tiny little update

So it's been JUST over a week since the new library has been open, and I'm starting to get a "feel" for what my desk hours are like-- kinda. It's always a crapshoot when you're on desk. Are you on during the busy times? And what kind of a "busy time" is it? Are your questions mostly about how to log onto the computers or where the AV materials are...or do your questions have to do with homework and finding resources for people who are writing papers and doing research? You never really know...at any desk really, until you get a feel for the flow of a busy day versus a non-busy day like fridays.

The new library is different- which is why I wanted to be a part of it. It's small-- physically speaking, just over 5000 square feet. The collection is somewhat shallow if you are thinking along the lines of the Conspectus Model- we selected books that are popular based on information from professional journals and circulation statistics taken from our other libraries. It's really a neat idea and an incredibly cool collection (if I do say so myself). But because it's so small, the few reference questions I get, we often don't have the materials at that location to immediately hand over to the patron. We knew this would be the case. We're not a research library. However, there's something very satisfying with being able to hand over all of the materials a person needs in the very moment they need them. I'm able to do that somewhat at the new library, but I'm also getting used to saying, "We can reserve that for you and it'll be here in 3-5 days" more often than ever before.

I also find myself wanting to show anyone our electronic resources. I had no idea how much I enjoyed this type of semi-instruction, walking patrons through the process of getting to our virtual reference room, and showing them all of the information that's available in our 200-some databases. It's almost as if I want to strap them down into a chair and force them to listen to my schpeel-- because I don't get to do it quite as often as I used to.

Wow that sounded nerdy. Anyhow, that's about all the writing I can muster up for now. I'm going to try to take advantage of my morning before work and see what I can get done around the house, so more later!