In the public eye: Windham Library’s fast pace keeps circulation supervisor busy

Editor’s Note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Mention the word librarian and it conjures up images of a person sitting at a desk reading books all day, but Shannon Weber knows that working in a library can be an active job.

Shannon Weber is the Circulation Supervisor
for the Windham Public Library and oversees
checking out and checking in items for
library patrons. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Weber is the Circulation Supervisor at Windham Public Library and oversees the library’s circulation desk where items are checked in and out for patrons. She also processes incoming and outgoing interlibrary loan (ILL) items and answers questions about library services. If that wasn’t enough, Weber also handles library billing services for lost/damaged items and answers any questions that the public has about their library accounts.

“The best thing about my job is getting to help people every day,” Weber said. “I think the most challenging aspect of my job is that my workflow is always changing. As a supervisor I need to be able to help answer questions and solve any issues that arise, while also doing my normal daily tasks. It’s not uncommon for me to start typing an email, stop to check out items for a patron, go back to the email, stop to answer the phone, go back to the email, and stop and figure out why an ILL item is not scanning in correctly. Sometimes this kind of multitasking can lead to moments where it is difficult to refocus or remember where I left off.”

She’s been working at Windham Public Library for the past 2 ½ years and loves working in circulation, where Weber is constantly interacting with patrons, pulling requested items from library shelves, covering new books, and checking in items from the library’s book drop.

Originally from Morristown, New Jersey, Weber moved to Maine a year before starting high school. After high school she attended the University of Maine at Farmington to study teaching and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with a concentration in language arts.

“A few years later I took graduate courses online and earned a Master of Information degree from Rutgers,” she said. “My first library job was at the South Berwick Public Library. I worked there for a few hours a week while pursuing my graduate degree. After graduating, I took on a full-time position at the Seabrook Public Library in New Hampshire as an Adult Services/ILL Librarian.”

While as an administrative assistant at a university, Weber says she really missed working in a library.

“When I saw the listing for the Circulation Supervisor position in Windham, I knew I had to apply,” she said. “This position was exactly the kind of library job I was hoping to return to.”

It’s hard for her to pinpoint her most memorable moment working for Windham Public Library so far.

“Though not one specific moment, there have been several times when I’ve had new patrons sign up for library cards, only to be stunned by the services they have access to,” Weber said. “It’s not uncommon for patrons to tell me they are so glad they signed up or to wonder aloud why they didn’t sign up sooner. New patrons expect to have access to books and movies but don’t necessarily expect that they can borrow a keyboard or ice cream maker or get discounted tickets to go to the children’s museum or the Portland Museum of Art. I love to see how excited new patrons get when they realize how many things they can do with their library card.”

Weber’s family understands her passion for her work.

“My family knows I love being a librarian and are very supportive,” she said. “They’ve given me books to donate to the library, bubble envelopes for packing ILLs and paper towel rolls for crafts. I’m grateful that they understand how passionate I am about the profession and I think that’s what they like most about my job, and that it brings me so much joy.”

Since coming to work at the Windham Public Library, Weber says that she’s come to appreciate the library’s commitment to outreach and community involvement.

“I’ve been able to attend a farmer’s market, Windham Summerfest and a Windham Primary School literacy event,” she said. “It’s been great to connect with other community organizations and promote library services. I’m looking forward to being a part of more of these events in the future.” <