A day in the Life of a Librarian – Day 1

I took these notes today as part of The Day in the Life project, if you would like to read more please the wiki, if you’re interested in how it all got started read this post

First some background info: I’m the Digital Branch Manager at the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries in Columbus Georgia.  This is a brand new position that started when I did, May 18th.  I’d share my job description but it’s changing everyday.  Basically its my job to move the library from a website to a digital branch mentality.  There is a lot more involved with that than just planning a new site.  We have 8 branches (mine will be the 9th when it goes live) in 4 counties. That is a huge community to serve and a lot of people to introduce to the ideas behind a digital branch.  So here is a look at my average week, I have absolutely no doubt it will be very different in 6 months and very different 6 months after that.

6:00 – get up make coffee, check email for emergencies, check Twitter, FriendFeed and Facebook for anything that needs a response now.  Check vanity feed.

8:00 arrived at work, check voicemail, one from a vendor about an invoice.  Emails, too many to count really, answer priority ones including an update to the website. How do I decide what’s a priority, no I dont’ read them all, I have a touch one time rule for email.  I look at the subject line (these are important people! non descriptive subject lines are a pet peeve of mine) and who they are from.

then start to prep for admin meeting at 9:00

9:00 admin meeting

10:00 talked with Head of Teen Services about serving on The Super Friends.  Ok we’re not really calling it Super Friends, well I am, because I like it and its my committee, but the official title is FIT or Future, Innovation and Technology Committee

10:15 more email including database vendors, setting up remote access with one, looking to expand service with another, I sent 23 all together

Turned in Tech Toys Wishlist
Called Chamber of Commerce about working with the Small Business Association

11:15 checked, Twitter & Friendfeed and the Day in the Life, after seeing at Tweet from a friend about the Day in the Life Project taking off (woulda linked but his account is private)

11:40 back to emails, seriously what is with the emails today?

11:50 Finshed up the question for an upcoming patron survey about the website and sent questions to Director & Deputy Direct for approval

12:30 email again, including answering a request for more info  on the Tech Toys list

12:55 Start writing Digital Branch Guide, includes philosophy, vision & mission statements, goals, policies etc, its gonna be a book when its done.  And yes we do need this.

1:30 take a quick look at Twitter, FriendFeed and GoogleReader

1:45 meeting with boss about The Super Friends and other issues

2:15 – lunch

2:30 back to writing the digital branch guide

• 4:00 leave for appointment with the optometrist, my eyes are great, hurray!
• stop at the market on the way home for produce, walk the boys, workout, make dinner (BLT yum!)
• talk with my sister on the phone about Wii Active, some research she needs me to do for her, yes get these requests from family all the time, this is for her work, she’s a pharmacist, and one of her friends dogs getting attack in the park by some dog not on a leash.  We both freak out a little as we are both owners of smaller dogs, Big Dog is 18 lbs and Small Dog is 7 lbs. She has two beagles.
• Check twitter & my blog

8:15 – sit down to write this post and read the over 100 entries on the day in the life blog

All in all this seems pretty boring as I’m writing it up, but it was hectic, Mondays always are and I knew I had to leave early.

Oh, I brought some reading home, it aint gonna happen.