What Do Librarians Do All Day?

Always worth a repeat...

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 (includes creating and upkeep of the various reader’s advisory brochures)
• Order and catalog books
• Attend training and events to ensure that library service is keeping up with new developments 
• Booking (and publicizing) new, interesting, and relevant programs 
• Developing innovative materials to check out of the library (seeds, cake pans, knitting kits, etc.)
• Teach people how to use their e-Readers or how to use the Internet as well as basic computer skills
• Maintain the library's website for ease in obtaining information and/or registering for programs 
• Maintain online calendar
• Create monthly newsletter, program emails to maximize use of library services
• Create program flyers
• Prepare monthly homebound deliveries 
• Promote and market the library using social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and our Blog
• Place holds and requests for books from outside of the library system (Inter-Library Loan) 
• Partner with local organizations (i.e. Energize Somers, PTA, etc.) 
• Assisting people applying for jobs online 
• Manager student volunteers from SMS, SHS and adult volunteers 
• Supervise and train pages 
• Prepare reports for and attend staff meetings 
• Prepare monthly displays 
• Read professional journals
• Order books for the 25+ book groups the library serves 
• Book, organize, publicize teen programs and special events (ACT/SAT prep classes, and more) 
• Prepare for and run teen groups: Teen Advisory Board, Anime Club, Middle School Book Group, High School Gaming Club, and Magic the Gathering Club
• Prepare for and run story times for babies, toddlers, preschoolers 
• Run book clubs/groups for K-12 students 
• Summer reading programs (children, teen, and adult) 
• Partner with schools at all grade levels 

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.

Books for National Poetry Month

"This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month, which was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Over the years, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry's vital place in our culture." (cited from Poets.org) 

• The Best American Poetry 2015
• Breezeway: New Poems by John Ashbery
• The Essential Ginsburg by Allen Ginsberg
• The Complete Poetry by Maya Angelou
• Ramblings: Poetry & Prose from the Hudson Valley Writers Workshop
• Collected Poems of Samuel Beckett by Samuel Beckett
• Splitting an Order by Ted Kooser
• Blue Horse: Poems by Mary Oliver
• Midnight Whispers by Victoria Wiegand
• Aimless Love by Billy Collins
• Walking Home by Simon Armitage
• Cradle of the American Circus: Poems from Somers, NY by Jo Pitkin
• Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton by Lucille Clifton

Find additional titles on this topic, and many others by visiting our Pinterest boards.  You may also place a hold on books by clicking here.

Book Club Guides

 

Did you know that the library has a nice selection of guides to help your book group make their next book selection? You will find a selection of these guides above the 'New Fiction' area. Some of the titles include:

• The Book Club Bible
• 1001 Books for Every Mood
• Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason
• Read This: Handpicked Favorites from America's Indie Bookseller
• One Hundred Great Jewish Books
• Reading Women: A Book Club Guide for Women's Fiction
• Book Discussions for Adults: A Leader's Guide
• The Reader's Choice: 200 Book Club Favorites
• Reading Group Choices: Selections for Lively Book Discussions
• The Reading Group Book: The Complete Guide to Starting and Sustaining a Reading Group, With Annotated Lists of 250 Titles for Proactive Discussion
• Read This Next: 500 of the Best Books You'll Ever Read

Somers Seed Lending Library

As the groundhog said, spring will be early this year! Let’s all hope he is right and we can all start planning our gardens.  Since now is the time to gather your seeds and get growing, the Somers Seed Lending Library is a good place to start!

The Somers Seed Lending Library is a wonderful addition to our library and to this community. Somers Seed Lending Library is a free community heirloom seed lending project, demonstrating
that libraries check out more than books! The idea is simple. Growers get enough seed to grow 5-
6 plants from the seed catalog located behind the Reference Desk, record what they are taking
with them as well as basic contact information for later in the season. Then they grow their plants
during the season. At the end of the growing season for that plant, the grower harvests as usual,
but saves some of the seed for next season, and returns a portion, usually 2-3 times the starting
amount (or more) to the seed library to continue the cycle.

In the early months of 2013, librarians at the Somers Library worked to make the seed lending
library a reality.  They planned, prepared and organized this collection and then asked the
Friends of the Somers Library to support the initiative by purchasing our first supply of heirloom
seeds.  Over these last two years, the Friends have graciously supplemented our collection with
the purchase of additional seeds.  We are so pleased to offer our patrons this unique opportunity.
Our hope is that you will enjoy gardening and picking the fruits of your hard labor. Along with
saving seeds, consider checking out some great books on gardening and cooking to experience a
true culinary treat! Follow Somers Seed Lending Library on Facebook by clicking here.

Donations are gratefully accepted to help grow our seed library. Checks can be made out to the
Friends of Somers Library, with a note in the memo field stating "For Seed Library." Also on our
wish list: new packets of Heirloom Seeds. So, please come and visit the Somers Seed Lending Library to get heirloom quality seeds to grow quality plants—and to get into the spirit of the season of spring!

Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month and you can find plenty of inspiration in the stacks at Somers Library. Understanding the many achievements women have achieved throughout history...whether it be through  the sciences, the arts, politics, and more, is important for not only girls but also for boys to recognize. What these women have accomplished have enhanced and enriched the lives of men and women, boys and girls in present-day society. Although women have come a long way this past century, women and girls around the world still struggle for rights to control their bodies, to be respected when they walk on the streets, to choose their careers or goals and other everyday actions. The list below offers some items to get you started on learning about women's great contributions, and some books about strong female characters to give you inspiration.

• Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion by Jean Baker
• A Very Dangerous Woman: Martha Wright and Women's Rights by Sherry Penney
• The Boundaries of Her Body: A Troubling History of Women's Rights in America by Debran Rowland
• In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution by Susan Brownmiller
• Not For Ourselves: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony by Geoffrey Ward
• The Fifties: A Woman's Oral History by Brett Harvey
• Women's Suffrage in America by Elizabeth Frost-Knappman
• The Paradox of Change: American Women in the 20th Century by William Chafe
• In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton by Elisabeth Griffith
• The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis
• Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington by Cokie Roberts
• Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Armstrong
• My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
• Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg by Irin Carmon
• Amelia Earhart: The Sky's No Limit by Lori Van Pelt
• The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt by Eleanor Roosevelt

Find additional titles on this topic, and many others by visiting our Pinterest boards.  You may also place a hold on books by clicking here.

Tax Forms

As in past years, the library will have a (limited) supply of tax forms in the lobby. We do our best to anticipate everyone's needs, however supplies do run out. If you need additional tax forms, you can download and print them from the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/uac/Forms-and-Publications-by-U.S.-Mail. New York State tax forms can be downloaded from the NYS website at https://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/income_cur_forms.htm.

If you choose to print the forms and instructions at the library, there is a fee of 15 cents per page.

African-American History Month

African-American History Month is a month set aside to learn, honor, and celebrate the achievements of black men and women throughout history. Learn about famous firsts by black Americans, read the history of black history, and find information about milestones in black history. Brush up on the Harlem Renaissance and Negro League Baseball, read biographies of famous African Americans, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and more. 

• The 1964 Freedom Summer by Rebecca Felix
• William Wells Brown : an African American life by Ezra Greenspan
• Double victory : how African American women broke race and gender barriers to help win World War II by Cheryl Mullenbach
• Harlem Renaissance : art of Black America
• Gateway to freedom : the hidden history of the underground railroad by Eric Foner
• Life upon these shores : looking at African American history, 1513-2008 by Henry Louis Gates
• Shades of glory : the negro leagues and the story of African-American baseball by Lawrence B. Hogan
• The African-American century : how Black Americans have shaped our country by Henry Louis Gates
• Finding a place called home : a guide to African-American genealogy and historical identity by Dee Woodtor
• The blues is a feeling : voices & visions of African-American blues musicians by James Fraher
• The African American presence in New York State history : four regional history surveys, with a selected list of African American historic sites for each region
• Prince of darkness : the untold story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's first black millionaire by Shane White
• Harlem Renaissance by Kelly King Howes
• Freedom journey : Black Civil War soldiers and The Hills community, Westchester County, New York by Edythe Ann Quinn
• The warmth of other suns: the epic story of America's great migration by Isabel Wilkerson
• The search for the underground railroad in Upstate New York by Tom Calarco
• Freedom train : the story of Harriet Tubman by Dorothy Sterling
• The rebellious life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis

Find additional titles on this topic, and many others by visiting our Pinterest boards.  You may also place a hold on books by clicking here.