Today NOT At The Desk....

Today I did not work my usual shift at the desk because I attended an early literacy training workshop.  Which sounds like it would be easy duty, right?  Just sit and take it easy all day, listening to a seminar and taking notes, networking a little, etc.  But even though I actually put in an hour shorter day, I found myself way more exhausted at the end!

I don't know what it was, the sitting for so long at a time without really anything to do, the lack of caffeine or snacks in the afternoon [Seriously, if you have a captive audience for the whole day, you really need to provide caffeine and sugar to get everyone through the afternoon!], or the fact that I wasn't really learning much new, or a combination of the above.

Don't get me wrong, it was a great seminar with lots of good information about language development, early literacy, and storytime, with a good presenter.  It just so happens because of my particular background, I already knew all the information about language development and early literacy and already practiced 90% of the recommended practices.

I have a degree in education and biology, so not only did I have courses in child development, psychology, and communication disorders, I also had anatomy and physiology to understand that part of it, too.  Then on top of that I've raised two kids, so plenty of first-hand knowledge of child development, and over a year of experience doing storytime.  And I think I just have really good natural instincts when it comes to communicating with and reading to kids.

It was good to get confirmation that I am doing everything right and I do really know what I am doing, though.  It was a great workshop for children's librarians who usually have English lit or liberal arts degrees and don't have the background in child development and language acquisition, or anyone just starting out with doing storytime (or hoping to).  But since it was just a review for me, it wasn't as interesting or engaging, and I am just not used to spending all day just sitting passively.

Even when you are "sitting" at the desk, you are not really sitting there the whole time.  I am always getting up to straighten up, pull things for transfer, assist patrons, shelve, etc., so I'm constantly moving around.  And even if I am sitting at the desk, I'm *doing* something, helping patrons with checkout, locating materials, placing reserves, planning storytimes, making props for storytime...  It's amazing how much faster the day goes by when it's busy, and you don't really have a chance to feel tired when you are moving around.

I am certainly glad I had the opportunity to attend a professional workshop, particularly since part-time staff rarely get to, and it is nice to have that reinforcement that I do know what I'm doing.  Plus it will be a nice addition to my resume :)  But, I have to admit, I was a tired puppy by the end of the day!