Catching up.

It's difficult keeping a blog as a library consultant, because:

A) I don't work directly with the public and don't have the same kind of fun stories I did when I was a children's librarian - like the time I asked a group of middle school girls if they had any questions and one said, "Do you dye your hair that color?" (For the record, I do not.) Or the time a parent changed a baby's diaper right on the floor of the early nonfiction section. (For the record, we did have a bathroom with a changing table.)

Don't get me wrong. I do have stories. I just can't tell you about many of them, because:

B) A lot of what I'm told as a library consultant is told in confidence, which means I absolutely can't put it online.

That being said, I can tell you about what I've been up to the last week or so. That I can do.

Last Wednesday, I held a training for youth services staff that focused on summer reading/summer programs/summer learning. (I struggle with the terminology, because even though the phrase Summer Reading has become synonymous with what goes on at libraries during the summer, it gets confusing when a library offers summer programming without a specific reading component.)  This was my second year doing this training, and my main goal was to make it as relevant and interesting to a library veteran as it might be to a first-timer.

After a brief introduction and some annual reminders (please remember to count adults at programs, etc.), we had presentations on how to increase teen involvement and how to partner with your local 4-H organization. In the afternoon, we had a showcase where local and regional performers gave member libraries brief previews of programs they could bring to a library. Finally, we closed the day with some crafts and activities that were tailored to different age groups.*

That evening, I gave a trustee orientation to new board members at one of my libraries. In addition to serving as a youth services consultant for our system, I'm also a general consultant for about a third of our member libraries, which includes giving library trustees an introduction (or refresher, in some cases) to governance, funding options, and available resources.

True story: I love library trustee orientations. This is how I know I shouldn't actually be a florist or a dentist or a physical therapist.

The next day, I went out to one of our member libraries in the middle of a huge weeding project and tackled their juvenile nonfiction section. Collection development is one of my favorite parts of librarianship, and weeding is hands-down my favorite part of collection development, so this was almost like a vacation day.

This week, I headed off to Albany to participate in NYLA's Library Advocacy Day, where library supporters from all over the state met with their legislators to promote funding and policies that benefit libraries and library users. I may eventually buy a suit for this event so as to blend in with the rest of the capital. We'll see.

*Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of crafty time. I worked as an arts and crafts counselor at a summer camp and never made one sand candle or tie-dyed t-shirt. I taught dance. However, crafts are kind of an awesome way to wrap up a long day of training, and people who leave early don't have to worry about missing anything really important.