This year my school decided to downsize from two librarians to one. This is a big change, as for the past five years we operated with two full time librarians. I am now a “one size fits all shop.” I do it all, from cataloging, to ordering, to weeding, to teaching classes, to monitoring the open access periods, fixing the printer and helping students and teachers on an individual basis. It is challenging, for sure, but the day goes fast.
My most important takeaways, thus far, is prioritize, and know everything will never get done. I try to make a to do list each day before I leave, so when I arrive the next day, I know what needs to be done. I also try to use shortcuts, when I can, such as order books already processed from vendors and using booklists from ALA YALSA or the NYPL Best Books for Teens to help me select books to purchase. When creating bulletin boards I use pre cut letters and create quick designs using a paper cutter and a printer. Pinterest is great for bulletin board ideas.
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