So, although I’ve posted one day, in the spirit of participating in everyone else’s timeline I thought I’d post my day today as well…
I got up this morning and did my usual routine: I make a yummy mocha latte and I sit down to survey any email I’ve gotten since the night before to see if anything is urgent. Then I checked FriendFeed and my Google Reader, I have breakfast and help get my daughter ready for her summer camp. Then I either head directly off to work, or sometimes– like this morning, I do some work from home for a while.
This morning I updated the playlist on the fancy new LCD signs that we’ve just gotten at our library, and created a couple of new slides for it. I answered the email in my box, and asked the ARL webmaster to update our Libraries’ link– which was seriously out of date.
Then I headed off to work and did a walkthrough of the renovation progress. I took some notes on what had been done, took a few photos of what was in progress, and then went back to update the LCD signs, our Flickr account, and Twitter.
I got an odd call about a patron looking for one of our art exhibits that didn’t come to pass. Somehow it was still listed in the paper. I went down and showed him the DVD of the art that Community Relations had supplied in lieu of the actual art and called the paper to get the listing updated.
Then I briefly chatted with my supervisor about the new guidelines for posting content to the LCDs, there had been some controversy over the control and content– but it’s been worked out. I have to admit, it’s quite a fun new toy to play with!
I wrote a campus “Buff Bulletin” (an email announcement system on campus) for some of our Trial Databases. I’d just discussed highlighting electronic resources more with our Collection Development librarian and this is one of the strategies I’m taking. Before we used to list ALL “New and Trial” databases, but the word limit left us posting nothing more than a list without descriptions. Now we’re using the campus internal faculty/staff newsletter to highlight one or two new databases with descriptions, and sending Buff Bulletins with one or two trials and some description. Let’s hope it helps!
I continued a project we’d been doing surveying ARL library web sites. We’re considering a redesign. I also followed up on a Student Advisory Committee proposal we’re trying to float as a joint Reference and Outreach project.
Then I did something I rarely do– I took an actual lunch break. Not a working lunch, not a quick lunch at my desk, but I went a walked over to the UMC and had a nice sandwich. I ran into a colleague from our Cataloging department there and we had a good talk. But it wasn’t a working lunch! Really! =)
I headed back to the library and updated the LCDs again (keeping that content fresh!) and headed downstairs to take my weekly shift on the Reference Desk. (I volunteer there for an hour a week to get some experience while working on my MLS).
Then I chatted with a couple of colleagues about creating a YouTube clip for instruction sessions and the internal reactions to the LCDs and the renovation project in general.
I updated our department’s web site and added a new form for requesting LCD content. I updated our Google calendar for exhibits since I noticed that I’d forgotten to update it in far too long!
At this point, my supervisor and I met for an extended debrief on the our Web Advisory Committee’s latest meeting with the university’s Web Communications department. I’m starting to get quite hopeful that a redesign will happen… and will follow best practices. Hooray!
We also sat down and combined a tutorial session on PowerPoint (for her) and a rough draft of brochure for incoming students highlighting the new upcoming Learning Commons and our 5 branch libraries. I showed her how easy it was to do a mock-up in PP, and then familiarized her with our Facebook library page and how I use it promote events and news.
When I got back to my office, I was so inspired by our brief conversation that I went ahead and finished a full draft of the brochure.
Then I finished the day by updating the LCD playlist once more, and created a few slides to be ready for tomorrow morning’s updates.
It was a great bike ride home, I gotta say I’m really lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Normally, after dinner and some play time with my daughter, I’d be doing homework, but I needed a night off. Instead we went for a walk, took the kids to the park (my twin godchildren are visiting us right now as well) and did a few chores around the house and yard. Tucked my girl into bed with a kiss. All in all, not a bad day!
I wrote this while checking my FriendFeed and watching last night’s Daily Show and Colbert Report. Now it’s time to get some rest, maybe continue that new Verner Vinge novel I just picked up….