In Susan’s new role as community health librarian, she’s organized outstanding programs. Here is an email that came from an attendee of last night’s Age Well, Be Well: Eating For Your Health presentation:
“Thank you for coordinating the excellent program on aging last night… RPL has done an outstanding job throughout the pandemic to provide services despite many obstacles. Thanks to everyone.”
Be proud of how we’ve kept offering ourselves and our services despite painful times.
Thank you!
To everyone who helped with 6th-grade tours this week. Lots of staff time was devoted to reviving these visits and making them special for the 100+ students we welcomed over the past 3 days.
Staff Shout Outs
Are you ready for some shout-outs? If you’d like to submit a shout-out, fill out the form on the Forms page. Don’t be shy! Shout it out!
Shout-out to the Display Committee for Going above and beyond and coming up with a new idea: I LOVE the Stonehenge in the “Short Days, Long Nights” display! Genius! From anonymous.
Shout out to Tech Services for Helping a co-worker and keeping it positive: For making a new roommate feel welcome! From KathGS.
Shout out to Louise for Helping a co-worker, Exemplary customer service: for chatting up a mama with her baby before Baby Wearing Dance and convincing them to join us! They were delighted to attend the program and it was lovely having another happy baby in the group! From Lisa.
Shout out to Lisa, Olivia, Nemaya and Smritha for Helping a co-worker. My amazing Children’s Dept friends have been so helpful when I run out of time either prepping for or cleaning up after storytime! Thank you for having my back, cleaning up my messes, and sticking velcro on my laminated animals. You da best. From Ashley.
Ghostly Chiming
No worries, the library ghosts aren’t coming for me. The chiming is coming from the children’s room!
What is this Ghostly Chiming?
It is coming from somewhere to the left side of, and behind the R&R desk. It is not the clock. Meaghan is wondering whether she should fear for her life. If anyone can shed any light on this spectral sound, please do!
Talking with Patrons About Books
When talking with patrons about books, I try my best to keep the conversation to book characteristics (this book is engaging and fast paced) rather than whether or not I liked it. This post from Book Riot covers most of the “best practice guidelines for bookish interactions” that I follow here in the library:
Why Library Staff Don’t (or Shouldn’t) Comment on Your Library Checkouts
I don’t necessarily agree with everything, word for word, but I think that it’s an interesting piece, and worth a read!
Staff Shout Outs
Are you ready for some shout-outs? If you’d like to submit a shout-out, fill out the form on the Forms page. Don’t be shy! Shout it out!
Shout-out to Louise and Valerie for exemplary customer service: Louise and Valerie patiently scanned and faxed 30 pages of a document for a slightly stressed patron. From Michelle.
Shout-out to Olivia and Lisa for going above and beyond, coming up with a new idea, leading by example, and keeping it positive: Olivia (and sidekick Lisa R.) ran a kickass staff meeting!! Such a wonderful combination of info and camaraderie. From anonymous.
Shout-out to Kath Geoffrion-Scannell for coming up with a new idea: Check this out – Kath (aka KGS) figured out how to put images in the catalog for the Library of Things stuff! They’re so pretty! From Jamie!
Shout-out to Valerie Gould Heithaus and Andrea Hogan for going above and beyond, coming up with a new idea, leading by example: Valerie and Andrea developed a model online form to illustrate a streamlined version of the Massachusetts Library Association Paralibrarian Certification application. The entirely paper-based forms and binder/portfolio creation need to be more accessible to encourage more applicants and digital to make it easier for the Review Board to track and process efficiently. By creating a model Google form, the MLA Paralibrarian section was able to visualize benefits to the process and begin to plan for improvements. From Desiree.
Shout-out to Display Committees in all Departments for going above and beyond: Super impressed with interesting and engaging displays sprinkled throughout the library. One could get lost checking out what’s new every week. Very thoughtful and patron-oriented. From An Admirer from Afar!
Something to cheer about…
A recent study has ranked eight small cities in Massachusetts among the best in the United States. (Including Reading, MA)
https://whdh.com/news/8-small-cities-in-mass-named-among-best-in-us/
Assuming that one of the major factors is the quality of the public library in each of these communities (OF COURSE!).
How can libraries support sustainability?
Environmental Justice and sustainability will only be achieved through collaboration and cooperation. On our own, the RPL can only do so much. We need to work with and learn from other libraries, municipal organizations, vendors, and individuals to make a collective and meaningful impact in the fight against climate change. NOBLE has established a Sustainability Committee to help direct and focus ideas and actions for the consortium.
This committee has scheduled a (virtual) NOBLE-wide sustainability discussion next week on Tuesday, October 19th at 10 a.m. This event will NOT be recorded, so we encourage as many interested library staff members as possible to log in and attend!
https://tools.noblenet.org/meetings/meeting.php?meeting=282
LGBTQIA+ Resources
Thanks to all from TACKLE for the recommendations! Not surprisingly, given our demographic, the lion’s share were things to READ. However, there were a few items under LISTEN, WATCH, and SEARCH as well. Take a look here https://padlet.com/kgeoffrionscannell/TACKLELGBTQIA and feel free to send more! https://forms.gle/VLGqHfAZoovt2YRa7