by Tiffany Newton, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri

Other duties as assigned?

Almost every job description has this line. It’s usually near the bottom of the list of duties. It says “Other duties as assigned.” What does this mean? Well, pretty much whatever you and your employer agree that you should do. One thing I’ve learned about working in libraries is that the librarian should be flexible. These “other duties” will pop up all over the place.

I find that after I start the job I realize there’s a gap in current skills; one example would be that they don’t have a creative person to make bulletin board displays. I had this creativity, so I asked if I could make something. After that, I was just “stuck” with this duty. I don’t mind making bulletin boards, in fact, I quite enjoy it, and it helps out the library. Many of these other duties may fall into this category.
Some of the most common ones are:

• Helping a colleague from another department while he works on a paper or presentation (This could include helping with the presentation or helping with his main duties)
• Working in another department while they’re looking for someone to fill an empty position
• Cleaning bathrooms, dusting shelves, watering plants, or shoveling snow
• Adding paper to the printer, putting staples in the stapler, removing paper jams from the copier
• Creating, ordering, and printing flyers to advertise an upcoming library event
• Attending meetings
• Helping prepare a plan for a building remodel
•  Serving on a search committee to help fill a vacancy
• Setting up library displays and exhibits
• Selecting (or offering suggestions) e-books to purchase to load on the new library nooks
• Designing t-shirts, magnets, or other merchandising items
• Helping redesign an old library website
• Reorganizing library collections, or moving them to a new location in the building: moving books, and moving shelves
• Speaking to and translating for patrons who don’t speak English (this could be a spoken language or sign language)
• Feeding the library cat, pushing her off your lap while trying to work, putting books back on the shelf after she pushes them off, etc.
• Writing blog posts for the library blog, writing posts for Facebook and/or Twitter, taking photos to post on these social media networks, etc.
• Assisting an older, less technology savvy colleague set up a social networking account so he can reconnect with his friends and family, and helping him daily to check for updates
• Brainstorming with colleagues for ideas for a paper topic or presentation topic
• Writing papers or presenting at conferences

Some of the non-library related things might be considered more of a favor than an actual duty because they’re generally one-time things. Some of these might be picking up milkshakes for everyone from Baskin Robins on your way back from lunch (Yes, this happened to me once), or helping a younger, less experienced colleague prepare a resume. In general, I think librarians are very giving and generous people who enjoy helping, so if someone asks a librarian to help with something or do a favor, the answer is generally yes. Just be aware of this and don’t overwork yourself! You want to have time for your main duties, instead of spending all your time on these “other duties as assigned.”