Library life: Many happy returns

When beginning my career as a newly qualified but completely inexperienced librarian a few years ago, I had my eyes opened to a world of library operations I knew nothing about.

For starters, the amount of books returned every day blew my mind. I expected the returns procedures to be serene and slow, possibly completed by one person, once a day, at their leisure. The slide and bump of books cascading down the shoot is relentless. Bins fill almost as soon as they are emptied with books on constant rotation to and from the shelves.

This process, completed by all library staff, is a never-ending job. Don’t get me wrong, it is a job that I love. Nothing allows me a better understanding of our collection than simply returning books to their rightful spot on the shelf.

It also leaves me with a massive mental ‘to-read’ list, of which I can only dream of completing.

With thousands of books published each year, weeding our collection is something our librarians love to hate. If we could keep all the books, we would. However, to make sure our readers have the latest titles, up-to-date information, the best and brightest, we have to make space. This means, as books are added some have to go. How do we decide what leaves our shelves for good?

I have learnt this process is a much more considered and timeconsuming one than I would have ever guessed. And, basically, the answer is, you, the library user decide. The more a book gets checked out, the more chance it has of keeping its place on the shelf. If a book sits unissued for a length of time, its chance of death row approaches. Okay, death row is a little dramatic, it usually ends up in our book sale and awaits a new home with another book lover.

These procedures have helped me to understand the place our library collections have among other book outlets.

Bookshops sell the latest books, fresh and new for you to treasure for keepsies, our libraries have books new and old to share free with the community, and the second-hand bookshops are great places to buy those rare gems, books that are hard to find elsewhere.

Libraries don’t live in competition with these other book suppliers they live in harmony with them.

Learning the ins and outs of library collections over the past few years has been a revelation and an absolute joy. I have acquired so much

information but I’m pretty sure my ‘to-learn’ list is on par with my ‘to-read’ one.

Check out our website to see our public book lists and create a list of your own: horowhenua.library.org. nz.