What’s it like working in a bookstore? Is it hard? Is it interesting? It’s something you need to experience to find out so we spent a day in the winter vacation experiencing a day helping out at Small Small.
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Sabrina／Tianne |
11：00
Time for work!
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Get the shop ready. 
Check there’s change in the tills.
Make sure the till was counted up correctly the previous night.
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| Prepare the coffee |
The coffee and drinks area needs to be readied.
A customer calls to see if there’s still space available for an activity.
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11：30
Opening time! |
 We open the shutters and move the small blackboard outside.
Big Yellow (the cat) gets fed.
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11：30～13：00
Work |
Register customer for the activity 
Tidy up the rubbish. Sort out the bookshelves.
Check which books were sold yesterday. Reply to orders.
 Check the stores. Replace books on the shelves that were bought yesterday.
Order new books.
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13：00～13：30
Work |
 A customer pays for an event they wish to attend.
Customers order drinks.
(When a customer wants to pay the bill, Xiao Yu will stop working and immediately help the customer.)
Receive a registered letter.
Receive an order of books.
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13：35
Sappho comes to
Small Samll
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 The owner, Sappho, appears.
Deal with the list of people attending an activity.
Xiao Yu and Sappho discuss the media coming to film in Small Small.
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15：00
Ya Wen starts work |
Ya Wen starts work.
Ya Wen goes to Zhonghe to collect a book for a customer. She also goes to Costco and the bank.
Xiao Yu sorts out the store and shelves.
Sappho makes a phone to return some goods.
Someone asks Xiao Yu how to apply for a part time job. |
17:00
Work |
Xiao Yu finds a new way to make waffles.
(Sappho says it’s good. It certainly looks good! )
 Xiao Yu tidies up after a customer.
A manufacturer comes to collect some returned goods.
Sappho makes contact with a publishing company
A customer comes to collect a book.
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19：00
Volunteers |
 A volunteer arrives.
Volunteers come on weekdays to help out.
Today’s work: Sort out the books and the small blackboard. Tidy the postcards and children’s books.
Take out the rubbish.
Return receipts.
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22：00
Work |
 Ya Wen and Sappho move and rearrange a shelf of poetry books.
Xiao Yu cashes up.
Xiao Yu tells a colleague about what needs to be done over the Chinese New Year.
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22：30
Closing up |
 Closing up.
Cashing up.
Tidy up the shop and coffee area. Clean the toilets.
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Staff
After experiencing a day at the shop, we know what Sappho meant when she said that you need to be superhuman to work there! The work is complicated and there’s a lot of it too. You need to have a good eye for details and be patient. It takes an hour to tidy up at 10.30. Working at Small Small really is tough, but getting to interact with the customers is fun!
