Shelving is a solitary activity. I love being alone in the stacks with a cart, my iPod playing music or an NPR story. The solo time allows me to get in the groove - Grab a stack of books, find their homes, put them away. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Shelving can put me in a zen like state. Once I'm on a roll, I can shelve and shelve until all the carts are empty. It's not often you can zone out and still be productive. I find the routine action of shelving to be calming. It gives me a chance to think about whatever is on my mind, or I can simply enjoy what's playing in my ear.
I also love shelving because I have random encounters with books. There is no way I can check out all the books in the library, so seeing what others have checked out allows me to put my hands on books I might otherwise have never discovered. On more than one occasion, I've returned from a shelving trip with one or two books I want to give a try.
Shelving, I think, is a greatly under appreciated activity. It's also a good workout when you do it for a few hours.
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