Librarian by Day

At this point, your library should be closed. The American Library Association, The Association of College and Research Libraries, and the Association of Rural and Small Libraries have all issued statements. Staff should not be required to report to work to get paid.  All of us should be getting paid.

Some of us are working from home. This morning Rachel Walden suggested to me that this would be a good time to bring back The Library Day in the Life Project. It seems some people are questioning what library staff could possibly be doing if they are not in the library.

I waffled on this because I don’t want to contribute to anxiety about being productive or inclinations to micromanage time. While there is plenty of research that people who work remotely are more productive and healthier, we are not working from home. We are at home, during a crisis, trying to work. 

In the end, I agree with Rachel, I think it would be helpful to those in libraryland to get a sense of community and for those outside libraries to see how much work we are doing while we are not in the building. So, let’s do this!  Join us by sharing details of your day from Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24, by using the hashtag LibrariesWFH on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, your blog, or anywhere you share content! 

Please, and I cannot stress this enough, do not compare yourself to others who are participating. Some of us are early risers, some are night-owls, some throw themselves into work when stressed, others stare at the screen for hours. Some of us are providing care for children and/or adults in our lives. Be human. Be kind.

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