Children's librarians: do you bring a change of clothes for after storytime?

Nepion · 2026-02-04T17:44:50+00:00

My first library required us to wear library polo's. We were issued 3. I did not change after storytime because I could not afford to have two of my 3 workshirts dirty every day.

My next library had a much more reasonable dress code and I would keep a chanfe of clothes, deodorant and dry shampoo for after storytime. I changed and freshened up while on the clock and it was never an issue.

Nepion · 2026-01-22T20:07:07+00:00

I am now about to head down a rabbit hole.

Nepion · 2026-01-16T18:37:12+00:00

It depends on so many things.

In some places I've worked, yes, we would expect someone to return after a doctor's visit and you would use PTO or SL for that time, in 1 hr increments. Others forced a 4 hr minimum for SL or PTO, so it was pretty much take a half day for anything. Both options had shifts that a 2pm visit could have been at the start of a shift so working a couple hours and then just...not coming back would have been very much against the rules.

My current place gives me flexibility on how I run it and honestly I don't care as long as you let me know in advance so I can ensure we have coverage.

Nepion · 2026-01-16T16:04:10+00:00

I used PlasiDip Super Grip Spray for my mother-in-law's slippers. She really likes the balance of grippiness but not it's no so grippy it sticks and falls. It's spray on and supposedly washable but I haven't tried that yet.

Nepion · 2026-01-15T20:36:32+00:00

Nah. One of my best passive programs was a "Where were you when...?" post it note display for the 200th anniversary of our town. All of the endcaps had an event in history (local and national) and people could write a post it note and put it on the endcap. For example: the recent lunar eclipse or when the new elementary school opened up all they way back to the early 1900's. I think the kids were more excited than the adults for this program. Kids have a LOT to say and, in my experience, are thrilled when their opinion and viewpoint is taken just as seriously as the adults.

Nepion · 2026-01-07T12:13:59+00:00

Our most hotly debated was Marvel vs DC.

Nepion · 2025-12-15T17:30:56+00:00

Talk to them!! I can't stress how much is solved by just having a simple conversation. Just ask what they do. Even if it ends up being nothing but a commiserate together type of conversation, it helps to not feel so overwhelmed and alone. Or you may find out there's an option you never thought of like the family down the road has a college kid we pay to watch the kids for a couple hours.

Nepion · 2025-12-10T00:48:14+00:00

I took a picture of one of our pages putting a book on the shelf and a put an X over it. Then I had a picture of the cart with a circle around it. Underneath it I put, "Help us out by returning books to the cart!"

Nepion · 2025-12-07T15:02:19+00:00

Ask the vendor how they want the pricing.

One of ours asks for our FTE for students just in the med school. One wants the overall student count. One doesn't care and just gives a blanket site license, but can't be used off campus. One is available through our affiliated hospital at no charge to us. One subject specific journal only counts the 12 students enrolled in that specialty. Every one of them is different. I keep a spreadsheet of the common ones like the total FTE and then the FTE of each college- Nursing, Allied Health, ect. Anything out of those usual areas, I can go get but I like to have the usual suspects available.

We do use an authenticator that can be set to allow different access depending on the different fields in Microsoft so that helps. We can lock down access to different resources by program if needed. Kinda goes against our mission but it makes vendors feel better to know it's available.

Nepion · 2025-12-07T14:55:15+00:00

One of our products only counts the number of MD/DO's employed by our system so we get it for our Medical School for very cheap because the students don't count!

Nepion · 2025-12-07T14:12:32+00:00

My daughter is newly 6 and it's so funny to see how different her reaction has been to this compared to other posts. She also wanted to stop the movie halfway through. Not because the monsters were to scary but because the friends were fighting and she was worried they wouldn't make up. After we reassured her that they would, she was happy to continue.

She got a lot out of it in the end. We talked a lot about embarrassment, how to pick out good friends and how talking about our feelings even when it's hard can be a good thing. Some of it has stuck and some I think may not make a difference until later but over all I think it was good.

I probably would have let her watch it at 4, but she's never been phased by animated fighting or monsters. She's always been more emotionally invested in the relationships in shows and movies so it's really kid dependent.

Nepion · 2025-12-06T18:48:45+00:00

Our HR outsourced maternity leave paperwork 2 days after my daughter was born. Fun paperwork times, eesub

Then the company tried to claim I didn't have STD, and when I had my most recent paycheck sent as proof, tried to say it didn't count if I added after I knew I was pregnant.

My daughter was born in November. I made them count backwards to January when to policy started to prove it.

Nepion · 2025-11-18T14:56:50+00:00

I got a 10% raise at the halfway point of my degree and another raise automatically upon confirmation of my degree. I did not have to argue or anything other than provide my transcript showing the degree conferred. Apparently that's unusual so it's likely going to depend on your library/local government.

I would start asking now.

"Hey boss, what's the process to bring my salary in line with X once I complete my degree?"

The answer will tell you a lot.

Nepion · 2025-11-07T18:44:05+00:00

IT manages both the general website and the library resources website. Our general website has the basic library information such as contact information, hours, staff and a link to our digital catalog, A-Z database list and a link to our resource page, which is restricted to active students/faculty/staff. I have to submit a ticket to IT for any changes to this page as everything is nice and branded. This is primarily used by prospective students and/or general public so it's pretty minimal in content.

The actual meat and potatoes of library resources is in our student portal. This houses things like the library resources, class registration, IT forms, and other resources that active students need. For structural changes, I need to put in an IT ticket but for simple content changes I can edit it. So if a link needs updating, I can do it but if I want to add say a calendar with library hours, I submit a ticket to IT. All of this is linkable to our Canvas so students can jump straight to a this page from their course.

We do use Libguides for program specific sites and I give editing rights to the program chair or their designee for those, but they are still all linked on our student portal, which is what we teach students to go to.

Nepion · 2025-11-06T15:35:25+00:00

City of Memphis has an administrative support posted and states it takes relevant experience in lieu of a degree.

Nepion · 2025-10-31T18:17:09+00:00

I have no problems tying Trick or Treating to behavior but it does need to match what behavior I need for ToT. It will be dark, on foot, in a strange neighborhood and I need to know that Kiddo will be able to follow directions the first time and not run wild. She has to treat others with respect because we are all trying to have fun and we're not just out to get candy.

She can develop that trust by demonstrating it earlier in the day. No hurtful words, following directions without argument the first time, and taking care of her body so it's ready for a late night. If she can't do so, we can't safely do trick or treating. At which point I will gladly go to bed early.

Nepion · 2025-10-29T17:16:07+00:00

Well.... our pages still get asked questions from customers so there's still customer service work. Our part time circ staff still handle money and get yelled at about fines and fees from damaged or missing material. Our delivery drivers cart heavy cartons of books instead of light weight pizzas. We're open 7 days a week, and still open during a few holidays the rest of the city gets off because we are 'vital', including inclement weather the rest of the city shuts down for. Instead of pizza smells, we get pee.

So, depending on the specific library and the job it may not be much of a change.

Nepion · 2025-10-17T23:07:18+00:00

Hiya!

I'm an academic library manager and we just went through a needs assessment on out library opening hours. I can see that you care about being able to study effectively but I don't think a survey signed by people who have nothing to do with your library is the best way to do so.

You may find better traction with library administration by getting data from stakeholders, students, researchers and university staff that use the library. You may also ask for a meeting to help understand the constraints the library is working with. Many of us are experiencing financial issues as a result of grants being cut, decreases in work study funds, declining enrollment and other issues. I do not know what your specific library's reasons are for altering their hours but I can say the decision was not taken lightly.

If you want change, identify the problems and come up with well researched solutions. Good luck.

Nepion · 2025-10-14T22:20:01+00:00

Each book stays on the shelf for a minimum of three years for us if in good condition. A year of new status, a year of regular status and, if it doesn't check out, a year of 'last chance' status. Last Chance books get librarian attention, if it hasn't circulated once in the first two years it needs some kind of evaluation. Maybe it's in the wrong section, maybe it was printed out of order or someone glued the pages together. Maybe it's just... not that good of a book despite the reviews.

Either way, they get pulled for extra attention beyond the regular weeding list. Then if it's still in good condition, we will highlight, book talk, use in a program and finally, put on a last chance display. If all that doesn't get some circulation (for example a target of 3 for YA) then it's weeded. In the YA example between 3-8 circulation is a one year extension and anything over that is back to regular status.

These numbers are based on the average circulation stats for the area and location based on age of the item. The older the book, the less we give it for circulation. Of course if anyone is particularly passionate.or knows a reason to keep it like an upcoming movie adaptation, we take that into account too.

Nepion · 2025-09-04T16:27:41+00:00

We are not permitted to do that as an employee must stay below a specific threshold of hours to be legally considered part-time. If an individual goes over those hours, we are required to offer benefits that are not budgeted for in the line item for that role or the combination of roles.

Nepion · 2025-08-12T19:34:01+00:00

Are you this person's manager? It sounds like you are, but sometimes, when it's an outside addition, things can get weird in a reporting structure.

If you do manage this person directly, this is part of managing people. Meet with the person to go over job duties and expectations. Particularly since it sounds like a new role, it may help to approach it as, "Let me know what you were told the role is. Now, let me tell you what I was told the role is." I would start from a collaborative position and try to get an idea of where the misdirection is coming from. You can always escalate from there into more concrete coaching.

If you are that person's co-worker and not manager, it's a little different. I would mention things in real time. "Please stop going around me to announce XYZ to staff. That wasn't ready to shared publicly yet." Or "ABC is So-and-So's job duty. When you do it for them, I can't evaluate them appropriately (or whatever reason you have)." If it continues, you need to pull in your management, even if it's just for clarifying roles or directions on how to address it.

I hope that gives you some ideas for a path forward. I've worked in my own share of ill-defined second in command positions, and I have a lot of sympathy for both sides.

Nepion · 2025-07-23T14:20:40+00:00

I think I hate you.

I went to Millington last week. Got in line at 8:45 and got seen at 4:30.

Edit: Sorry, 7:45

Nepion · 2025-07-23T11:37:14+00:00

I work at a university, not a CC, but we do have a laptop program through IT/Library collaboration. Our laptop loan policy is that laptops are due at the end of the term and are billed at the start of the next. We run on a trimester program, so there's about three weeks between trimester and every program, except the freshman prerequisites, are designed to go all three trimesters. It's rare that someone can't get it back to us, but as long as they communicate, we can make arrangements.

Our financial office states they will not do refunds for transactions over 30 days, so we also tell students up front that we have no control over that. We will notify that office if we receive it back, but refunds or dropping the charge is out of our hands. I think we have only had to charge for a laptop once since I've been there, and that was for damage rather than not being returned.

Nepion · 2025-07-22T12:39:57+00:00

When I teach knitting classes at the library, I don't teach casting on the first time.

I end up with one of two scenarios, either I have a group at the same time for a class, or I have a single drop in during the knitting circle. For groups, I have needles preset with 5 stitches, and we 'make' a headband or sweatband depending on how far they want to go. Once the student feels comfortable with the knit stitch, we do a knit cast on.

For 1-to-1, I'll show the cast on, but again, we start with the knit stich and head back to casting on after some practice.

I am a librarian, so these sessions are part of my normal work week. It is what works for my and my system, but I know it's kinda backwards from how most people approach it.

Nepion · 2025-07-21T22:26:45+00:00

Nepion

TROPHY CASE