diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 0d2200a65..4c5c41b99 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ dependencies = [
   "flacarray>=0.3.4",
   "h5py",
   "mapcat",
+  "opentelemetry",
 ]
 dynamic=["version"]
 classifiers = [
diff --git a/sotodlib/io/imprinter.py b/sotodlib/io/imprinter.py
index 7037c20c9..24e7242de 100644
--- a/sotodlib/io/imprinter.py
+++ b/sotodlib/io/imprinter.py
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 from .g3thk_db import G3tHk, HKFiles
 from ..site_pipeline.utils.logging import init_logger
 
+from opentelemetry import trace
+
+tracer = trace.get_tracer("sotodlib")
 
 ####################
 # useful constants #
@@ -1756,25 +1759,48 @@ def upload_book_to_librarian(self, book, session=None, raise_on_error=True):
         if self.librarian is None:
             self._librarian_connect()
         
-        assert book.status == BOUND, "cannot upload unbound books"
+        with tracer.start_as_current_span("librarian_upload", attributes={
+            "book.bid": book.bid,
+            "book.type": book.type,
+            "book.status": book.status,
+            "librarian.host": self.librarian.host,
+        }) as span:
+            self.logger.info(f"Uploading book {book.bid} to librarian")
+            try:     
+                assert book.status == BOUND, "cannot upload unbound books"
+
+                local_path = Path(self.get_book_abs_path(book))
+                dest_path = Path(book.path)
+
+                span.set_attributes(
+                    {
+                        "book.local_path": str(local_path),
+                        "librarian.dest_path": str(dest_path),
+                    }
+                )
 
-        self.logger.info(f"Uploading book {book.bid} to librarian")
-        try:     
-            self.librarian.upload(
-                Path( self.get_book_abs_path(book) ), 
-                Path( book.path ), 
-            )
-            book.status = UPLOADED
-            session.commit()
-        except Exception as e:
-            self.logger.error(
-                f"Failed to upload book {book.bid}."
-            )
-            if raise_on_error:
-                raise e
-            else:
-                return False, e
-        return True, None
+                self.librarian.upload(
+                    local_path, 
+                    dest_path, 
+                )
+
+                book.status = UPLOADED
+                session.commit()
+            except Exception as e:
+                self.logger.error(
+                    f"Failed to upload book {book.bid}."
+                )
+                span.record_exception(e)
+                span.set_status(trace.Status(trace.StatusCode.ERROR))
+
+                if raise_on_error:
+                    raise e
+                else:
+                    return False, e
+                
+            span.set_status(trace.Status(trace.StatusCode.OK))
+
+            return True, None
             
     def check_book_in_librarian(
         self, 
diff --git a/sotodlib/site_pipeline/update_librarian.py b/sotodlib/site_pipeline/update_librarian.py
index f432dad57..3498b801c 100644
--- a/sotodlib/site_pipeline/update_librarian.py
+++ b/sotodlib/site_pipeline/update_librarian.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
+from opentelemetry import trace
+
 from sotodlib.io.imprinter import Imprinter, BOUND, UPLOADED
 from sotodlib.site_pipeline.utils.logging import init_logger
 
@@ -49,29 +51,46 @@ def core(config: str):
         Path to config file for imprinter
     """
 
-    imprinter = Imprinter(
-        config, 
-        db_args={'connect_args': {'check_same_thread': False}},
-    )
-
-    session = imprinter.get_session()
-    to_upload = imprinter.get_bound_books(session=session)
+    tracer = trace.get_tracer("sotodlib")
 
-    failed_list = []
-    for book in to_upload:
-        success, err = imprinter.upload_book_to_librarian(
-            book, session=session, raise_on_error=False
+    with tracer.start_as_current_span("update_librarian"):
+        imprinter = Imprinter(
+            config, 
+            db_args={'connect_args': {'check_same_thread': False}},
         )
-        if not success:
-            failed_list.append( (book.bid, err) )
-        ## don't just continually fail
-        if len(failed_list) > 5:
-            break
-    
-    if len(failed_list) != 0:
-        # raise the first error so we know something is wrong
-        logger.error(f"Failed to upload books {[f[0] for f in failed_list]}")
-        raise failed_list[0][1]
+
+        session = imprinter.get_session()
+        to_upload = imprinter.get_bound_books(session=session)
+
+        failed_list = []
+        for book in to_upload:
+            with tracer.start_as_current_span("upload_book_to_librarian") as span:
+                span.set_attribute("book_id", book.bid)
+
+                success, err = imprinter.upload_book_to_librarian(
+                    book, session=session, raise_on_error=False
+                )
+
+                if not success:
+                    span.set_status(
+                        trace.Status(
+                            trace.StatusCode.ERROR,
+                            f"Failed to upload book to librarian with error {err}"
+                        )
+                    )
+
+                    failed_list.append( (book.bid, err) )
+                else:
+                    span.set_status(trace.Status(trace.StatusCode.OK))
+
+                # Pause if we fail too many in total.
+                if len(failed_list) > 5:
+                    break
+        
+        if len(failed_list) != 0:
+            # raise the first error so we know something is wrong
+            logger.error(f"Failed to upload books {[f[0] for f in failed_list]}")
+            raise failed_list[0][1]
 
 
 def get_parser(parser=None):