What Do Librarians Do All Day?

There are many stereotypes about librarians. Even though we assist many voracious book readers in Somers (of all ages!), in fact, people may not have a clear idea about what else librarians do on a day-to-day basis. We thought we would compile a list of the things we work on during an average day.

• The biggest part of a librarian's job is to help connect people to all the information in the library. That means showing people how to use all the different resources in a library, from computers to card catalogs to websites 
•  Manage the collection; ensuring books and other items in the library are ones that people want/need/will benefit from, and are up-to-date
•  Reader's advisory services 
•  Order books/catalog books
• Read professional journals
• Attend training and events to ensure that library service is keeping up with new developments 
• Work on developing new, innovative and relevant programs 
• Teach people how to use their eReaders or how to use the Internet as well as basic computer skills
• Show people how to apply for jobs online 
• Maintain the library's website for ease in obtaining information and/or registering for programs 
• Prepare monthly homebound deliveries 
• Promote and market the library, including using social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and this blog
• Place holds and requests for books from outside of the library system (Inter-library loan) 
• Prepare and run Story times for babies, toddlers, preschoolers 
• Run book clubs/groups for K-12 students 
• Summer reading programs (children, teen, adult) 
• Teen programs and ACT/SAT prep classes 
• Partner with local organizations (i.e. Energize Somers, PTA, etc.) 
• Partner with schools at all grade levels 
• Order books for the 25+ book groups the library serves 
• Manager student volunteers from SMS, SHS and adult volunteers 
• Supervise and train pages. 
• Prepare reports for and attend staff meetings 
• Prepare newsletter, emails, and publicity to maximize use of library services 
• Prepare displays 

So there you have it. Essentially, our main goal is to help you, the library user locate the things you are looking for. We do this by maintaining accurate records for all the items we buy, describing them accurately so that relevant search terms will find them, and by ensuring that books covering similar subject matter sit alongside each other on the shelves. We provide programs of interest, and discover new ways to provide the best service possible. We hope this gives you some insight into the various jobs we take care of each and every day.