Get to know how the public library works behind-the-scenes! This year, we’ll highlight different departments and services at the Hamilton East Public Library to give you an inside glimpse into how the library serves our community.
Today, Amber W., Director of Public Services, will walk us through a day in the life of a Public Services Librarian who works with our adult library patrons.
Q: Tell us about a typical day in the Public Services department?
Two young patrons who got their first library cards
A: Something you’ll hear from so many of our departments, but truly: no two days are the same! In Public Services, we provide resources and services to everyone but with a focus on programming, collections, and partnerships designed for adults. We register oodles of new patrons every day for library cards (pretty sure “oodles” is the technical term, yes?), help visitors navigate online resources and ever-changing technology, help you find your next read/watch/listen, and show someone how to get started using investment or demographics databases… sometimes within minutes of each other. The day is, basically, an ongoing and generally delightful improv session.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: I have worked as a librarian and manager in very large library systems in the Kansas City and Seattle areas (30+ and 50+ branches, respectively), and while both were great places, this has been my favorite organization <3 . My coworkers these past three years have been wonderfully supportive of each other and in serving the mission to be our community’s essential connector to information and ideas, and I am appreciative that I get to see that live and in-person every single day.
One of my favorite projects here, so far, was last year leading the steering committee to creating HEPL’s 2024-2028 Strategic Priorities. We heard from members of our community, including current library users and those not (yet!) connected to our services, local political leaders and government department staff, non-profit organizations, and for-profit business owners. We got feedback via survey (over 3,000 responses from within our service area!), focus groups, and, my personal favorite, open community listening sessions with library tours. This robust feedback was great in highlighting what we are already doing that aligns with what our communities find valuable. It also helped us determine where we can continue to prioritize our resources to meet the needs of our diverse and growing communities. All this to say… it is a really fulfilling place to work and to spend my energy planning and working with my team to deliver meaningful services!
Q: What do people not realize about Public Services?
Patron using the Seed Library
A: We cover a ton of range in Public Services – staff run traditional book clubs, but we also have programming to help small business owners and those looking to brush up their skills to re-enter the job market. You might drop-in for a tech assistance session or an English Language Learners conversation group. You can checkout one of our museum passes, a new game (there are so many great board games, and we recently added yard games!), or mobile hot spots, in addition to our more traditional print and physical audio/visual robust collections. We can show you how to reserve one of the study rooms online to host a small meeting or work remotely, connect to our app to learn more about HEPL Home Delivery or Curbside Pickup options, download an eAudiobook to improve your commute, or print a boarding pass straight from your phone. Join us for a virtual Writer’s Workshop, Adult Crafting, or Meditation session. We plan and facilitate an ongoing concert series (sponsored by the Friends of the Library) and great gardening-focused programming in tandem with our Seed Library (we gave out around 70,000 seed packets last year!). You’ll find us at Noblesville Chamber of Commerce Women in Noblesville or Young Professionals meetups or participating in City of Fishers Disability Awareness Month/Mental Health Awareness Month planning committees.
Q: Who does your department interact with on a typical day?
A: This is the department that greets everyone who walks through the main doors! We are the folks welcoming you at the lobby desk, answering phone calls, and responding to emails or the online Contact Us form. We’re helping you and your neighbors in finding resources in the General Collection and assisting with public computers and printing/copying so you don’t have to take up space at home with these devices or bother with ordering replacement ink. We help everyone – whether their goal is something within our department or best met by redirecting them to other experts or services within the Library and beyond!
Q: What goes into conducting library programs
Patrons attending a College Prep workshop
A: We have a few key focus areas around which librarians build programming, but we also reach out to potential community partners and get ongoing program proposals from organizations and individuals. We especially appreciate the opportunity to partner with folks who are already meeting a community need – part of this profession is knowing how to find and use our resources wisely, after all! How we’re looking at this: who are the experts? Who is already “doing the work” and how can we work together to reach a wider audience? This is one of my favorite questions as we plan programs.
Our goal with programming is to help folks reach THEIR goals in life – through learning new information and skills, connecting with their neighbors, and just having fun in a way that is accessible. Many people associate libraries with kids, but in Public Services, our world is to make sure resources and services are available to everyone throughout all their adult years.
Q: Where can people learn more about what’s going on in Public Services?
A: Our website! The quarterly Discover Guide magazine! Outreach events within the community! Social media, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn! At one of our great programs! But, we are especially happy when we can chat with you in-person at either Noblesville or Fishers, or over the phone, and share all the wonderful things happening in this department and across Hamilton East Public Library.
Thank you, Amber! Stay tuned to the HEPL blog each month to learn more about the library behind-the-scenes!