May 17th: Logistics and Planning Meeting

 



Today was my first official day at my internship/practicum! Although the semester hasn't officially started yet, my supervisor noticed there was a conflict with what was supposed to be my day one- Tuesday the 23rd- and her schedule. Therefore, we had our initial planning and logistics meeting today where we discussed my schedule for hours and the tasks, I would complete from home next Tuesday. We met at the Lake Travis Community Library for the meeting for about two and a half hours. We accomplished a lot during this time and went over loads of information- some new and some a review from our email communications from the previous semester. 

The first order of business was a library tour and meeting all the other library staff. Even though, primarily I would be working aboard the bookmobile it was helpful to get a feel of the actual library and learn where all the supplies were. I was also given my official library nametag to wear throughout my time interning at the Lake Travis Community Library (the nametag can be seen in the picture above which I took shortly upon receiving it). After which, it was a beautiful day, so we sat outside for the bulk of our meeting. During our time outside, my supervisor Ms. Karen B. (there are two employees at the library named Karen so they each go by their first name and last initial) reviewed my schedule of hours and the days in which each program I would be helping run would take place. We took the time to plan what time I would arrive at the library and then leave each day for those programs. We coordinated the additional activities I would be assisting with- the Summer Reading Program Launch Day and Fourth of July Parade preparations. Moreover, we figured out how long I would need to plan for each of the programs for the next week and incorporated that into my schedule of hours. We also confirmed when I would plan all the activities and materials needed for the week I am out of town over the summer as well as verifying the dates I would be gone. By the end of that bit of planning, we double checked to ensure I would at least meet the minimum number of hours for my practicum, while leaving room to add more if help is needed or more hours as well due to unforeseen events. 

While still outside we discussed the logistics of each program- the schedule of how each program would run, the types of activities and youth groups at each, and how book checkout would be facilitated at each event. Moreover, I discussed with my supervisor what specific tasks and she wanted me to complete on Tuesday as she would be off work and I would be working from home. Once, the tasks were set we went inside where she showed me how to utilize the library system Apollo. Apollo is how the library checks in and out books, where they maintain their catalog, and patron's library card information. It was a bit confusing at first, partially because there were a few technical difficulties. However, after a few practices I felt more comfortable using the system. We ended the meeting by reviewing quickly what we had went over, what I would complete Tuesday, and our mutual excitement for the summer ahead. I left the meeting feeling giddy for the chance to get hands on experience in a part of the youth library field I am not as familiar with, while feeling ready to tackle the all the challenges that it may bring. 

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