Library Day in the Life: DAY FOUR

I don't like Thursday's. For the rest of the world it's Mondays but I can't hate a day that brings with it both a lie-in and Hustle: two of my favourite things. Thursday however is my early, which is rubbish (it is also in that horrible no-place, close to the weekend but not close enough to get excited about.)

So, early. Not *that* early admittedly - 8.45 to help open up which is a relatively easy task in itself. It boils down to:

• switching on the issue desk computers/logging into OLIS, the staff blog, the library iGoogle
• switching on the reader pcs/logging into the system
• unlocking the discussion rooms
• emptying drop boxes using backdated system (to ensure no unfair fines are accrued)
• clearing the hold shelf of lapsed items (usually left to the senior staff)
• putting cash in the tills (ditto)

It's not hard work and (with the exception of the reader PC's as there are so many) it's relatively quick. The drop boxes can't be emptied until nine or later, so that usually involves a bit of hanging round but that's it.

Usually I'll stamp the FT's and pop them out in the wait, and start the mail as well - which today was handy as Alice and I were both on the desk first thing and only had half hour between that and our reader services meeting.

We have reader services meetings every week during term, alternating days so that as many people as possible can make them. In the most part it's just refresher training or running over changes in policy.

Back on the desk for another half hour, then break, then shelving, then desk, then lunch. When I get back from lunch there's only half hour before I'm on the desk again (it's a desk heavy day) so after the post-lunch post I fill the lull with fiddling with my blog (as it's 23 Things related, I figure it's okay).

Time for an hour and a bit of quick repairs, and five minutes of clearing the bits of paper our desk has accumulated before home time, where I can look forward to silent witness: tonight a cracking episode but still not Hustle!