Growing up, Ann Finstad was always a “library kid.”
“The bookmobile would visit a park just west of our house,” recalls Ann. “I'd brave the heat coming off the asphalt of the parking lot to climb into the back of the bus where I would stock up on all the latest Baby-Sitters Club chapter books.”
“I also remember visiting the blissfully air-conditioned main library, where I'd sit next to the series spinners and put Sweet Valley High books in numerical order while my mom and younger sister picked out books. Nobody asked me to do this, I just felt like it was the right thing to do — a future librarian even at age 8!”
Now, once a year, Ann and her colleagues at Glencoe Public Library give another library kid in their community a chance to see what it’s like to work in a library. Their Librarian for a Day program is a special silent auction item for a fundraiser for a local community organization.
Librarian for a Day
For Ann and her coworkers, the Librarian for a Day must do active work in the library, rather than just shadowing a librarian. When they created the program, they sought activities that would cater to a diverse range of ages and abilities.
For Librarian for a Day, a child (usually between the ages of 8 and 12) gets to “work” at the library for a half day across multiple departments. They are given a job description, library swag, and an onboarding session. Then, it’s time to get to work!
“As a part of their day, they get to process books in Technical Services (kids love putting stickers on books), work in the Circulation Department (emptying the book drop and checking out materials to family and friends), and learn about collection management and promotion in the Children's Department,” explains Ann, who is the library’s Children's Services and Public Operations Manager.
“We have an amazing Technical Services staff member, Heidi, who excels at connecting with the kids. I remember that she and one little librarian had a complicated high-five sequence that they'd do when they finished processing a book. It really brought things to the next level!”
“Over the years, we've fine-tuned their work duties so that they can participate in things that are meaningful and achievable, so they are not just observing someone else at work. For example, in the Children's Department, we focus on how we select and promote the library's collection. For promotion, they choose their favorite books from the shelves for a display.”
And when it comes time to put together that book display, Ann and the Librarian of the Day use LibraryAware to create the sign and bookmarks easily and fast.
“After seeing how easy it was to find and use templates in LibraryAware with minimal training, I knew it could be a natural fit for our Librarian for a Day program,” remembers Ann. “I pre-select a template and show the little librarian how to use that template to create signs and bookmarks to complement the book display.”
“LibraryAware is great because the kids can learn how to insert their picture and scan the barcodes of their selected titles to add book covers to their promotional materials in under 10 minutes. The entire process from picking books to having a finished display takes less than an hour.”
“LibraryAware is great because the kids can learn how to insert their picture and scan the barcodes of their selected titles to add book covers to their promotional materials in under 10 minutes. The entire process from picking books to having a finished display takes less than an hour.”
“I love that the kids are active participants in creating their promo materials, and that Library Aware allows them to have ownership over the creation process. The display they put together remains up in the library for around a week, so that family and friends who couldn’t visit our Little Librarian during their ‘shift’ get to see it.”
Display sign created by the Librarian For a Day in LibraryAware.
"I realized that by using LibraryAware templates, kids could create promotional content that looked extremely professional but required minimal training and only basic computer skills,” says Ann. “Now, they get to be active participants not just in finding their favorite books on the shelf and putting them on a table or shelf for display, but by scanning those materials to create accompanying graphics.”
“LibraryAware is so easy and intuitive for the kids! Being able to scan ISBNs to insert cover images to flyers and bookmarks means that kids don't need typing or spelling skills, which can sometimes be a challenge for our younger librarians.”
Ann says some of the program participants have shared that they want to be a librarian when they grow up. Most are active readers and library users already. And this opportunity gives them a chance to see how library staff bring book joy to readers every day.
Angela Hursh is Manager of Library Marketing Content and Services for NoveList. She is reading The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon.
