' manual with light switches marked in red. Can turn my hand to most things, but glad that there is a good range of procedure manuals behind the staff desk since all libraries vary how they process new books and journals back from binding.

No work but one meeting tomorrow. Will go to a Pilates class to sort out my back after the shelving.

Library day in the life : Keeping in touch

[The sixth round of Library Day in the Life is running from Monday 24 to Friday 28 January. You can find the other participants, and sign up yourself, on the project wiki, and watch the #libday6 hashtag on Twitter.]

It is Wednesday and my first blog as a sometime librarian and volunteer. I have previously blogged about a varied career before I left to sail Calon Lan in the Adriatic.

8am write memo for next Governing Body meeting about a name to be added to 1st World War memorial. The retired Fellow Librarian had telephoned on Tuesday about revisions to a biographical listing of the College men who had died and the discovery in Carey's War list of a casualty not currently recorded in Chapel

10-11 University of the Third Age French class.

11.15 - 12.30 Research in Cambridge Central Library on ancestry.co.uk database, conversation with Local Studies Librarian and tasty quiche in the cafe.

1-1.45 met up with former colleagues at Social Networking Tools for Libraries talk given by Dr Samuel Chu #ulchu in the University Library.

2-4 Back to the Cambridge Central Library for a meeting of Doorstep Library Volunteers and a subsequent discussion on how budget cuts will affect the library service. Further research on biographical article. Unfortuately had to miss Anne Jarvis' lecture to U3Ac on Are we facing the demise of the Book?

Home and another telephone conversation about one man listed on the memorial but not in the admission registers who may be a member of staff.

Looking forward to tomorrow, selecting material for my first reader and working for pay in the afternoon as a supply librarian in a faculty library