What is the life of a librarian?

by Theresa Buchheit

Whenever I mention that I work as a librarian to someone, they almost always say something to the effect of “Oh, that sounds so wonderful to be working with books all day,” while they gaze off into the distance, imagining their lives as a librarian. While yes, my job is wonderful, and yes, I’m around books all day, day-to-day life is not always what people imagine. Libraries function as places for information and ideas. Those of us lucky to work at a library make it our mission to give each person walking through our doors the opportunity to learn and to think for themselves. Books are an essential part of that, but they are one part of what makes up a library.

So, what does a day of a librarian entail if it is not just books? The patron coming in is the most important aspect of the job. Every person coming in is who we do it for. Making sure the information that the person is looking for finds its way to them.  I have the absolute joy of getting to help the littlest ones in their quest for knowledge. Storytimes, offered three days a week here at the Gettysburg Library, is one of the programs we offer to help parents with the five practices of early literacy: singing, talking, reading, writing, and playing. By giving parents the tools they need, they can, in turn, give it to their children. Book Clubs, offered once a week for grades 1st through high school, give kids the tools to evaluate and think critically of what they are reading. Other programs like Baby Da Vinci, Reading to Danny the Therapy Dog, Crafternoon, etc., are all designed to give our youngest patrons tools to continue to learn. There are very few days at the Gettysburg Library where we don’t have at least one program going on.

adams county library

Not every minute is taken up by programs or planning for programs. Some days, it is being available at the Youth Services desk to answer questions. “Where are the Dog Man books?” “Who would win in a fight, a rhino or a hippo?”  “How do pumpkins grow?” We try not to answer their questions as much as we give them the books and resources that will give them the information they seek. This is the part with the books. Our main source of information at the library is books. Whether it’s non-fiction books that offer many different facts or fictional books that offer to broaden the readers’ minds. The care and keeping of the books is a mainstay in the day-to-day: shelving, check-out, rotating books to different libraries in the county, creating seasonal book displays, and more. Books, though, aren’t the only source of information available. The library has computers available to use any time the library is open and free Wi-Fi you can use at any time. If you’re looking for information, the library is the place to find it. If something is not available at the library, it is our job to get it to you through the many different resources we have available. 

Each librarian works day-to-day to provide their patrons with resources, programs, and the materials necessary to help each person grow in knowledge and be informed. We’re your partner in learning and our doors are open and waiting for you to come through with a question.

Theresa Buchheit is the Gettysburg Library Children’s Specialist in the Adams County Library System.

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