Shifting

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of shifting in the nonfiction collection. In the process I came to the conlusion that this can be one of the most mentally and spiritually renewing tasks a tired librarian can undertake.

For those among the uninitiated, "shifting" is the process of moving books on the shelves so they fit better and are more evenly distributed. This is an essential process that goes on day to day (a small section at once). Once a year its good to do a "big shift" where you do the entire collection in a short period (a week or so).

When you're out in the stacks, you're alone with your thoughts finding treasures you didn't know (or forgot) were there. You also find stuff that has no business still being there and thus can do a little weeding while you're at it.

Shifting also lets you do something physical for awhile which is always great for your outlook on life. After all, there aren't too many day to day library tasks that let you get your blood moving quite like a shift, (except maybe storytime, but I'm not a children's librarian so I can't be sure).

So if you're a desk-bound librarian, do yourself a favor and do a little shifting once in awhile. Its not just good for your collection any more.