Confessions of a Librarian

“Librarians are the coolest people out there doing the hardest job out there on the frontlines. And every time I get to encounter or work with librarians, I'm always impressed by their sheer awesomeness.”
― Neil Gaiman

“[Librarians] are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn't mess with them.” 
― Michael Moore


SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Libraries are one of the last bastions of civilization. And libraries would be nothing but stacks of books without librarians. On a more personal level, I know I'm the person and writer I am today because a very special librarian named Mrs. Eizabeth Lewin (now retired), of the North Tonawanda Public Library — who saw a bored kid who'd read her way out of the children's section, and gave me an adult library card and the book Jane Eyre. I never looked back.

But what do librarians really do? I must confess that I have a few images in mind when it comes to librarians. One is the stereotypical mean, shushing librarian. Then there's Marian, the Librarian, from The Music Man, of course:

And then there's Noah Wylie:

But, recently, I was able to spend time with Jennifer Stock, who's the director of a library in Pennsylvania, as she organized a tea for her library's book club readers of MR. CHURCHILL'S SECRETARY and an author talk. First, she never stopped moving. She never stopped multitasking. And she never sat down, I don't think, ever. And she did it all with a smile on her face and the grace of Cora, Countess of Grantham at Downton Abbey. (And, if you're wondering, she does read extensively — but all on her own, not the library's, time.)

I'm hoping that you, like me, are curious about what our intrepid librarians really do (hint: not just check out books.)

Please welcome Librarian Extraordinaire Jennifer Stock! 

JENNIFER STOCK: Susan Elia MacNeal asked if I would write “a day in the life of a librarian”, to which I happily agreed.

I am the director of a small to medium sized library in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My library is one of 26 member libraries in a county system that shares materials, databases and delivery services to all of our library card-holding residents. A typical day finds me at the library by 8:15, turning on lights and powering up the computers. I’ll check that the cash drawer is set for the day, and

record the receipts of fines and fees from the day before. Those fines and fees are quite important to keep the library running. My co-workers, a children’s librarian and a library technical assistant, arrive by 9:00, and we’ll catch up on yesterday’s happenings, today’s plans, or recent Downton Abbey episodes. There are holds lists to run and requests to search for, and overdue notices to generate. One of us will empty the book drop that’s located at our front entrance.

At 10:00, we’ll unlock the front door and let our patrons inside, and the county system’s book delivery van will arrive soon with today’s haul, typically 2-3 boxes of requests and returns. The circulation desk will come alive with the arrival of this shift’s volunteer, a rotation of 50-60 people who work 2-3 hours throughout the week. They handle checking in and out materials, reserving public computer terminals, releasing print-jobs and general questions. Mothers with young children head downstairs for the storytime that begins at 10:15, and a tutor from the local literacy center meets his student in our front reference room for a lesson. The library tech will start processing interlibrary loans and cataloging any new books that may have arrived the previous day.

The public computer terminals in the adult area see sporadic use until the regulars arrive just after noon. Users check email and their Facebook accounts, search job listings, sign up for healthcare, or start their IRS tax filings. The afternoon also brings in the couple who reads the newspapers together in the fiction room, and the couple who split up: one takes a computer and the other heads to the puzzle table. There’s always a puzzle to put together, and we recently moved some shelving closer to that table to hold all the puzzles that patrons bring in to complete. Students arrive after school and head for the teen room, which has its own computer (and a door to contain the volume). Often the kids are just hanging out, but a core group of tween girls will gather each week to do their math homework upstairs in the nonfiction area.

At 4:30, I’ll open the book drop and start the rounds of letting our users know that we’re closing at 5:00. We’ll re-open again from 7:00 to 9:00 with our part-time reference librarian and volunteers, but it’s the end of the day for the children’s librarian, library tech and myself.

I think I became a librarian because I love the written word, and connecting people to information in all its forms. I formulate my monthly book orders with great care, purchasing 30-35 books, knowing I have only so much money to spend for the adult materials in fiction and nonfiction. (A friend from library school works in the collections management department of a large metropolitan library, and we met recently and laughed at the wide gap between our purchasing policies. He’ll buy 36 copies of one title!) I run the day-time book club that meets the last Wednesday of the month, and hold bi-monthly book talks called “Tea with Jen” to inform folks of new releases, particular series or just plain good books that I think they’d enjoy reading (lots of recommendations of Jungle Red authors). 

My job may be challenging at times, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.    

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Thank you so much, Jennifer, and thank you to all the librarians out there, who help make the world a better place. 

Do you have a favorite librarian? Or a childhood or school librarian who made an indelible impression on you? Please let us know in the comment section. Jen is working at her library today, but is going to make time to drop in and chat with us!