Does your library/system have a limit or guideline for the usual number of hours spent at a service desk each day? For full-time, librarians only, all staff? I'm specifically interested to hear from mid-sized to larger libraries/systems to compare and see what everyone is doing.

My purpose: We seem to have plenty of staff but some branches have difficulty scheduling service desks equitably. I know there are managerial and other challenges but those are for another day. We currently have no limits but I plan to include them in the guidelines I'm writing.

For reference: This mostly suburban system has a little more than 300 staff, larger branches have around 30 people. No union so no contracted directives to fall back on.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

Looking for book recommendations for my parents (63 and 67) to keep them mentally engaged and active as they age. They are fluent in english, but are immigrants from china (came to Canada in the 80s) and I struggle to know what types of stories they find interesting. Does anyone have some recommendations for books that aren't too long or too difficult in reading comprehension, yet still interesting? I have found that they really do not like abstract thinking/arbitrary themes in stories.

Thanks!

hi i'm so sorry but i have a library etiquette question.

i get a lot of... maybe not niche books, but books my library doesn't have in the building. i just wanna know if its rude to constantly be approaching them to ask if they have/can order a specific book? because i don't wanna be like that.

(forgive me if this is a stupid question. i'm autistic and social rules are confusing to me; and i love my library very much, so i just don't wanna piss them off.)

edit: sorry i think i worded this wrong! my library refers to ordering as like,, getting it from another library in the state, haha.

I inherited a LibGuides install that was in desperate need of clean up. We're a small library and other thing just had to be done first.

I have finally made our website my top priority! As of today I deleted 127 LibGuides.

Once the clean ups done I can dig into the redesign. 🎉

https://preview.redd.it/ct652jvvw8xd1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=577759b910ace317908d86a51c7f548eac1b11d5

Libraries are often seen as places to borrow books and study in a quiet environment. However, it is surprising that the Seattle Public Library (SPL) provides thousands of free services beyond just books: e-books, museum...
r/Libraries r/Seattle r/seattlecollegian
Written by Maya Lee
Read Now

Easiest question you'll answer today and it's not about the location of the library's bathroom. Mods, I did search the sub before posting this but my questions are pretty specific and not about general pay rates

Do part-time Library Assistants working in NSW Australia get paid weekend rates like hospitality employees do?

I.e. time and a half on Saturdays, double time on Sundays.

Also! Which pay award do you fall under? (Fair Work Ombudsman is a little confusing...)

I recently moved to a new city in the same state. I have a library card at my old home library system and just got one at my new home library system. Is it good or bad for the library system, and is it ethical or unethical for me to continue to use my old library card for ebooks and audio books on Libby?

Hi!

I'm a part-time Youth Services Assistant at my local library in Texas, I'm currently researching programs to launch in the new year. I recently came across an inspiring collaboration between a library in Delaware and one in New Zealand to create a Pen Pal program. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity to engage kids, improve their reading and writing skills, and revive the timeless art of letter writing.

I’d love to connect with anyone interested in collaborating—especially if you're from a library in a different state! If you have experience with similar programs or any tips on setting up a Pen Pal initiative, I’d be thrilled to hear them. Thank you!

I forgot to mention that the kids that would participate in this program are ages 5-9 (school age).

Hello librarians!

I’m currently working on a VR project aimed at enhancing empathic understanding and perspective-sharing specifically for librarians. The goal is to help people better understand the diverse challenges and situations librarians encounter daily. As part of this, I want to construct realistic VR scenarios that reflect the experiences, decisions, and interactions that are unique to your roles.

I'd love to hear from you:

• What are some common scenarios or situations you find challenging or rewarding in your work?
• Are there any specific types of interactions or moments you wish people could understand better?
• What aspects of your job do you think VR could effectively highlight to foster empathy and deeper understanding?

Your insights would be invaluable in creating an experience that accurately represents the important work you do. Thank you in advance for any thoughts or suggestions you’re willing to share!

I'm a librarian currently working 2 part-time jobs. In the mornings, I work at a college library processing interlibrary loan requests, and in the late afternoons/early evenings, I work in the children's room of a public library. It's my dream job, something I want to do full-time some day.

My supervisor recently put me in charge of the 2nd grade book club. Basically, I read a more advanced picture book to the kids and then talk with them about it. My first time really did not go well. I had 3 second grade boys in the room. Two were really badly behaved -- constantly interrupting, talking back, thrashing around on the floor, shrieking, spilling snacks, crinkling the snack wrappers. To my knowledge, they're both neurotypical.

I remained calm and told them that the next time we had book group, we couldn't have snacks because they were apparently too distracting. I took a break so the kids could "get the wiggles out" (this did not go well -- they started shoving each other and one began trying to pull the fire alarm). I felt so awful for the one kid who actually wanted to be there because they basically ruined it for him.

I'm going to be stuck doing this again next month and am wondering if there are any tips on how to help these kids and ensure order during book group. The group meets on Mondays which are super hard for me because I come straight from one job and jump straight into the second with zero breaks; my patience is at an all-time low and I'm running on empty. Book club is set about 30 minutes after school gets out and runs for 45 minutes.

I'd appreciate any tips for dealing with rowdy, rambunctious, obnoxious kids without losing my cool or kicking them out (which I technically cannot do, although I did tell the kids that they seemed uninterested in book group and that they were free to leave).

I know this kind of research generally aligns better with communications, media studies, or psychology but I’m curious if anyone here has contributed to or helped conduct research on dis/misinformation using their information science background? How did you make that pivot or find opportunities to contribute to research?

This area really intrigues me and is something that I study on the side from my full tjme work. it’s something that I’ve wanted to possibly try contributing to if I can, like as a part of a larger research team with different types of professionals. Especially on the possible intersections with digital scholarship.

I live (in theory) in a major metro area centered on a city beyond saturated with libraries, but I live just too far from the city to have a life or to be able to reliably work in a library there. Too poor to move to the city. No jobs out here in the boonies. Can't even get a rejection email for jobs I know for a fact I'm qualified or overqualified for. Can't get work experience because I don't have work experience.

I'm working on my MLIS at an institution that's well-known in the area and it still gets me nowhere so far. I see lots of talk about how getting work experience in a library during an MLIS program is vital. But I can't even get a library assistant job, part- or full-time, and I'm about to give up. The worst part is I still really want to be in this field. Browsing job listings that are just 5 miles and 1 year of experience too far away for me makes me feel more and more ridiculous every single day, because I know nothing's coming down the pipeline and I pretend a real opportunity will come anyway.

Sorry, I just needed to vent. With all due respect, I can't quite tell whether or not I'm making a horrible mistake by throwing my lot in with this field. Almost everyone else in my program is already employed in the field, and I feel like I've missed the boat.

Hi everyone! I apologize if this isn't the right place for this, but I'm currently in college and doing an assignment where I create a profile on a local organization and talk about the positive impact it has on the community, and i chose local libraries! Could anyone share some specific details about how libraries help people/places around them that might be surprising? If anyone has personal stories of they've been impacted I would love to hear that also. Thank you in advance!

I am doing a book club with 4th graders in my library. The teachers have provided me with books and worksheets for two of the classes. The third class is up to me and I really want to do 'The Little Prince' but I don't know how to about getting worksheets and or discussion questions. I've seen some stuff online but I feel unsure about some of it. Those who have put together something like this, how did you go about it? Anyone gor suggestions for this book?