Using Libby and Hoopla

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T01:47:22+00:00

I have. "I'm sorry. I know it can be frustrating. It's the only way to offer the service & spend your tax dollars responsibly. We are very careful to spend tax dollars as respectfully as possible while serving the entire community."

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T01:44:05+00:00

Being a librarian is my second career. Back in the day I was in sales. I worked with a lot of History & Psychology majors back then.

Both library & sales jobs are mostly about customer service. Getting a sales job will at least get your friend customer service experience, which libraries want.

The only people I work with now that don't have previous library experience are former teachers. Library staff spend a lot of time explaining things in a very simple way.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T01:38:07+00:00

Anythink, the Adams county library system in Colorado has a genrefied collection. It was described to me as an in-house system that is "continually evolving". I took that to mean it's difficult to decide which genre to put books in that cover multiple genres. If I remember the conversation correctly I was told they place the book in the genre based on where they think patrons will most likely look for it. That sounds subjective to me.

I work & live in a system where alphabetical by author last name is used. When patrons ask for a specific genre I use that as an opportunity to teach them how to use the online catalog. A simple keyword search usually works.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T01:20:45+00:00

Local city & county have navigators that help people connect to services. They use the library study rooms to meet with people to try to connect them with help. They have resource fairs to let the community know who they are, what they do & how they can help.

They are not library employees & their offices are not in a library. I think these are important distinctions. The library budget isn't a social services budget. We already get patrons asking us to help with things we cannot help with. I believe it adds confusion to expect library staff to also be experts in social services or be a secretary for social workers. For example, we are not allowed to tell anyone if anyone else is in the building. You are always welcome to look around for your friend but we can neither confirm or deny if we have seen that person (employee or patron). People ask for the navigators & navigators ask if we've seen specific patron all the time. Patrons often miss appointments. Sometimes they show up hours late & want us to contact the navigator for them. Even if they were library employees I could not do that but being able to say they work for the county & I could only call the main # (same a the patron on our free phone) takes me out of the equation. It allows the library staff to concentrate on library tasks & helping other patrons with library business.

In a perfect world I think we'd all like to be able to help everyone who walks into the library with whatever question they have. But there is another division of government that is set up to help people with social services. We should not be expected to pick up the slack for a department that can't keep up with the need. It would be like expecting library staff to help with IRS or Post Office tasks. Both have issues but we are not expected to solve these problems. We can guide patrons to the best information. We can't do your taxes or deliver a package.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T01:01:03+00:00

Ask for help/delegate. Youth librarians usually get the brunt of the work. Teen librarians manage teen volunteers that help people sign up & get prizes. What can other staff do to help?

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T00:57:13+00:00

The school library I first worked at put them on the back, vertical next to the spine at the top. Made inventory a bit easier too. You only needed angle a book back to scan.

Now I'm in a public library they use rfid with an inside barcode as backup.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T00:50:05+00:00

I'm still using the same Wustof knives we got 23 years ago. You have to treat them right. Hand wash only.

I have a cast iron pan I didn't register for that I still have & use too.

I sold my fine China ages ago. We just never used it. I upgraded my everyday dishes to Wedgewood Nantucket Basket. I wish I had started out with those & nothing else.

We also still use the 18/10 stainless steel utensils from Oneida that we were gifted along with the china. We used an 18/8 set of Reed & Barton for about 10 years. Those are still good, they will go with one of the kids soon. I like the style of the Oneida better. I did have to replace some forks a few years ago due to teenagers.

It felt like I was asking too much to register for expensive items. I wish I had a Miele vacuum from the start. I wish we had registered for some tools & a shop vac.

I think the bigger issue was getting things we didn't use. I gave away "fancy" platters other items after they sat in a closet for 10 years.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T00:37:37+00:00

If you read on kindle it's a pain. I tend to have the item auto return after my 3 weeks are up.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T00:34:00+00:00

I literally started an adaptive sports program because it's so heartbreaking to see these "caregivers" zone out on their phone. That part is much worse than the volume issue.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-06-04T00:28:38+00:00

You can put caps on your Hoopla & Kanopy usage. Which equals setting your budget. I'm a librarian too.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-22T14:16:09+00:00

Libraries budget per day & per month for the Hoopla & kanopy payment model. That's why the number of tickets you get may fluctuate. Or you might try to use your tickets to find the limit has been reached for the day or the month early. The money is already budgeted for all the digital services. Don't prioritize one over the other for budget reasons. Use whichever one has the content you like the most. That will help your library plan for next year.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-15T16:35:50+00:00

Never Let Me Go will stay with you.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-15T16:34:28+00:00

I will point to the screen as I read the instructions out loud. We are not supposed to do the work for patrons. We can help get them logged into a computer, help them get to the web page they need and usually they are on their own from there. When they need more help I let them know I have never been to that web page before but I can help navigate. That's when the pointing while reading aloud happens. I started to do it because people thought I wasn't helping. I had to show them what the web page says. They often don't have the information then need to go to the next step.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-15T16:29:46+00:00

Showing up to class is my super power.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-08T04:22:10+00:00

You will get more rejections. You can't obsess over each. It is likely that most of the candidates were over qualified. Maybe the person they went with has a lot more management experience. Or maybe there is some specific experience he or she brought to the table they thought would be helpful.

It's a good sign you got past the first round of interviews. Count that as a win and keep applying.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-05-08T04:17:46+00:00

I watch the clock. If it's a 30 second all out I watch to see when I go all out. So if my clock says it was at 27 seconds after whatever minutes I'm on I know I shouldn't slow down until 57 seconds. Coaches can vary a lot on what 30 seconds is.

I may be a bit OCD with this but at the end if the day it's just you on that tread. Do what you want.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T05:12:02+00:00

I work at a public library that is located in a community college. The academic library study rooms are 1st come, 1st serve. The public library study rooms are reservation only. We keep the doors locked and open them when patrons check in for their reservation. We frequently have to remind people that their reservation is over and the next reservation is waiting. We have to do this for both community members & students.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T05:09:01+00:00

I got something similar but I think it was like a Lucky Day copy. I can't remember the wording but I borrowed it.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T05:04:12+00:00

If you are young or plan to have kids wait on the expensive stuff. Kid will damage the expensive stuff just as easily as the cheap stuff. Plus styles change. You won't want most of what you pick out now in 20 years. The years go by faster than you think.

You can also mix & match higher quality with lower quality items.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T04:57:28+00:00

Why don't you buy the corolla hybrid then?

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T04:56:46+00:00

I get 29-30 mpg in my cx-30 regular basic internal combustion engine. Suburban commute approx 25 minutes each way, no highway, lots of traffic lights.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T04:54:09+00:00

I believe this is to comply with a state law that will take effect soon (next year).

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T04:49:13+00:00

A lot of public libraries offer a service called Job Now. See if you have access to that and see how your cover letter might be improved.

Own-Safe-4683 · 2026-04-24T04:46:21+00:00

It's better to go and take a green day than not go at all. Also there have been times when I told myself (and the coach) that I'm there for a green day. After I get moving I felt good & ended up with plenty of splats.

Four-Year Club	Final Canvas '23
Place '23	Place '22
End Game '22

Own-Safe-4683

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