How does one person get it all done? The new school librarian realizes quickly that there is not enough time in the day to do everything: collaborate with teachers, plan instruction, teach classes, select materials, manage circulation and other warehouse functions, and plan programs and events. How does a librarian organize the work to create and maintain a powerful library program? To reach goals, take time to select the right projects, think them through, schedule tasks, and then start.

Select Tasks

First, be clear about the library’s purpose and the librarian’s role in the school. What does the school librarian bring to the learning community that no one else brings? A powerful library program provides access to learning materials, preserves and extends intellectual freedom, and engages students and teachers in genuine inquiry. The effective school librarian will identify, prioritize, and execute high-yield actions and delegate other tasks to assistants, students, or volunteers.

Think to Clarify

Second, understand that one can manage actions, but not time. Productivity consultant David Allen’s Getting Things Done system (GTD) provides a helpful framework:

• capture every task in a system outside the mind,
• clarify commitments to external demands,
• list actions (“next steps”) needed to make progress on goals,
• put reminders of action steps in a trusted system,
• review reminders regularly, and
• select and execute next steps on each project (Allen 2001).

Using this system, the “to-do” list entry expands from “Bookfair,” a vague (and overwhelming) concept, to a list of specific tasks:

• call vendor to confirm shipment,
• request extra copies of top sellers,
• email teachers to arrange previews,
• contact PTA volunteer chair for potential volunteers.

Specific tasks such as these occupy time and space. The librarian can schedule these in open chunks of time, or get them done when reviewing the list during a few free minutes.

Schedule Tasks and Reminders

Third, find or develop a system for listing, reviewing, and selecting tasks. This could be as simple as a pencil-and-paper list or as complex as a spreadsheet that can be sorted by project, task, or deadline. Consider two examples.

The mission of Workflowy, a browser-based outliner app, is to “organize your brain.” The app is free for 250 entries per month, available for iOS and Android operating systems, and uses a nested, outline structure. After creating an account with an email address and password, the new user starts with a blank page and creates bulleted lists, indenting to create subtopics. The user can view the total list, drill down to a single detail, cross off completed items, and hide or unhide items. Workflowy lacks a deadline feature or a calendar view, but some users organize and tag items with searchable hashtags, including “#deadline.”

Personal Kanban adapts a factory production management system for individuals (Henry 2015). This system, developed by Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria Barry, aims to make work visible and to limit work in progress. To create a Kanban (“signboard” in Japanese), set up a visual display with three columns: Backlog, In-Process, and Done. Next, list all tasks in process, one per sticky note, and place in the backlog column. Tasks can include specific items (“ask webmaster to create link to new database”) or ongoing commitments (meet with grade levels once/month). As the librarian chooses a project or task, he/she pulls the item’s sticky note into the “In-Process” column. The number of projects in process should be fewer than five or six to maintain momentum and clarity of focus. As the project or task is completed, the librarian moves its sticky note to the “Done” column.

Start

Thinking about work clarifies purpose, listing tasks clears the mind, and using reminder systems facilitates managing complexity. As the librarian considers actions needed to accomplish projects, he/she gains control over a complex endeavor and visualizes the work needed. Reviewing tasks against the purpose of the library or the librarian’s long-term goals helps the librarian prioritize actions, empowers him/her to focus on high-yield actions, and enables him/her to fit small tasks into small chunks of time. Looking for next action steps creates a sense of personal efficacy and confidence and can create a mindset that is ready for anything. Why not get started?