MINUTE WITH A MANAGER

Jen Bertiech

CIRCULATION MANAGER FAULKNER COUNTY LIBRARY Q. How do you start your day? A. A strong cup of coffee (or three), solves a few problems. I make a few jokes with co-workers and come up with a working plan for the day that I know will definitely change within the hour.

Q. What is your best workday?

A. Any day that I can positively impact at least one person in the community. Also, wildlife-program day during the summers — I got to hold a joey! Q. Why I love working for my business: A. I thoroughly enjoy interacting with the varied demographics that make up our patron base. Today’s library is not just somewhere you can check out books and DVDs; we’re so much more than that. Public libraries are community centers, information centers, cooling and heating stations, etc. With so many different services bringing in the residents of our county, I get to help people with finding employment, starting or finishing school, solving life problems and various other issues and questions that pop up. The opportunity to positively impact someone’s day, and possibly their life, is what I absolutely love about what I do.

Q. What is your typical workday in a nutshell?

A. I come in at 8 a.m., get the register and daily desk schedule taken care of, grab some coffee, and then it’s never the same day twice. I solve computer problems, handle patron-record issues, answer missing- or damagedbook questions, intervene with disgruntled patrons or employees, and perform “other duties as assigned.” We rely heavily on that “other duties” part.

Q. If you weren’t in this business you would: A. Go back to school for orthotics

Q. Where would people find you on your days off, and what would you be doing? A. I would be at home, snuggled up with my animals, reading a book.