Author: Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

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 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 Kendra Winchester, a Contributing Editor for Book Riot. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Kendra:

I work freelance in book media, so I’m constantly juggling different projects. And as a chronically ill girlie whose energy varies drastically from day to day, I don’t stick to a set routine. But here is life for me on an excellent spring day.

9 a.m.

My one constant is that I start every day with a cup of coffee and a little self assessment. How do I feel today? It happens to be a good day. So I start my day by turning on an audiobook—today it’s Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney performed by the author—and by checking my email to make sure nothing is on fire in my inbox. Next, I check my planner (I adore my Hobonichi Techo Cousin) and sketch out my day.

10 a.m.

Winchester Ave is my newsletter where I write about being a disabled book lover, and I have a post due soon. I finish up a draft of the newsletter, and double check that everything is set for me to record the voiceover later that day.

10:30 a.m.

While I may not have a set routine, Dylan and Gwen—my two Corgis—certainly do. It’s time for a mid-morning walk break!

11 a.m.

I settle in and work through more emails. Right now, I’m scheduling interviews for my podcast, Read Appalachia. A lot of people in Appalachia live in areas where they can’t go to book events, so one of my goals with the show is to bring (virtual) events to listeners wherever they happen to be. Read Appalachia is now in its 3rd season, and I’m thrilled with the upcoming line up of authors.

11:30 a.m.

After working through a few audio files, I grab a pair of headphones and start editing my latest episode of Read Appalachia. It’s with Raye Hendrix, a poet whose debut collection What Good Is Heaven still haunts me in the best possible way.

12:15 p.m.

Lunch break! On the menu today is an omelette with habanero sauce. I’m sitting down to eat when I realize that I was supposed to finalize my book picks for next week’s recording of Read or Dead, Book Riot’s mystery and thriller podcast. We’re pretty chill planners, so I send my co-host a quick text with my picks. She gives me the thumbs up.

1 p.m.

Today is an author interview day. Yesterday, I made detailed notes about the author’s book, the highlights I want to hit in the interview, and what those questions might look like. I also review details from the book like character names. Next, I set up my recording space and do a quick sound check. Before you know it, it’s showtime!

2 p.m.

Wes Browne is a fantastic interview. His book They All Fall the Same is a Southern Noir set in Eastern Kentucky. Browne has all sorts of great stories to tell about what inspired the book and even shares a little behind-the-scenes info about what it was like casting the audiobook’s narrator.

3:15 p.m.

Once again, the Corgis remind me it’s time for their afternoon walk.

3:30 p.m.

Before my next podcast recording, I have just enough time to head over to the local cafe and get a cup of herbal tea. I bring my copy of Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya. It’s my favorite memoir of the year so far, and I’ve been annotating my copy a little bit at a time. I sip my tea as I watch the rain begin to sprinkle outside the windowpane. On the way home, I spot my first magnolia bloom of the season.

 

5:30 p.m.

Every month or so, I appear as a contributor for AudioFile Magazine’s podcast, Behind the Mic. I choose a handful of audiobooks to share with listeners, highlighting the incredible work by the narrators. To prepare for Behind the Mic, I review all my notes about each of the audiobooks, go over any pronunciation guides, and perform my sound check. We record four short episodes in a session, so I really need to know exactly what I want to say about each of the audiobooks.

6:30 p.m.

While my sound equipment is still set up, I record the voiceover for my latest newsletter for Winchester Ave (the one I finished up in the morning) and the introduction for my episode with Raye Hendrix for Read Appalachia.

7 p.m.

Snack Break! Right now, I’m really into toasted pistachios.The Corgis, of course, get whole carrots.

8 p.m.

I watch a friend of mine present her thesis about the Brontes! I love how the internet makes it possible for me to attend virtually.

9 p.m.

With my disability, I know that every good day is probably going to be followed by a bad day. So I take inventory of all of the things I might want to get done before the next day. I pick up around the house, throw the laundry in the dryer, and grab the heating pad. Finally, it’s time to clock out.

Kendra Winchester writes about audiobooks and disability literature for Book Riot. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram @kdwinchester. Find out more on her website https://www.kdwinchester.com or BlueSky.

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 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 Nadia Odunayo, founder and CEO of The StoryGraph. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

6 a.m.

Wake up, do 10 mins of meditation and my daily Duolingo (French and music) practice, before calling my dad. Start getting ready for my morning activity while doing a 30-minute Pimsleur (French) immersive speaking lesson.

6:30 a.m.

Quickly check for any messages from my co-founder of The StoryGraph Rob to make sure that nothing has gone amiss overnight. The coast is clear!

7 a.m.

Leave the house to go and play tennis with a friend. I workout most days, including lifting weights three times a week, running at least once a week, and an assortment of classes at my gym. I listen to podcasts — How I Built This is my fave — and read — currently reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins for the first time — during my commute.

8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Tennis! It’s so great to get moving so early and I feel accomplished at 9 a.m. already, even though I’ve done no tangible work yet!

9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Travel home via the supermarket — Tesco in this case — to get some bits and bobs for lunch.

10 a.m. to noon

My proper StoryGraph morning check (normally done at about 7:30 a.m./8 a.m). This includes looking through emails, various analytics dashboards, and our Play Store and App Store reviews. I also catch up on personal messages and plan the rest of my day. This is normally done the night before, but I had a dinner the night before and wanted to get to bed ASAP when I got home. Finally, I catch up on StoryGraph social media platforms — Twitter, Threads, and Instagram — before starting on my coding for the day.

Noon to 1 p.m.

Lunch and reading. I tend to eat the same thing most days now that I have an air fryer: a steak salad! Helpful for my protein targets!

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

StoryGraph coding. I’m currently working on some tooling for our volunteer librarians and the redesign of our profile page.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Reading with a coffee and some chocolate! Easter is coming up so I got some mini egg varieties!

3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Coding. It’s a very good day when I can get a three-hour coding block in!

6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Catch up personal messages and emails.

6:30 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Walk to a branch of my gym, listening to a podcast. I’m currently listening to an old How I Built This episode on the story of Groupon.

7:10 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.

Take a reformer pilates class. This year, I’m trying to make pilates and yoga a part of my routine, so I can work on my flexibility and mobility more!

8 p.m. to 8:20 p.m.

Walk home.

8:20 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Check in with my co-founder, Rob, who lives in California. Then squeeze in some more coding.

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Do another round of social media checks, write down a highlight of the day (something I started this year! Today it was my morning tennis), and plan tomorrow.

10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

A quick flat tidy, including washing the dishes from earlier, shower, brush my teeth, and get into bed, all while listening to a fun dating podcast, U Up?

Nadia Odunayo is the founder and CEO of The StoryGraph, the app that helps you track your reading and choose which book to read next. She previously worked at Pivotal Labs as a software engineer and originally learned to code at Makers Academy in London. In her spare time she loves to take dance class and, naturally, read! Find her on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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 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 Angela Januzzi, campaign projects manager at Bookshop.org. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A Usual Friday

First, a little bit about Bookshop.org, for those who don’t know! The company’s mission is to help local bookstores thrive in the age of ecommerce. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. As a certified B Corp, Bookshop.org gives over 80% of its profit margin to independent bookstores. Our platform aims to give bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.
So now, onward to a Friday managing ads campaigns for a bookselling digital retail platform!

Before the Workday:

Currently this job is a remote one. However, unlike most “desk jobs” and especially in virtual work, Fridays in my role are the most deadline-essential day of the week. So before the workday, as of spring 2025, I try to have coffee (no one is surprised); do morning meditation/ prayer (usually related to coffee); and depending on season refill my outside bird feeders or birdbaths for backyard feathered friends (who do not know I exist, yet I pretend they love me).
In agile project work such as my role’s, plus since I happen to be a person with mild neurodivergence, these small grounding morning rituals have become key for helping meet both the day’s work goals and also some daily personal ones, too. That said, I also always check Slack and my own client emails by 8:30-9am for any time-sensitive questions. Yes, as I feed small woodland creatures eating from my hand while I sing to them, yes, of course.

First Half of Morning:

My position’s current main responsibilities are booking and pitching paid ads campaigns for promotions to run across Bookshop.org’s channels, identifying continuous improvement of next similar campaigns, as well as helping monitor more complex questions and execution for paid campaigns (internally, inter-departmentally, and externally with clients of more intricate rollouts).
As such “at the end of the funnel,” Friday morning as a pivotal weekly block: It’s the time to both look back at the last week and weeks, as well as ahead to the coming week’s priorities; by late morning sort and alert stakeholders (either internal or external, or both) involved for any outstanding dependencies or approvals before the week is over.

Late Morning:

As many contributors of this blog have noted, another priority at this time of morning: Refilling the coffee. Cool. Glad we’ve covered that.
Next, after that, before lunch it’s critical to check if teammates have any basic questions for deliverables, as well as any larger last-minute outstanding contingency plan needs before the weekend through the early next coming week; or if anyone needs a stand-up call, if easier.

Midday:

Usually this time involves a forced lunchbreak, in which I remind myself to call my Grandma every Friday afternoon. (At the time of this writing she’s 95 years old!) I also try to enter weekends with some friends and loved-ones checked-on, near or far.
Then at midpoint of the day my Ads/Sales team is fully completing the final versions of asset deploys for the next several days into the coming week, as well as confirming there is no other particular resource planning needed for any specific campaigns before the weekend. While finalizing those processes, it’s time for me to check back on my own client emails or questions, sorting and completing my own remaining campaign bookings if they still need added or adjusted before the week ends!

Early Afternoon:

During this time, I try to update any future pitches to my clients to schedule for early in the coming week. Most dear to me, by the end of day Friday, I want to ensure any correspondence, needed reporting, or booking with my own clients is either completed or given next steps (so they can enjoy the weekend, too)!

Later Afternoon/ Early Evening:

Ideally, by end of business Friday at latest, all production deliverables are approved and confirmed for the coming weekend/ into the early next week. By this time I review all wrap reporting for my own clients if needed for completed campaigns, and/ or prepare reporting to send early the next coming week. Additionally, the end of Friday is a time I try to take to re-review my own sales goals in our dashboards, and note any striking KPIs (internal or external) from that week for possible discussion with team members once back Monday.
And finally, even though we have several project-tracking systems, my to-do list is still my most-beloved resource (haha, but it’s true). Before the end of every day, but especially Friday, I make sure any critical timelines or salient meeting agenda items are noted in my own personal to-do list as well for both the team and myself for the coming day, week, month, and quarter. (Then, come Monday, we do it all over again!)
But to help keep local bookstore businesses thriving, especially in the 21st century, and maybe even beyond that? You can bet we won’t stop doin’ so, as long as we can.

Angela Januzzi hails from an Ohio steeltown on Lake Erie, made her way to grad school on the East Coast, and eventually stayed, for now, in New York. She’s worked in comms/ PR & marketing/ events/ project management across book publishing, non-profit development, and education sectors. She’s from a lineage of bridge and rail builders, steel workers, ingenious matriarchs, and shoemakers of a 100-year-old local, family footwear store. As a kid her favorite books were about esoterica, nature, and community mobilization: maybe proof (?) we keep the core of who we are as children. After over 15 years in The Big Apple, these days she allegedly lives somewhere between NYC and the Shawangunk Mountains.

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 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 Zakiya N. Jamal (she/her), a senior marketing manager at Atria Books. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Zakiya:

Hello! As a senior marketing manager at Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, we work on a hybrid schedule, so I go into the office twice a week. Today, I went into the office because I was doing a panel, had to send out a mailing, and went to an author event.

9 a.m.

I arrive at our office, which is at Rockefeller Center. One thing I love about going into the office is my train goes directly into the Rockefeller Concourse, so I don’t have to go outside to get to my office. Before I went upstairs, I stopped at Café Grumpy and grabbed an iced vanilla latte, as my treat for going into the office.

11 a.m.

Every Tuesday we have our Ed Board meeting where editorial shares the books they have in on submission. It’s our chance as marketers (and the publicity team) to share our thoughts/excitement for the titles that are being discussed for acquisition. Even though I was in the office, I attended the meeting via Zoom as there’s usually not enough space in the conference room for everyone who’s in the office, and the most important people in attendance are on our editorial team.

 

12 p.m.

My co-workers and I went back to the concourse to grab lunch. I had tacos! I also used my lunch break to post about my events for my debut novel, If We Were a Movie, on Instagram and Threads.

1:15 p.m.

My boss, Morgan, the head of our corporate marketing team, Brandon, and I attended a panel where we discussed discoverability with self-published authors.

3:00 p.m.

Back at the office, we had our weekly marketing team meeting. Our marketing assistant, Heaven, talked to us about our influencer program and how we can improve.

3:30 p.m.

I spent the rest of the day putting together an influencer mailing for one of my titles, Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine. Everyone in the office was really excited about the stickers we made for it. Victoria also created her own fanart!

5 p.m.

Heat of the Everflame, one of the titles my co-worker Dayna worked on, hit the New York Times list so we all celebrated!

7 p.m.

Megan, a publicity manager, and I went to The Ripped Bodice to attend our author’s event for the publication of her novel Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder! 

And that wraps up the day! Typically, my days aren’t this packed, but it was a busy day and I had so much fun spending time with my team and authors.

 

Zakiya N. Jamal is a senior marketing manager at Atria Books where she works on a number of nonfiction and fiction titles by authors like Hannah Grace, Kate Fagan, TJ Alexander, Alison Cochrun, Christine Pride, and more! She’s also the author of the forthcoming novels If We Were a Movie and Sparks Fly. You can find her on all social platforms @zakiyanjamal.

 

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 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 Bezi Yohannes (she/her), assistant marketing manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

A note from Bezi 

I work from the office two days a week, so this is a typical Tuesday when I go into the office! But of course, some weeks have more meetings, and some have less like any corporate job.

7:15 a.m.

Slowly get out of my cozy bed and make breakfast. I’m someone who definitely needs food in my stomach to start the day, but that doesn’t mean it has to be fancy. Usually whole wheat toast with sliced bananas and scrambled eggs does just fine.

7:30 a.m.

Do my morning journaling: a few sentences to set my intention for the day. I’m working on reducing my screen time in 2025, which can be tough when I work in marketing and I’m already chronically online for work and for fun. But journaling has helped me step away for longer periods of time while still feeling creative and productive, especially since I do a mix of regular daily journaling, scrapbooking, and junk journaling. 

8:15 a.m.

Leave to take the train to the office. Last year The New York Times ranked the B train as the train with the most delays relative to its number of trains and how frequently it runs (or is supposed to run). So it shouldn’t be surprising that once again, it’s delayed this morning. Fun!

9:10 a.m.

Arrive and get settled! Before I can really dive into my inbox, I have to open the packages that are waiting for me at my cubicle. These are a variety of physical promotional materials for my titles — stickers, postcards, etc. — and they need to be sorted and stored in our promo room.

9:45 a.m.

First “meetings” of the day, both about the marketing and publicity campaign for Oathbound, the third book in the Legendborn Cycle series by bestselling author Tracy Deonn (on sale March 4)! I visit the office of the publicist on the campaign to discuss a few updates and pass along materials, and I also swing by the office of the senior digital marketing manager to confirm the status of an influencer mailing. 

10:15 a.m.

Answer a variety of emails from authors, sales, and the corporate promotions team about my titles and campaigns. This includes reviewing campaign budgets and giving feedback on early designs for various social advertising graphics and upcoming promotional materials, such as a postcard for one of my summer titles, A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury (on sale July 29). I also place orders with the warehouse for any books I’ll need to send from the office.

Noon

Lunch break! My co-worker and I also run over to the T-Mobile location a few doors down from our office for a cute free umbrella.

12:30 p.m.

First scheduled meeting of the day with one of the senior managers on our team, where we talk about everything from work project updates to journaling tips! 

1:30 p.m.

Answering more emails! I also update my Notion with my completed tasks and project statuses; I’ve been using this for my own project management since my co-worker (the aforementioned senior manager) introduced me to it two years ago, and it is so useful and customizable; I can’t imagine my workflow without it.

2 p.m.

My second and last scheduled meeting of the day, with my boss. I always come with an outlined agenda of materials that need approval and project updates for us to discuss, and we also went over my fall 2025 marketing plans. Publishing can feel like a bit of a time warp when I’m working in spring 2025, summer 2025, and fall 2025 all at the same time. (And we just had a launch for our spring 2026 titles last week, which means in the next couple weeks I’ll also begin brainstorming for next year.)

3 p.m.

Write copy for upcoming promotional materials and social ads, and finalize the collation for an advance copy mailing of one of my summer titles, Letters to Misty by acclaimed principal dancer and bestselling author Misty Copeland (on sale May 6).

4 p.m.

More emails, this time mostly me following up to get information and/or feedback I requested before EOD. I use that to inform what can be completed today vs. moved to tomorrow’s to-do list.

5:15 p.m.

Log off and head home! The rush hour commute is always a journey.

6 p.m.

Get home, eat dinner, and watch a few episodes of a comfort rewatch to decompress.

8 p.m. 

End my evening junk journaling with some paper scraps and junk mail I’ve collected, as well as a bit of free-writing for a story idea. 

And that’s the end of my day!

Bezi Yohannes is a content creator, writer, and marketer, and she currently works as assistant marketing manager for Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. After attending William & Mar  for undergrad, she received her master’s from Georgetown University and her graduate certification in publishing from Denver Publishing Institute. She has been featured on Goodreads Spotlight, NetGalley’s “20 Black Women To Follow on Bookstagram,” and The Stripe’s “18 Cool Women in Publishing to Follow.” You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter/X @beingabookwyrm promoting new book releases by Black authors, discussing the latest fantasy adaptations, and re-watching her favorite early 2000s media.

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 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 Elisha Zepeda (he/him), a book cover designer with Penguin Press. Stay up to date on other industry professionals by reading our Lit Happens blog throughout the year.

9 a.m.

Wake up to Portland rain. Glance emails to see if I’m needed immediately — I avoid any screen time/social media in the morning, it’s a terrible way to start the day. If work isn’t urgent, I’ll usually read a few chapters of a book in bed.

9:30 a.m.

Make coffee. I drink decaf because I don’t like caffeine jitters. Make my breakfast burrito and pastry, have some smoothie.

10 a.m . -noon

Start my Penguin work. Usually this entails designing a new cover for an upcoming book — sometimes I make just a handful of options, though I recently made 70 options for a single book.

Sometimes I’m tasked with building out a full mechanical (biz term for the jacket/sleeve that entails a spine, back, flaps). This is for a cover that’s already been approved, and now is ready to be delivered to our printers.

On days when my workload is low for Penguin, I’ll use this time to check my freelance email and do freelance work. I usually do 1-2 freelance books a month. This is typically my most focused work time. I think creatively I can only produce new ideas in a short period like this. Asking me to work for 8 hours straight on a design will just mean I give you 2 good hours until my brain turns to mush. I try to stare at a screen the least amount possible.

Noon

Sometimes a meeting. These are brief — limited to members of the imprint I’m with. Here we may discuss cover options, revisions, book cover alchemy, etc.

12:30 p.m.

Take a walk. Have to get outside or I feel like a corporate computer animal.

1 p.m.

Sometimes I’ll meet up with friends at a local cafe and we’ll co-work. Some of them also work remotely, some of them are grad students. It’s nice to briefly catch up, then get our busy work done. This is when I’ll do “busy work” stuff that is non-creative, like reply to freelance inquiries, or send out invoices.

3 p.m.

If I am busy, I’ll work out some more cover options for a few hours. Sometimes that means creating a moodboard. I have days where I’ll just browse Pinterest for hours to narrow down what this cover should look like. If my creative brain isn’t coming up with anything, I won’t force it. If I’m not busy I’ll take this time to do other creative hobbies. Or do household chores. Or run errands.

5 p.m.

Figure out the rest of my night — meeting with someone for dinner? Hanging out? Calling a family member? Who knows.

8 p.m.

My creative brain turns on at night, when it’s dark and quiet. I really enjoy making covers at this time, usually around 8 p.m.-1 a.m. I can’t really explain it but my mind is just more at ease, and I can access the “play” area of my creativity, so that design becomes something I’m doing for fun and doesn’t feel like a job. Throw on a podcast or album. Usually my designs come out much more inspired when my brain is in this state. I think as we get older we lose touch with playing for the sake of playing. Productivity is forced on us everywhere we turn, so if I can turn my job into enjoyment, I’d rather do it on my own terms/time, since my job allows for that.

The downside is of course, it being 11 p.m. and sacrificing a healthy sleep schedule. But luckily I can usually sleep in (remote work is amazing, I am very grateful). I think a lot of creatives relate to that night owl technique.

Elisha Zepeda is a book cover designer with Penguin Press. For a few years he worked with Faceout Studio. His process videos on Instagram and TikTok have earned him a virality in the publishing industry and among book/design lovers alike. This has led to many great career opportunities with authors, celebrities, and major companies so far in his short 3 year career — and has helped show the career of book cover design to a wide audience.

The first books he’s worked on with Penguin will hit major retailers this fall. Many others from his time with Faceout are available online. Check his website to stay updated.

Apart from books, Elisha stays busy between Oregon and California. Up in Oregon he plays and records music with friends around Portland and Bend. In California he frequently visits Orange County and the Central Coast where family lives.

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.