This has been my summer so far:
There have been so many big things that seem to be taking over my (mostly professional) life this summer. First there is summer reading, though that was less stressful than last year. Last year we set up our Volunteen program in a very strange, very time consuming way with three different sections meeting every week. Sure we had a lot of kids but it was so taxing on us and I’m not even sure that the Volunteens had all that great of a time. So this year it was simple: three days of two hours each to make a Superhero Training Camp for elementary aged kids. This worked out so much better and everyone had a great time. Be sure to check out of the pics on the MHL Teen Room Instagram!
I mentioned a bit ago that I applied to be the YALSA Hub blog manager and I . . . did not get that! But that’s ok. Really, at this particular moment having that would just be another stress mountain that would come and sit on my shoulderblades and turn into a stress knot. (Don’t worry, I’m getting a massage on Friday.) Plus, I am not the most organized so it may not ever be a good job for me. I’m relieved. Instead, a fellow Hub Blogger, Molly Wetta, who runs the awesome blog Wrapped up in Books got the job and she’s seriously great. She’s going to do such a wonderful job!
But instead of being the Hub Manager I was appointed to the Hub Advisory Board with YALSA, so that’s pretty great. I’m excited to still be involved with the Hub even though I am content to not be writing for them anymore. Add that to my membership on the Research Journal Advisory Board and I’m excited about the work that I’m doing with YALSA. They provide really great resources for teen librarians and others who work with teens and literature. Not to be too weird, but consider joining YALSA! It can be really hard to be in ALA because it’s not especially cheap but I think YALSA really makes it worth while.
This summer I was also working with the director and some library furniture vendors to do some renovation work in the teen room. Friends, I am SO excited about this. I think it’s going to really improve the teen room’s seating, shelving, and general atmosphere.
The picture above is already step two in the process. There used to be eight computers on three large tables in this space where these tall cafe tables are. Four more computers were in the glassed in room on the right (with the bright green tiles above) and those cafe tables were in there. When we did some redesigning in the reference area, we got the old reference carrels. They work really well to have all 12 teen computers in the glassed in room. I’m not particularly enamored with the cafe tables so with help from the director I worked on a new plan for some regular square and rectangle tables, some comfy chairs, and new shelving. We desperately need more shelving in the teen room. Right now if a book doesn’t circulate in a year, we have to weed it. We have an amazing budget given to us by the town and from the director of the library and with our current space, we’d either have to cut our budget or continue to weed heavily. Heavy weeding doesn’t allow us to have a robust collection. Right now we have a lot, but it’s lacking in depth. We need a deep and wide collection, just like the old church camp song. So new shelving will help.
It’s going to be more exciting too! We’re getting orange laminate topped tables, bright purple vinyl squishy chairs, green plastic chairs, and green stools. It’s going to be borderline obnoxious in there. I will love it. I think teens will too.
The last professional thing that is about to get really crazy is that we are hiring a new teen librarian! My lovely co-teen librarian Clare has moved to a cataloging and reference job. She even moved offices which is pretty sad; the teen office is kind of lonely! But I’m excited for Clare to have a new position and I’m excited to get a new person, so if you know a teen librarian or are a teen librarian who would like to come work with me in Andover, please apply! We have lots of fun and I have big plans for the fall!
Women Write About Comics has also been taking over my life a bit, too, but I don’t mind. It’s been nice to write about different topics. Well, not THAT different I’m still writing about books . . . and I reviewed a library app . . . and maybe I’ll have a library column? But it’s DIFFERENT. It’s at least at a different address, so that’s something. I got to write about Jesuits in Space for a wider audience so that makes me happy. Anything to spread the message of Jesuits in Space.
Well fellow library and book friends, that’s all for me. I hope to post a few times a month, so pester me if you don’t see me here!
lcarslibrarian 