November 28 -3

I only actually came in for one day this week since it was the week of Thanksgiving but, I did want to note that there is a rush to get into the library before this holiday. The library was very busy, I guess people need their books to give thanks!

Week???

Sorry Dr. Welsh, this blog has been a long time coming. I was sick for a while and I decided not to go in for my practicum. As a result I did not really have anything to post for reflection in this blog.This post is going to be for the last two weeks because it has taken me a while to catch back up with everything.
 During the week of November 7 my practicum advisor taught me how to repair books. I have been coming in on Saturdays sometimes to do book repairs. I now know about ,and really appreciate, sewn in spines. Books that are glued into their spines fall apart so easily, after you crack the spine it's all over! Publishers are more likely to use book glue because it is cheaper but it is a serious injustice. Here are some photos of glued in books:

These past two weeks I have been trying to get back into the swing of things. The new software for the computers crashed. Now we have gone back to checking out computers and printing the old way.(of course I forgot) I personally think the old way is not as efficient because whenever someone prints there is no buffer between patrons and the printer. As a result, whenever someone prints something and then decides not to get it, the library waste ink and paper because it will automatically print anyway.
I have come in for two Saturdays and I have met some of the other staff members. Saturdays are very interesting. People come in waves but ten minutes later it can be completely dead, until the next rush. On this Friday and Saturday two different authors came in to promote their books and I got to eat the leftover goodies and listen to their discussions. I had never been to any thing like this before but I really enjoyed myself. Seeing and listening to an author in person is WAY better than looking up their online interviews.
I have not been back to story time yet but the week of November 7 we made turkey puppets out of brown paper bags. Unfortunately, I learned that I will not be here for the gingerbread house making contest. Well, that is all I have for now; sorry it has taken me so long to update.

Randomness: A staff member made some delicious pecan pie for her book club, I devoured it!

Week 10

Sorry, this post is very late. I had a great time this week at Oak Grove. I have been missing other events that the library holds because of time constraints. However, this week I worked during the Mystery Dinner Theatre the library held this Saturday. The event started at 6PM and I had such a good time. The library staff and I served a salad, entrée, and a desert to patrons and around 32 people came. My practicum advisor said it was one of the first events where everyone that signed up came. At the end of the night, I even got some homemade cheesecake! (It was delicious). I also guessed who the murderer was. (It was just a guess I really did not know) The Oak Grove Public Library often holds events such as book clubs and author visits. Last week they showed the Maltese Falcon movie in honor of the Big Read. I hope that I will be able to go to more events before my practicum time is up.

Randomness:CHEESECAKE!

Week 8

This week I was not at Oak Grove Public Library because of Fall Break. So, instead of blogging I have posted two pictures from previous weeks at Oak Grove.

This is me, I decorated a pumpkin. Isn't is beautiful?

This is a spider craft that was made after story time.

Week 7

This week at Oak Grove...

 On the Tuesday, I got back from the weekend everything was set up for The Big Read. We have several copies of The Maltese Falcon. The librarians have been promoting it every time I turn around. The Big Read is something that comes to Hattiesburg every October that was put into action by The National Endowment of the Arts to promote classical reading in America. From what I gathered, the book is an old-fashioned detective mystery.

On Thursday, I felt a bit off. I was late because I could not find my car keys and it affected my whole day. I was also still getting over a bad virus or something (I really do not know what it was) that had me in bed the weekend before. I knew what I was doing but it felt like it was my first day. I read a book for the kids that come for story time and the kids made

This Friday we did pumpkin decorations with small pumpkins, which was fun. A few of the kids I am already familiar with from story time were there.  

Randomness: Here are a few pictures of me from a few weeks ago when I was freaking out because we had a LOT of books to shelve. This is a picture of me, taken by the children’s librarian that expresses that.

Week 6

This week at Oak Grove, on Friday, I learned how to look for ILL’s. Oak Grove uses a system with the Mississippi Library Commission that looks up the books from the entire state. If the books are not on this system we get it from OCLC. I was allowed to look up books to loan for the library. The rest of the week was more business as usual. I am really starting to get into the swing of things at Oak Grove. I feel like I am beginning to fit in with their system. Oak Grove is a smaller library but I really hope that I can work at a library like it when I get out of school. I really like the environment at Oak Grove.

Randomness: On Wednesday, I went to lunch with all the other librarians, it was one of the librarians birthday. We also decorated for Halloween; I am beginning to think that one of the ‘hidden’ jobs of the librarian is interior decorator.

Week 5

This week at Oak Grove Library, I was allowed to work in collection development. Oak Grove receives many donated books so this week I spent some time looking up donated books in the catalog. My on site practicum advisor said that he usually decides to ether offer the books to other libraries in the system or put them in the Friends of the Library ongoing used book sale. In my post-it note reports, I put whether or not the book was in the catalog and some other details, I tried to be give all the information I thought would be important.

Also this week, on Thursday, there were a lot more kids at story time.(which I am NOT used to) I read books about leaves changing color which was a little odd since it was still so hot last week and the leaves have not changed yet. But, it was okay because I had fun and the kids seemed to be enjoying themselves. Afterwards the children made leaf people with silk leaves and glue.

On Friday, Oak Grove library is close for ‘maintenance’. Because they do not have regularly scheduled clean up, the staff at Oak Grove clean up every last Friday of the month. I helped out by dusting all the shelves.

Randomness: Next week my practicum advisor said that I could work with ILL’s, not sure what is in store yet.

Week 4

This week at Oak Grove was a little slow but I was more active with the craft for family story time.  The children’s librarian and I kind of hacked together a craft. I wanted to do squirrel headbands (our books were fall books that were connected by squirrels) but the card stock paper curled up so we had to do something different.  I helped cut out the squirrels on the Tuesday before story time.  I have been given more responsibility with the story time that is on Thursday. I am not sure how I feel about this because this week the kids were a little inattentive.

This week, the Library Director introduced me to the board member that represents Oak Grove Library for the entire Lamar County Library System. ( that I read about in the library policy) It was nice to see a face rather than imagine a mythical Library god/goddess. (which I tend to do along with imagine people as cartoons.)

Apparently, on Wednesday a rush of people came in because the books to be re-shelved ran over. I helped some but I only had to stay for two hours on Thursday so I think the real librarians had to do most of the work. There were also many books that needed new labels and I helped with that on Friday.

Randomness: I am starting to recognize some of the recurring patrons at Oak Grove and I finally gave someone a library card all by myself!!



Week 3

This week at Oak Grove was a little different because the Labor Day holiday threw me off a little bit and I did not go in on the days that I usually do. This week I went in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. (I normally go on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.)

On Wednesdays, the library has story time too but I did not get to read because I came in after class at eleven and it starts at ten thirty. Another volunteer for the library read the stories instead and I came in time to help cleanup. The theme for that day was farms and/or farm animals. For the craft, the children use cotton balls to make a sheep and finger-painted scenery around it.

On Thursday I did read at story time which I am starting to really enjoy. Apparently I am pretty decent at it; I got a compliment that day. I thought I was getting more familiar with the Oak Grove software system but it seems like every time I ask someone “Can I help you?” , I cannot because I actually don’t know how to yet.

On Friday, I did a lot of shelving because the YA books were starting to overflow. As a result, I learned how to shelve the graphic novels. Oak Grove has a nice section for graphic novels. Also for the first time, I helped with the transit books and receiving ILL’s. (I hope I do not forget when I go back.) It was interesting checking in books that were in transit and/or on hold because OG has a different system than Brandon Public Library. The entire system of libraries that Oak Grove is a part of is smaller so there were not as many books. At Brandon it took hours to check in all the books and you had to do it in a small area in the back of the staff room, it was a nice change.

I recently discovered that the one downside to working in a library is that you find so many different things that you want to read! I have to tell myself that there are only so many things I can read and not to keep checking stuff out.

 

This week at Oak Grove was very interesting. The library implemented a new system for printing and signing on for the computers. By the time I got back, Tuesday, the old system was out and the new system was in. (I guess I now know what it is really like to be a librarian.) I think it speaks volumes about the way libraries are starting to implement more computerized systems.

On Thursday I brought my bubbles to story time and they were a big hit but, only for a few moments. When I tried to put them up the same child I was trying to console just got madder. I guess there is no foolproof system when it comes to the little ones. I am beginning to be more interested in becoming a children’s librarian because, so far, it has been a lot of fun volunteering within the Oak Grove Public Library children’s department. I feel like Children’s librarians get to be a bit more creative at the library. At the same time, children’s librarians get a bit of a challenge because they don’t always know what will interest their readers. (Bubbles?)

On Friday, I stayed longer than I have before. Last week I accidentally forgot my schedule and came back to campus for a class I did not have. I did a horrible job decorating with the children’s librarian and some circulation work. I think I am getting used to the circulation software but I am still waiting to become a cutter guru, one can only hope.

Randomness: I am excited because the library may participate in a contest called Pimp My Book cart.
More information at: http://www.unshelved.com/pimpmybookcart

Week 1

 This was my first week volunteering at the Oak Grove Public Library. The first day was spent reading over the library’s policy. It was about 50-60 pages long and contained everything you could possibly think you could read about a library. It was very interesting because a lot the things that I read contained vocabulary that I was already familiar with. For example, when the policy mentioned weeding it said that the Oak Grove Public Library used the CREW method, which I already recognized from my Collection Development class.

On Thursday, August 26, I was allowed to read for story time. I read two easy reading books about the alphabet and then the children did crafts. I always feel like a giant whenever I work with children but I had fun and the next time I can participate, I plan to bring my bubbles. After story time I helped cleanup behind the crafts. The children made alphabet bowls that they customized by gluing on their names.

Oak Grove Public Library is closed on the last Friday of every month. On these Fridays, the staff does some general cleaning and catches up on shelving. I spent some time shelving, learned how to replace labels, and looked for missing items. I really wanted to find at least one of the missing items but I ended up with nothing. I also learned that books that are missing for longer than three months are deleted from the catalog. I am getting used to shelving books by cutter number instead of the author’s last name.