Books Forward is celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and one of the ways we’re celebrating is by showcasing 25 people you should know in the book world. There are many unique roles there are in the book world, and the many kinds of people who play a part in the community we love.
Today, we’re getting to know Hawa (she/her), librarian I in Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.
A note from Hawa
While not included in the day outlined below, my week usually consists of at least one virtual meeting with librarians at other branches in my system, recording content for library social media and putting on programs for various age groups.
Wednesday, Feb, 5, 2025
8 a.m.
I got to work a little early on this day, so to kill some time, I listened to an audiobook and did some coloring.
9 a.m. 
I did what we call the “picklist,” which tells me which books we have on our shelves that library patrons have on hold, either at my location or another location. Once I find the items that are on the picklist, I use the handheld scanner to scan the barcode on the book, and the computer prints out a receipt telling me where the book is going. If the book is going to a different location, I put the items in a delivery bin. If not, I put them on the holds shelf.
10 a.m.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the “late” days for my library system. On these days, the branches don’t open to the public until 12 p.m. and are open until 8 p.m. During the 10 a.m. hour, I was scheduled to do the opening procedures, which typically consists of turning on all the computers, bringing out the toys for the children’s area, checking the printer to see if it needs paper/ink and unlocking the bathrooms.
11 a.m. 
During this hour I was scheduled to shelve. Shelving is returning the books back to their spots on the shelf, usually after they’ve been returned by patrons or found in the wrong spot. My scheduled shelving time is one of the few moments throughout the week I get to read at work. In this case, it’s me listening to an audiobook so my hands are free to put the books back.
Noon
As I mentioned before, the library opens at 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. At this point in the day, the rest of the staff has arrived and we have gotten the building ready for patrons to come in. During this hour, I was scheduled to rove, which made me back-up for the people who were working on the front desk. Every so often, I walked around to see if there were any patrons who needed assistance. The first hour was pretty quiet so I didn’t have anyone to help.
1 p.m. 
This was my first of two hours on the information desk for the day. Depending on how many people we have working on a given day we’ll each have between 2-4 hours on the information desk. This particular day, we were staffed pretty well so I didn’t have to spend as much time out there. While on the desk this hour, these are some things I helped patrons with:
- Looked up their library card number
- Placed some items on hold for them
- Showed them how to use the printer.
2 p.m.
Lunch time! I prefer a late lunch so that by the time my lunch is over, I don’t have as much time left in my day. I got some Panera bread sent to my job. I ordered enough so that I could have leftovers and not be hungry before heading off to the author talk I attended later in the evening.
3 p.m.
I had some time off of the desk so I used this hour to plan some upcoming programming for the library. We have to submit our programming two/three months ahead of time to allow for it to be placed on the calendar and for advertising. I do programming for all ages, but I have a special focus on teens. This week I submitted April programming including a Teen Game Night, our “Black Voices” book club and a Bibliobop Dance Party for the littles.
4 p.m.
Another hour on the information desk!
5 p.m. 
I’m off!
6 p.m.
I head over to East City Bookshop to attend a book launch event for Kristina Forest (The Love Lyric) and Adriana Herrera (A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke). The event officially started at 7 p.m. and it was such a great time. I got to connect with other fellow book lovers and Bookstagrammers and even chatted with a bookseller who is in the same MLIS program I was in. This was my third bookish event of the year, and I’m looking forward to attending many more.
Hawa Jalloh is a dedicated librarian with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, where she’s passionate about fostering a love for reading. A 2021 graduate of the University of Maryland’s MLIS program, Hawa is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Beyond her work in libraries, she’s a vibrant presence on Bookstagram, where she shines a spotlight on Black-authored books. Follow her journey and discover her favorite reads on Instagram at @hawa.reads.
Ellen Whitfield is senior publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.
