Down Times – What Do We Do?
Posted by: Sara Rofofsky Marcus
When there are no patrons, whether it be a sunny day, Spring Break, or another reason, how do librarians keep busy? Some might even ask why the library is open if there are no patrons. Librarians use this time to keep very busy – they do collection development, share ideas with colleagues to see what’s new, and read the professional materials their colleagues from far away have prepared so as to better serve the patrons when they do re-appear.
Patrons are great, they are the main purpose of the Library, but there are times when the quiet is nice, and much can get done in order to better serve the patrons. Be it collection development, writing an article for publication or presentation at a conference, or just catching up on all the reading that’s been piling up; quiet times – occasionally – are a great benefit to the librarian. It is a time to recharge, regroup, and then forge ahead full-steam when the next patron appears.
