Wednesday 12 February 2014

A day in the life of a librarian #2

Anita Saycell, the Information Studies and Management and Business librarian.



8.45am: I arrive at work drenched from the journey in. A quick change and then at my desk catching up with emails. As any part-timer knows the emails don’t stop even though you are not in work! One of which includes a request for a 10 minute lecture drop in to chat about finding resources for an assignment. I find these are the best sessions as they are at the point of need and relevant.


10am: Next part of the morning is spent processing book orders many of which are urgent for the start of term. This requires a few checks for each item requested; is it in stock already, the cost, is it available as an e-book?

10.30am: Coffee time

10.40am: A sprint across the campus in the rain to the School of Management and Business and a catch up with a lecturer that has a couple of questions about book ordering and the items on his reading list.

11am: Back at my desk and following up on a few items raised at the meeting.

11.30am: I start preparing for a session next week on business resources and realise a web link has stopped working. I log in to amend the link on my subject pages but cannot resist making a few changes to the wording and layout while I am there. I then send these changes to the translation unit so that I can update the Welsh page when they are returned.

12 noon: I continue to answer more emails that have arrived – more book orders! With a third of my working week on the enquiry desk I enjoy having the time to sit quietly to catch up with emails and respond to colleagues, staff and students.

12.15pm: A chat to a colleague about a problematic book to decide the best library location for it.

12.30pm: Begin preparing for my Staff Development Review for the following day.

1pm: The end of my working day, luckily the sun is out for my cycle home... good excuse to take the long way back before having to be at those school gates.

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