Tent in the woods, courtesy of WI DNR flickr

I just read a great blog post by Abby the Librarian about planning for vacations during the SUMMER.  Shocking for some of you to think of, I’m sure, since summer is such a busy time for libraries, especially in the youth services department.  But with careful planning, it is possible to schedule time off during the summer, and it is important to do so.  As she says, if you feel you can’t take time off during the summer to spend with family who might only be available then, it is time to look at balance in your life.

I don’t advocate for things like breaks in storytime schedules and time off during the summer (if that is what works best for you and your family) because I think our work is unimportant.  I’m not advocating slacking.  In fact, I think our work is so important that we need to carefully think about how to take care of our whole selves in order to keep doing a fabulous job being fabulous.

So as you gear up for summer, remember to build in time to recharge your own batteries.  This might mean adapting your programming schedule.  It might mean making things simpler so it is easier for other staff to step in and run things while you are away.  Maybe it will involve preparing some passive/stealth programming for people to interact with while you are away.  And it will certainly involve planning ahead.  But it is possible.  And important!