So that's how it is?

Last week I had my first experience running a toy library session by myself. The first half was fairly usual, as I already often do those unassisted. This time I take extra care to not forget anything in set-up. I have of course been trying to do so every time, but I'd especially like to get everything right when it feels like a chance to prove myself. Some things would have made unusual to my so-far experience anyway, such as the box of bath toys in the returns, still wet from presumably someone's bath. Left those out a while to dry after cleaning. About halfway through I encountered one of the other students from the library technician class, going about her business. We talk for a little bit, about what we have been up to. The hardest parts of operating the (public-facing parts of) the toy library by myself are those involved in closing. With only one person putting things away, it takes definitely longer. I ended up with a stack of boxes of animals, trying to make sure they were distributed properly within before shelving. Gathering up the left-over toys and matching pieces to sets took twice as long as usual. I'm sure a lot of that is down to my own inexperience and lack of process smoothness. I was most nervous about interacting with the patrons. Particularly the part where I announce to those using the toy library that it will be closing soon and they should select items to borrow or begin setting them aside for me to pack up. But, I managed it. Seemed to work very well, acknowledged, everyone done on time. A relief. By the time I was finished there were still several items that had been returned, still in need of cleaning before being shelved. Set those aside in the storeroom with a note. One toy had been broken during the session, a large wooden bus with now a broken axle. Other items I thought incomplete and needing setting aside all turned out to be complete after all, with a little investigation. A success, but as I had to leave some items for later cleaning by others, an incomplete one. On the Tuesday I showed up for the usual backlog processing. There was about an hour's worth of cleaning as usual, but I was a bit disappointed to find another volunteer had meanwhile taken care of the ones I had to leave last week. Well. That's how it is supposed to go; perhaps I have been feeling a bit more responsible than I ought. Hopefully doing well, hopefully continuing to.