Haleigh's Practicum Diary

Date: 7/1/26

Time Worked: 8:30am-5:00pm (approx. 8 hours)

Name: Haleigh Hare

Supervisor’s name: Marisa Bateman/ Taylor Brannan (Marisa is supervising my entire experience within the D.C. Public Library System, while Taylor is supervising me in this specific, Georgetown Neighborhood Library, branch)

Description of the Day:

Today was my second-to-last day as a graduate intern at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library, and it was especially rewarding because I was able to see several of the projects I had worked on come to fruition. The newly relocated board book collection looked inviting in its more central location, and the colorful alphabetical labels immediately caught the attention of several young patrons. It was exciting to hear a few children comment on the labels, reminding me that even small design choices can make a children’s space more engaging and accessible. We also held our weekly toddler storytime, which was just as well attended as the previous week. During most of the program, I remained outside the meeting room to greet families, check participants in, and assist other patrons visiting the children’s room at the same time. Managing these responsibilities simultaneously gave me more experience balancing customer service with program support during one of the library’s busiest times of the week.

The library was absolutely packed throughout the day, making for an energetic and lively atmosphere. One of the highlights was an unexpected visit from a large group of children and teachers from Little Folks Preschool, where I work during the school year. It was wonderful to see my coworkers and many of my students in a different setting and to welcome them as a librarian-in-training rather than as their teacher. Anticipating the large crowd, I printed a generous supply of coloring pages to ensure there were activities available for everyone. Later in the day, I helped my coworker, Hailey, prepare the library’s monthly Blind Date with a Book display for the adult collection. The theme for the month was Disability Pride, and while Hailey selected the books, I wrapped each one in paper, helped create the front design in Canva, and suggested placing each book’s barcode on a sticker attached to the back of the wrapping paper. Previously, patrons had to tear open the wrapping before staff could scan the barcode at checkout, which diminished the surprise element of the display. This small change preserved the mystery while also making the checkout process much more efficient. After assembling all of the books, I set up the completed display near the library’s front desk. It was satisfying to contribute to another library-wide initiative and to see how thoughtful design decisions can improve both patron experience and staff workflow.

Pictured above is the display I helped create for July’s Blind Date With a Book. The covers of the books are the Disability Pride Flag and also include the genre of the book and some key elements to draw in potential readers.