So you want to be a library manager...

I originally wrote this post over 6-months ago with every intention of returning to add to it before posting. It goes without saying that my first year-and-a-half as a supervisor in a library has been busy but it has also been rewarding and fun! I don't have anything to add but it all still holds true.

There is nothing quite like starting a new position as a manager during a pandemic, especially when we have all been on a roller coaster this year.

Here are a few things that I have learned along the way:

1. Empathy goes a long way. 

People, no matter who they are or what they do, want to feel seen and heard. This goes for staff as well as patrons. I started supervising during a pandemic and the experience has been enlightening. Staff, and patrons, might be content one day but on edge and upset the next day. Being able to be flexible and listen to concerns is the most important part of your job. If you feel like a therapist most days then you are probably doing something right.

2. Let your staff shine.

I loved storytime, I loved programming for kids, and I enjoyed working with the teens that came into my library. But, when I took the leap into management, it was with the knowledge that I would leave the programming in the capable hands of my librarians. I love supporting their interests and helping them shine at what they do best. This may mean stepping back and not trying to run the show. It may be difficult but, unless you plan to wear the title of micromanager proudly, it would be best to learn how to give up a little control.

3. Hiring is hard.

It is exciting to find fresh energy and to fill a staff vacancy, but it is also so hard. And I am not just talking about the pressure to find the right candidate. You may make one person's day by hiring them, only to disappoint and upset dozens of others by telling them they were not the one. Sure, it is part of the process, but it does not make it any easier especially when they are internal candidates you already know. Being open to sharing feedback and having hard conversations can help clear the air, while also showing respect for each and every one of them.

Ch-ch-changes!

I meant to write this post a month ago but what a whirlwind this last month and a half has been! 

I applied for a promotion as a Youth Services manager within the same library system and was offered the position! So, in the last month, I stopped teleworking, became a library supervisor, and moved to a different library. While my community branch was one of the busier small branches, I have moved to the busiest regional branch in my library system. 

The return from teleworking has been challenging (Mostly on my body! Wow, did my body forget how much collection work can build arm muscles!) it has also been fun and rewarding. I missed working with patrons and other staff. 

The branch I am at now was actually the first library I ever *officially* worked at, so it was a homecoming of sorts. We are not quite working with patrons in the traditional sense, but we are providing virtual and curbside service. Both of which are keeping us just as busy, if not more so, than before! 

My posts may be slightly more sporadic going forward, especially as we continue to adjust to serving our community during COVID, but I am excited for this next step in my library career!

Flannel Project: Polar Friends and Monkeys

I love this versatile flannel I have used for many years about penguins and polar bears. It is called "Polar Friends" and the rhyme is another one that has been in my flannel drawer so I do not know the original source.

It can be used for storytimes about polar bears, penguins, the arctic, winter, and more!

Polar Friends:

North Pole is UP. South Pole is DOWN.

Snow and ice cover the groun.

At the North Pole you'll see polar bears.

At the South Pole there are penguins everywhere.

North Pole is UP. South Pole is DOWN.

That is where our polar friends are found!

I also worked on making flannel monkeys and an alligator. This flannel is great for storytimes about monkeys, jungle animals, zoo, and more!

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys sitting in a tree, 

Teasing Mr. Crocodile, "You can't catch me!"

Along comes Mr. Crocodile, as quiet as can be, "SNAP!"

But that monkey got away to another tree.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Flannel Project: Toot Toot Beep Beep

Using inspiration from a peer librarian's storytime on cars, I decided to make a flannel of Emma Garcia's "Toot Toot Beep Beep".

There were so many different cars/trucks to choose from but I chose five for my flannel project. I chose a yellow taxi, a blue convertible, a pink limo, a red Jeep, and a green van. 

The flannel will be versatile to be used for a flannel version of the book, counting, colors, and types of vehicles.

 

Flannel Project: Snowmen

This week I finished working on a flannel of Snowmen. I know what you're thinking - snowmen in Summer?! - but who knows when we will return to programming and I want to revamp all of the flannels I use often while I have the time.

Five Little Snowmen Rhyme:

Five little snowmen standing in a row,

Each with a hat and a carrot nose.

Out came the sun and it shone all day, (make a big sun with your arms over your head)

And one little snowman melted away.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1...

Source: A library assistant? This flannel rhyme was one that was in my flannel drawer when I started as a librarian six years ago.

Flannel Project: Picnic/Ants

Last week I finished an unexpectedly time-consuming flannel to make. It is a flannel about a picnic that several ants find themselves at. 

The rhyme goes:

Five hungry ants, marching in a line,

Came upon a picnic where they could dine.

They marched into the salad,

They marched into the cake,

They marched into the pepper,

UH-OH! That was a mistake!

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Here are my five hungry ants: 

My salad: 

My cake: 

And, because you can't make one without the other, my salt & pepper shakers: 

Flannel Project: Storytime Visual Schedule

Several years ago I made a Very Hungry Caterpillar visual schedule for storytimes. While I love it, I have not used it in awhile since it has been harder to incorporate and for kids to see in large crowds. A peer librarian at one of the other libraries in my system does a flannel visual schedule. He adds the flannels to the schedule as he does the activity. I brainstormed some ideas we could turn into a flannel visual schedule with my programming library assistants and we decided that a 'bookshelf' would be a fun concept to try out.

To start, I used a flannel-backed poster-board that I already had on-hand from my Rocketship Run project from last year. I added a layer of backing to the back-side of the Rocketship Run poster-board. 

The next step was blowing up images of floating shelves via Powerpoint. I don't even have flannel that was the length I needed so I had to be careful with the templates to piece them together so it would be difficult for people to see that they were two separate pieces.

I think the second layer, on the top of the shelves, made it come together.

And the final step was adding books and other items to the shelf without crowding it, to leave room for our flannels as we add them. I decided to add a small plant, a handful of books, and a couple bookends.