Things That Didn’t Go According to Plan This Summer

by Bethany Dietrich

Y’all, this summer was hard. I thought it couldn’t be worse than last summer when we were down a cataloger for maternity leave, a programming associate who had been poached to city hall, and a programming supervisor who had had her arm twisted into being director. Ha! Boy, was I wrong. 

 

This summer, we had two new staffers to replace the cataloger who quit shortly after returning in September 2021 and the programming associate, but they both are nubes in their own ways. So, lots of training was (and still is) needed. Additionally, the other programming associate is pregnant, and it’s been a challenging pregnancy, so between pregnancy brain and lots of doctor appointments, she’s been out– physically and/or mentally– quite often. So, staffing desks, programs, and dynamics didn’t go as planned. 

 

Our attendance this summer was massive! We figure it’s everyone so tired of being at home, and obviously lots of teens at my programs is awesome, but I had 30 (THIRTY!!) teens at my first summer program. I usually average 10-12 each week, whether summer or not. I had an escape room planned. And, suffice it to say, it did not go as planned. 

 

If I knew I would have so many, in preparation, I would have planned to split them in half and do half in the escape room and the other half hanging out in the Teen Room or something similar. But I had no idea, and I didn’t have a second set of props for a second group to go through the escape room. I was unable to pivot in the moment. 

 

Then, I had That Teenage Boy. You know him. You’ve probably had him in your program. If not, you definitely had him as a classmate in middle school. He doesn’t care about how his actions affect others, if he hurts people’s feelings, if he hogs all my attention with redirecting him and refocusing him, if he makes a massive mess, if his behavior completely ruins everyone else’s good time. 

 

He came with his cousins to programs, and the one cousin and him played off one another and it grew and grew and grew. We had, just this past spring, instituted a “one warning and if you do it again, I’m going to ask you to leave the program and the library for the rest of the day” repercussion. So, thankfully, that saved me. But I kicked him out several times this summer. 

 

Until the second cousin told their mom because she was embarrassed of her brother and her cousin’s behavior. Mom called me and apologized and said she would talk to her brother, That Teenage Boy’s dad. That was mid-July; and he skipped a couple of weeks, we took off a couple of weeks after the end of summer reading, and he’s been to one program in August, where he was much better. Still a turd, but not quite as smelly of a turd. 

 

Between the too-many, did-not-anticipate attendance issue in June and That Teenage Boy’s behavior, my teen programs didn’t go as planned. 

 

This summer was not my best. I’m a bit disappointed in myself, but I’m also okay with it because these things were mostly out of my control. 

 

In reflecting, I’m REALLY glad the second cousin told her mom, because I was just about at my wits’ end in getting That Teenage Boy to behave. Next summer, hopefully, our staffing challenges will be solved (or at the least: better!), and we’ve already, as a programming team, discussed how we can’t expect to have these numbers again next summer. So, I will try to plan programs that are more fluctuating-attendance friendly. 

 

What didn’t go well for you this summer, and what have you learned from it in your self-reflections? 

Back to School at the Public Library

image via https://twitter.com/booktrust/status/1421751307879190529

I think about the opening of Tuck Everlasting every year at the beginning of August. The first few weeks of August are always a limbo period for us here in Colorado, where school typically starts mid-month. Here at my public library, the Summer Reading Program has ended, families are taking last minute vacations, and teens are filled with restless energy as summer break draws to a close.

This year, with COVID restrictions essentially gone, I’m curious to see how the Fall semester shakes out. Last year at this time, my library was closed to patrons two days a week, and we only offered a handful of in-person programs. I barely had any regulars in after school, when pre-COVID my teen space was generally packed. This year, we’re back to a normal schedule, and offering lots of programs. Our SRP had a record number of participants. Will this carry over to the school year? I really hope it does. What will things look like at the public library at this strange time we find ourselves in?

My teen volunteers and I are planning some fun events. In addition to regular monthly programs (Anime Club, Snark Attack, crafts) we’re going to try our hand at a Murder Mystery program in October, we’ve partnered with a local organization to lead a food waste program for kids (run by teens) at our town’s farmer’s market, and we’ve got some fun Take and Makes planned too.

I remain cautiously optimistic for the year ahead. Here’s hoping for a Fall semester that feels a little more like the good old pre-pandemic days!

The Limit DOES Exist

by Bethany Dietrich

Like teachers, nurses, and others in “helping” jobs, we have a habit of over-extending ourselves. There is no limit to what I would do for my teens– or my job in general.

My library’s big plans for 2022 include hiring two people to fill three holes we currently have. 

Like many of you, because of the shortage, I’ve had more piled on my plate than I can handle. After a panic attack, week-long eye twitching, and snapping at one too many co-workers, I asked my supervisor if I could take a break from programs for three or four weeks.

 

(Caveat, I also had to break the news at that meeting that I would be having oral surgery in February and would be out for ten days.)

 

She said yes, and we planned for me to just put out board games in the Teen Room. We usually hold the program in the Meeting Room, but putting the games in the Teen Room allows me to sit at the Reference Desk to keep an eye/ear out but not have to actively facilitate/lead the program. They are big kids and know how to play games in the manner that is expected of them. 

 

Our teen program meets weekly, and we already do board games the first week of every other month, so board games wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for them. The past two or three times, they’ve just wanted to play Monopoly, and I have to sit and watch them since it’s typically just the right amount of people to play what with how many pieces there are. 

We decided I would take a break for three weeks in February, the first one being when I am out, recuperating from the surgery. 

 

So while this mini break is not exciting, it is furthering my personal goal of working on finding my limits, identifying the limits, and asking for help. As a perfectionistic, people-pleasing goody-two-shoes, this is something I really struggle with. 

 

What are you planning on doing this year to work within your limits?

Alleviating Surface Pressure in 2022

“Who am I if I can’t carry it all?” -Luisa from Encanto (and all librarians, probably.)

I start the new year in a new library and in a new role that I’ve had for just shy of five months. This is the perfect time for goal-setting and nailing down my professional objectives for the year ahead. There are plenty of things I want to refine, such as wrangling some teens to form a TAB and fortifying connections with the local school media specialists and so on. But today I want to talk about my personal goals for self-care and nurturance that will ultimately benefit me in numerous ways – especially in aiding me to bring my best self to my job.

1. Take my darn breaks.

A combination of vocational awe and having fun as a librarian can make our work not really seem like work. But we all need to rest our bodies. We require this every day, not just on weekends and days off. 

When I settle into my work in the morning, I write down my to-do list and priorities for the day. Now I also schedule my short breaks. I look at my meetings, programs, etc. and plan my 15-minute breaks in advance – and I even set an alarm. 

It’s so easy for me to get sucked into what I’m doing that I need to remind myself to get up and take a break. Even if it’s just to rest my eyes from looking at a screen, or a walk around the library to see what my colleagues are up to. If the weather is behaving, I’ll take a walk outside (usually to the bagel shop!) Lately, I’ve been bringing a crochet project to work. I also carry a little pouch of postcards, a fun pen, stamps, stickers and write a note to a friend. Then I might take a walk to drop it in the mail on my next break!

2. Explore my own interests.

I have devoted the past several years to reading teen and middle grade fiction. Part of the reason is that I served on the Rainbow Book List Committee for two years and I HAD TO. But it’s also because I have felt the strong need to read everything I could to stay on top of current trends. This year, I am giving myself permission to not go so hard on devouring teen lit and actually pick up something that aligns with my personal interests outside of being a teen librarian. (Though, to be fair, there are quite a few YA books that I absolutely want to read just for me!) 

I will let go of the need to read all of the new YA books for myself and rely more on book reviews in professional journals and blogs for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes. That’s what those tools are there for! So I will utilize those reviews, especially because the librarians who review books put a lot of work into them. If you’re a book reviewer, I thank you for your service!

3. Don’t overcommit.

Now, I’m not one of those people who says yes to everything. In fact, I do say no to quite a lot . But I still do enjoy giving back to the library field in the form of speaking engagements, volunteering on committees, writing posts, etc. This year, I want to learn that I don’t need to fill up my schedule to be a good librarian. I need to make time for intentional resting and aggressive relaxing so that I can continue to be a good librarian!

4. Share the load.

Just because I want to do everything myself, doesn’t mean I have to – or that I even should. I am now leading a youth services department, and I know an important part of leadership is to delegate, asking for help, and loop others in. So within my library, and in other areas where I am active in serving and leading committees, I will remember that team members are there because they want and need to take on some of the work. It’s best for everyone that all voices are heard and everyone makes a contribution. 

5. Recognize the signs of burnout.

Yall, the past two years have been rough as a cardigan made out of sandpaper. Even without a pandemic changing the way we do our jobs, being a librarian can be stressful. All too often, professional burnout creeps up on us before we realize what is happening. The key is to be mindful and notice when you get grumpy, fatigued, and feel generally like nothing you’re doing is worth anything. I want to make sure that I have a plan in place when inevitable burnout strikes. I want to be aware of my personal signs of burnout and take the steps I need to recover from it. Hopefully, all of the things I’ve listed here will help me combat it before it gets unmanageable!

These are my work self-care intentions to kick off the new year that will ultimately help me fine-tune my professional goals as I navigate the rest of the year. What are some of yours?

3 Intentions for 2022

When thinking about goals for 2022, I’ve decided I like the word “intention” rather than “resolution.” Resolution seems too certain, especially these days when everything feels unpredictable. I’m giving myself a lot of grace this year to strive less and rest more, but there are a few library tasks and book-related things I intend to accomplish. Here are my top three.

Read 75 Books

I read nearly 60 books last year, and I’d like that number to grow. Many books are sitting unread on my shelves, so my motivation for this goal is to make a dent in those unread titles. I’ve been reading more poetry and graphic novels lately, too, which are usually quick reads.

Scroll Less

One of the ways I intend to achieve my reading goal is to put down my phone more often. My Instagram and TikTok scrolling has increased over the past year. I’ve needed some mindless entertainment, but getting lost in a book always leaves me feeling better than doomscrolling does.

Launch a Library Book Award

I was inspired by this Book Riot article about starting a book award in your school library. I hope to work with the group of student curators who assist with various tasks in the library to make this happen. We all need something fun to focus on this year.

Those are the top three things I intend to accomplish in 2022. What are some of your intentions?

3 Ways to Increase Staff Engagement in School Libraries

I work in two high school libraries, and both have around 150 staff members. My primary goal is to serve students well, but I also want to see staff using the library and its resources for themselves. Teachers bring their classes in for instruction or assignments, but I want them to check out books for personal reading. I want to help the secretary in the office next door learn how to place books on hold. I want to make sure my school’s custodians know how to download eBooks and audiobooks. Today I’m sharing three ways you can reach out to all members of your school’s staff so that they feel just as welcome in the library as the students do.

MAKE SURE STAFF KNOW THE BOOKS ARE FOR THEM TOO

This statement might seem too obvious to share, but it’s essential if you want to help staff use the library. I’ve worked in school libraries for ten years now, and I’ve lost count of how many staff members have asked if they’re allowed to borrow books. In addition to making sure they know they can check out, ask for their recommendations. Try displaying staff favorites. Ask your coworkers what they’re reading. Spread some literary love to your entire school community, not just the students. 

OPT FOR A PERSONAL MESSAGE RATHER THAN AN ALL-STAFF EMAIL

Sometimes an all-staff email makes the most sense, but in the past, I’ve also sent emails to individual staff members stating what the library had to offer them. I made sure the science teachers knew about the science databases we could help them access. I offered to create a page on the school library website for specialized literature classes and showed them examples of others I’d done in the past. I reminded teachers that they were welcome to use the library for their prep periods. See what specific needs there are in your school and help meet them.

REMEMBER TO CONSIDER ALL STAFF

When I think about who uses the school library, I think of students first and teachers second. That’s great, but it’s important to consider everyone in your building. My school district has a partnership with our local public library, and I like to send reminders about it before winter and summer break. I create lists of ebooks and audiobooks staff might want to download and include a video showing how they can access those titles. I make sure the staff knows that everyone has a library account already set up, whether they are teachers, paraeducators, counselors, or cooks. When communicating with people in your building about library resources, don’t forget to mention and include the entire team. 

If you work in a school, how do you reach out to staff? How do you reach out to teachers and other school staff if you work in a public library? Let us know in the comments. 

Comic-Con Primer

Mid-October, my library host its third comic-con. And the third recreation of it since we started in 2019 with a normal one inside the library, pivoted to a virtual one last year and now this year, we hosted it outside (in mid-October, in New England and yes, we lucked out and got amazing weather!) on a fairly small plot of outdoor land.

I’ve detailed the adventures of doing a library comic-con in fairly good detail on the blog already. Just search comic-con and you’ll find them all plus previous Agent Pamela’s on her library’s comic-con.

This year, we had to switch gears yet again and recreate many of the wheels because we felt it safest to do it outside if possible with an indoor, masks required option second (our town has a mask mandate in town buildings). We had to look at our space in a different way and plan things very differently. It was a rousing success, though! We got just about 250 people across the day, across many events and activities, and everyone went home smiling (including our exhausted crew).

But I wanted to get back to basics a bit with this post and talk about the main things you need to look at if you’re planning a library comic-con (your experiences may differ, of course. I’m at a medium to small library in suburb of Boston for what it’s worth).

Budget!

Of course, budget is very important. So many of us don’t have much in the way of budget so how can you put on something without a budget? I do have a budget. Not a huge one – less than $1000 – but a lot of what we do has a negligible budget. Or use what you already have! We have a button maker, so we made tons of buttons with supplies we had on hand so we could do button collecting, which is a common con/fandom/Disney thing. All our crafts were printed pre-made activities sheets or cut out crafts that they could do with the markers, crayons and scissors we had on hand. We do a recyclable craft challenge every year where I solicit recyclables from coworkers for the month before. We have legos already so this year we had a group build challenge.

Out of our six big activities, staff ran 3 of them (4 the first year). We had a fantasy story time, a Disney sing-along and a Star Wars story time (augmented by members of the FREE Rebel Legion/501st) all by staff this year. We were going to run a Stop Motion as a fourth program run by staff (there’s a great free app for phones so anyone could have downloaded it and worked – or if you have library devices – and we were going to use our lego supplies) but I accidentally doublebooked two artists so we had two artists (cartoonist and drawer) and our yearly cosplay guest. None of them charged more than $150 for an hour program either. Search for those good people who don’t charge an arm and a leg. They exist in many areas – or book them virtually! Mink the Satyr, based out of Boston, is our cosplay guru of choice and she did two amazing virtual programs for us last year and would be happy to do so to a wider geographic area.

We borrowed a staff member’s Switch to run Mario Kart with the library’s copy of the game. We created a fanfiction challenge that we did on poster board (can get it at the dollar store!) in a mad libs style and printed the words with sticky tac or tape to adhere them. I got volunteers from my D&D programs to offer D&D all day, bribing them with free snacks and a pizza lunch (we all know teens will do anything for food!).

Honestly, where I splurge on budget is food for crew. We have a solid group of volunteers and our staff work their butts off so we get high quality pizza for them for the day of as a thanks (especially since many of us don’t take our full lunch breaks that day). Since I have the budget too, I tend to do one extra cool thing. First year was t-shirts for crew. This year it was authentic plastic con badges with artwork we designed for the first 200 attendees (and crew).

What do you want to get out of your con?

A lot of cons (And certainly any paid cons) always have an artist’s alley, cosplay contests, things for sale. But does a con need those things? At my library, we try and keep everything free for participants, except we do invite our Friends group every year to sell snacks (and we’re trying to figure out some sort of community partnership next year for lunches to keep people present). But we don’t have an artist’s alley because I don’t want patrons to feel beholden to pay people for things.

We also have yet to have a cosplay contest. Our cosplay parades have fizzled. Does that make us not a con?

Especially if you’re worried about admin, trustee or staff buy in, think about your mission statement and action plans and what your library’s culture finds important and focus on this things for your con.

Don’t do it alone.

This is not a project to do alone. You do need someone with the vision and determination, who is good at looking at the big picture and organizing (but honestly, that’s most of us) but to do it well, you need support and help. It’s exhausting and amazing and honestly my favorite thing I do each year now, but I work hard during the work day and am brain dead at night for the better part of a month. Make sure you can take comp time or get paid over time and try to turn the brain off when you’re home. Find a great support group. If you ever need anything, I’m happy to be part of that group!

Good luck and may the Force be with you!

Life as a School Library Clerk (With No Students)

When I was at work on March 20th, 2020, I heard that the school was closing down and would be virtual for the next six weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Six weeks seemed like such a long time. Little did I know that it would turn into a year.

I work as a library clerk for two public high schools, splitting my full-time job between two buildings. At the start of the pandemic, I was nervous about being laid off. Thankfully, my school district was able to retain all of its employees and let many of us finish out the school year from home. I managed to find enough work to keep me busy at home and thought for sure that students would be back in the fall. Thanks to the rising COVID cases in my city, their return didn’t happen. Many staff members returned to the buildings, but the students did not. High school students just came back for in-person hybrid learning last month.

In addition to my school library work, I spent 15 years working in a public library. I know that library work often involves pivoting, as does any job that requires you to work directly with the public.

I never expected to pivot as much as I had to this past year, but I ended up grateful for new opportunities and experiences.

Before 2020, I recorded one or two Loom videos. I’ve recorded more than I can count this past year, showing students how to do things such as download books, use research databases, and search the catalog.

Without students present, I had time to complete a diversity audit at one of my schools and begin a second. I dusted neglected shelves. I shifted and weeded. I tried to get better at Instagram, looking for any way I could to connect with the kids.

Though students are back now, they’re still not allowed to visit the library due to an abundance of caution. That means they search for books online, place holds, and pick them up in their English class. I’ve poured hours into curating book lists on all kinds of different topics, full of high-interest titles that make finding a good read quick and easy. I started doing digital book-matchmaking and offering surprise book bundles, both of which have been hits.

I don’t get to interact much with students these days, but I’m grateful for the “thank you” emails and the kid who stopped me last week to say how much they enjoyed the books in their bundle. I lead a book club with two of my coworkers, and we’ve gone virtual this school year. We’ve had a record number of sign-ups and truly wonderful conversations about complex topics. Much of my digital work this year has been deeply satisfying and has still allowed for connection, just a different kind.

I hope this post encourages you in your own pivoting. We’ve lost a great deal due to the pandemic, but I hope there have been glimpses of goodness in your work. I hope you’ve experienced some moments of joy amid the uncertainties and challenges. I’d love for you to share how you’ve had to pivot and what you’ve learned through it all. What have been the highs and lows of your work this past year? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Now is the Fall of our discontent?

I’ve become keenly aware that if you add 2020 to anything it serves as fantastically ironic way to show how things have gone poorly.  For example before my family headed to our first trip to Lake Michigan for a beach day it was sunny and forecast called for a pleasantly warm morning.  Without thinking I yelled “BEACH DAY 2020!!!!!”and forty minutes later and a mere .25 mile from our sandy destination the skies opened up and torrential downpour.  We laughed, cried, laughed and tried to explain to a four year old why we are no longer going to the beach.

Now this is incredibly trivial during a pandemic and as some of you may have been laid off, lost jobs, lost family members and friends due to estrangement over different mask views, tremendous racial injustice, and a bursting dam and hurricanes, and tornadoes, and wildfires, and wild fire tornadoes

and lots of other unthinkable impossible new things that seem to happen daily in 2020. Somewhere way way way down that list is the hiatus of in branch programming and in person outreach programming.

This morning I was thinking about good ol billy shakes and the line

A.  I didn’t exactly know what the quote meant exactly but for those not well versed in a rhymed couplet.  Shakespeare is saying Richard’s unhappiness is about to end as his family is about to take the throne.  So I learned something today.

B. We are on the cusp of beautiful lovely fall and that means were are nowhere near the winter of our collective discontent.  2020 still has a whole nother season of aftermath to give 2021 but we remain ever hopeful 2021 isn’t like hey 2022 hold my beer. But seriously 2021.

That means if you are a Teen Librarian some of the absolute best things about your job are being put on pause.  I love programming and coming up with new programming ideas but currently my branch is up to our elbows in curbside pickup and book quarantine schedules and finding out who the next patron to rage rant over the black lives matter display will be.

Maybe some of you are in the same space of keeping your head above water and thankfully some of you have probably started to adjust to this new normal but good news school has started or now is starting….Our in person school outreach is cancelled….UGH

Soooo the short term view is looking tough for a while…So what’s the long term view.

 

Here are some questions to ask

1. What will this time period mean for your program?
   1. at this point you may lose an entire year if not more of meaningful teen interactions. That probably means you’re entering a program rebuild. (You didn’t mean to tank the season…just be careful you’re not like the Detroit Lions.
   2. How can you prepare for a time when there’s more normalcy
   3. What things in your program room, storage, desk do you need to purge?
      1. We have a tub full of asymmetrical scrap paper pieces that have been in there since 2017 because hoarding…
      2. We have giant harry potter fan con displays that we used in 2015 that we’ve been saving because ….hoarding
      3. Basically Marie Kondo that stuff. Just like weeding books so the good stuff stands out same thing with your storage closet.

Some important steps could be

1. Simplify your life
   1. Unsubscribe from emails
   2. Unsubscribe from bad habits (and bad hobbits…we’re looking at you Proudfeet guy)
   3. Spartan out your workspace.  Find the least amount of things you need to function well and then curate what gets added back in.
2. Write down legitimate goals for next fall school year and develop plans to reach them.
3.  The Overarching Goal: BE READY
   1. Ready for when Teens come in with Material Advisory recommendations
   2. Ready for Opportunities to speak into teens lives as the happen and build relationships at a social distance.
   3. Ready for when Parents need education resources for Teens
   4. Ready for when Teens need education resources for Parents
   5. Ready for Teachers and proactively reaching out to show what the library can do for them
   6. Ready for when this eventually passes and it will my friends with an awesome programming lineup

In the Immortal Words of Tony Perkins From 1995’s Heavyweights

What’s Saving Your Life Now?

If you’re familiar with the TSU blog, you know we post about programming, share book lists, feature display ideas, and discuss life in the library while working with teens. We’re always talking about how we can best serve our teen patrons (and rightly so), but today I want to talk about how we can best help ourselves.

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. Our libraries have been closed. Many workers have been furloughed. Our sense of normalcy has been disrupted. And returning to work brought its own stress: Will I be safe? Will I get sick?

As I thought about this post, I kept thinking about these words from author Barbara Brown Taylor: 

Many years ago now, when I was invited to speak at a church gathering, my host said, “Tell us what is saving your life now.” It was such a good question that I have made a practice of asking others to answer it even as I continue to answer it myself. 

My question for you today is this: What is saving your life now? What person has been a lifeline? What practice has eased your worries? What self-care habit has helped keep you feeling sane?

Maybe your answers will include something meaningful, like deep conversations with a close friend. Perhaps it’ll be something that might sound silly, like DoorDash or sleeping in on your days off. All answers are valid as long as they bring joy and peace into your life. 

Here are some of the things that have been saving my life lately: 

• Making new playlists on Spotify
• Listening to my favorite podcasts
• Taking breaks from reading the news
• Spending time with my family
• Cooking and baking
• Organizing stuff around the house

I’ve had to be intentional about finding joy this year. When I know what’s saving my life, I can try to fit more of those things into my schedule. As Mary Oliver reminds us, “Joy is not made to be a crumb.”

So how does all of this relate to library work? If you’re reading this blog, you care about your job, and you want to do good work for your patrons. You might have the best vision, the best team, the best budget, and the best work environment, but if you’re exhausted and full of stress, your achievements will probably fall short. We can’t be the best versions of ourselves at work if we’re a mess inside. 

I encourage you to spend some time thinking about your answer to the question I asked: What’s saving your life now? 

Lean into the answers, and take good care of yourself.