A Day in the Life of a Mobile Librarian
Today's mobile library schedule included an assisted living facility for the elderly, a group home largely serving the disabled, and an independent living retirement home. I had interesting experiences at each.
The first stop was a fairly nice building with modestly upscale design and decor. Two of my usual patrons there were even eagerly waiting to swap out books when I arrived. Everything went smoothly at first.
But then I had to wait, and one person who I hoped would be there was not. All I had was a too-loud Golden Girls episode from the other room and a very small stack of books to check in. The individual in question is a very slow browser, and always has to be asked to go find a book she failed to return.
Of course, as usual, she showed up as I was just preparing to leave, and doesn't believe she has the books that she needed to return. Well, this was going to take a while. I called ahead to the next stop to see if they would mind waiting while I cleared up matters here.
In the end, I had to offer to swing by on my way back to home base to pick up whichever books they found. The two most overdue books are still missing despite this.
The second was a smaller facility, rather plain and unassuming. The staff seems competent and proactive though, and that matters rather more than whether the trim and fixtures are elegant. My only real complaint is that it's hard to run a library when The Price Is Right is blaring from a nearby TV.
One of my patrons, "Tom," is apparently quite sharp mentally, but may need extra care due to obvious physical disabilities. He likes music, and I had about 20 CDs to check in from him. He likes country, swing, old rock and roll, and folk music. It's fun to try to find new things to bring for him each month.
"Mary" is a sweet old lady with a rather childlike demeanor who always wants to tell me about what she and her mother or sister have been up to. The trouble is, she'll tell the same story three times in five minutes with no recollection she already mentioned it. I don't think of it as an irritation, though. She's just being a friendly conversationalist, and she seems to have a good soul. She insisted that I accept a handful of peppermint candies and sticks of chewing gum. I couldn't say no, although the candy was redistributed later back in the office.
"Bob" is another story. He is like s 5-year-old in a 70-year-old body. He likes to rent DVDs and CDs, but cases often get returned empty or with the wrong contents. I always check everything anyone returns, but his returns have a much higher missing item ratio than average, so once I have checked his returns a staff member scavenger hunt usually takes place while he is looking for new items. He also can't seem to understand when I explain that items are still missing. I feel sorry for him, because he tries so hard, but simply can't keep up with anything.
My third stop was later in the day after a brief visit at home base to transfer materials. There is no TV in the common room at this stop, thank goodness. There was, however, an obstacle course of construction work. It's under new management, and receiving some much-needed maintenance work everywhere.
Two of the people at this stop are the sort of friends who bicker and dig at one another constantly. Most of the time it seems friendly, but some days it's a bit vicious. Almost like how my sister and her friends acted as teenagers, now that I think about it while trying to explain it. Hmm.
There's also a woman in her 40s with medical disabilities here, and she requires large print books. She's a voracious reader, but she's good at letting me know what she wants next, so I can stay ahead of what she has already read as I prepare my book requests through our library network.
I have another patron here who wants audiobooks due to eyesight issues, and it's a constant chore just to keep track of what she has already "read" and what she needs next. She's nice though, so I don't begrudge her the effort. It's what being a mobile librarian is all about, really.
Credit: Wikipedia
So there you have it: An outline of what a day in the life of a mobile librarian looks like. One or two stops happen in the mornings, and then another one or two stops in the afternoon, with office work wrapped around it all to manage everything.
I drive a Sprinter van between stops, wheel out a cart of books, and use a laptop with a mobile wifi hotspot to frantically check in and out various items, and then move on to the next stop.
This is one of those jobs where despite the difficulties, I never end the day thinking, "Well, that totally sucked and I hate this job." It can be hectic, and the occasional problem arises, but most of the people I visit are enthusiastic and appreciative. It's even a bit fun.
Author's note: Originally posted on Steemit