Life - Acclimating to a New Library

I've had the fortune of working at a small college library the last year. At this point, I can easily navigate to the literature, or science, or even a specific section of the B call signs. My favorite thing to do is locate specific topics or books for patrons. I've only done it a few times, but regardless. It is important for a good librarian to know the location of general topics. First, this makes reshelving a quicker process. Also, it allows the librarian to access materials faster, either for him or herself or for a patron. With both the Dewey system and the Library of Congress system, one needs only to learn the scale of the library. Going into a new library, one must first orient him or herself to it for optimal performance (I will be speaking of a library organized by LOC system, as in college libraries across the country).

First, ask if there are other collections. Visiting one library, I was surprised to see that there were no M or Qs past a certain point. Later, I found out that the library had separate libraries for music and science. Within the library, find out the different collections. For instance, my library at Erskine has several collections: specific sections for some campus organizations, archives, folio, periodicals and a reference collection. The reference section is often a microcosm of the general collection itself.

Knowing that many students will ask for assistance in researching for essays, papers and exams, it is a good idea to know where general topics are. As mentioned above, I can quickly navigate to the literature, science and Bible sections of the library. If you can view the college's course catalog, take note of the different majors available and search accordingly. Depending on your dedication, you can also find subtopics within topics, such as Shakespeare and modern drama, to better understand the scale difference between one library and another. However, for the most part, it will take time to become acquainted with a particular library's layout and topical dispersal.

Part of my duties consisted of discharging the key to the media. The librarian should be acquainted with all spaces available either for study or meetings.

One last thing is that the librarian should try to have friends or at least acquaintances among co-workers. While this is not necessary, it is very nice. For one, it makes work go by faster. Also, it allows for emergencies or (in my case) allowance for rehearsals and play performances. I enjoy working at the library, partly for this very reason.