28 posts tagged “library”

I'm part of a blog put out by my library system that posts reading recommendations.  If you're interested, the link is:

http://vbplrecommends.blogspot.com

We're just starting to post regularly because we finally got permission from the library to do it officially.  My week will start June 22.  Reviews of Unwind and Monsters of Templeton are already there.  If you read this blog, they will look familiar because they are just rewritten from here.

Some people say that Oprah has been a great supporter of reading with her book club.  Well, it's not always her book club that gets people into the library.

I had a woman walk up to the desk tonight and ask if all the internet computers would print.  I said yes, and while she was logging on her son asked me to look up his password.  I tried to, but his card had fallen off the system because it had been so long since he had been to the library.  By a long time, I'm talking years.  It takes a while to actually fall off of our system.  He looked to be about 12.  Yes, it killed me that he had not used his library card in years.

Why was he all of a sudden walking through the doors of the library? 

His mom needed to print a KFC coupon off the Oprah Winfrey Show's website.

Oh yeah, they didn't bother to get him a new card while he was here either.

Library

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In our library, we get two groups of mentally disabled people (is that the correct term?).  One is more severely handicapped than the other.  Today, they are both here at the same time. 

One autistic boy is also here that comes in and watches porn on the computer in the teen section (a place were that stuff is prohibited*).  It is also next to the picture books.  Joy.

Of course the "caregivers" who are supposed to be watching all these people are on the internet ignoring them.  That means I have to come get them and say, "Excuse me, Jon (not real name) is watching porn in the teen section again."  "Excuse me, Dave (not real name) is groaning really load and scaring children in the picture books."

Also there are storytimes today so the upstairs desk is a little crazy right now.  Plus there are a few homeless people hanging out trying to sleep while one of the people from the groups is groaning constantly. 

The parents are all looking around warily.  Ah the joys of public libraries.

*Yes, there is a place where you are allowed to watch porn in the library.

The Love Librarian is here to tell you what not to do.

If you happen to have a thing for librarians (and I'm guessing any woman would agree), there are some things you should avoid.  You think you're charming me, but the only thing you're doing is triggering my gag reflex.  Also, the ring on my left hand ring finger indicates that I'm not open to any advances anyway.

1. "Hello beautiful." - Maybe this is just me, but having a stranger walk up to me in my place of work and say this just irritates the shit out of me.
2. Waiting for me while I'm with another customer and asking why I didn't wave back at you when I was with another customer.  This guy comes in all the time and seems to think we're friends.  Uh, we're not.  When I see him coming, I signal to my co-worker that I'm running to hide in the workroom.
3. Asking me to unblock the porn on your computer and then flirting with me.  This is the same guy as #2.
4. When I ask for your phone number for the study room reservation sheet, saying "Don't you already have my number?"  When I look at you with my best serious librarian face and finally get the number from you, saying "Feel free to use it anytime, baby."
5. Calling me "cutie, baby, sugar, sweetheart, honey, sweetie."

A little girl came up to the reference desk today and said, "I made this picture for the library."  I hung it up in my cubicle.

Kid's Library Drawing

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Here is a bonus picture of my cubicle.  It is rather tiny, and we don't get computers on our desks.  We share workstations along the walls in the workroom.  Whoever designed the building didn't think reference librarians needed space in their workroom I guess.  We spend most of our time out at the public service desk anyway.  Click through to flickr for lots of notes about what's on my desk.

My Desk

Award winner.

My boss came up to me this morning and said she needed to see me in her office.  Of course, even though I know I haven't done anything wrong, the first thing that came to mind was, "I'm in trouble!"  Either that or the city had decided to do layoffs, and I was the last hired in my classification. 

When I walked into the office, our system's Youth Services Director and Public Services Director were in there, and I was presented with an award for work I did on a Twilight program for teens in October.  It was wildly successful.  81 teens came and we had games, a DJ, a costume contest, and other activities.  All the teens had a blast, and the higher-ups found out so everyone who worked on it got the city's Class Act Award.  That was a nice surprise on a dreary morning!

Customer: "Where are your Hanukkah books for children?"

Me, as I walk her over to the holiday display in the children's section:  "We have a display in the children's section of all the winter holidays, and then they are all inter-shelved with the rest of the picture books.  They have a blue "Hanukkah" sticker on the spine."

Customer:  "Is this all of them?"

Me:  "No, there are more with the blue sticker shelved with the other books."

Customer:  "Blahblah library has them separated in a holiday section."

Me:  "I see.  We don't do that.  Would you like for me to look some up for you?"

Customer:  "No, I was just using the catalog.  So they are by author name?"

Me:  "Yes, but you can spot them pretty easily by looking for the stickers if you don't want to search the catalog.  See, here are a few right here."

Customer:  "Blahblah library has them separated in a holiday section."

Me:  "I see.  We don't do that.  Please let us know if you need any help finding anything." 

I walk back to the desk.

Loathe:

• No matter what source you use to answer a bet settling reference question, some people will not believe you if you don't find the answer that makes them the winner.
• Some students think it is my job to do all of their research for them.  Or think of a topic for them.  One kid came up and said, "I need to read a biography of an inspiring person."  Then looked at me blankly when I said, "OK, well, who inspires you?"

Love:

• A kid ran up the stairs that bring them to eye level at the reference desk next to the children's section.  He pointed at me, and said, "Mommy, she is the one who shows you where everything is!"
• I get five days off in a row due to the way Christmas falls.  The mayor gave the city the day after Christmas as a holiday at the last minute.
• Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani.  I am reading this right now, and it is such a fun book.  I'm glad there are several sequals to it.

I spent a bit of my time off the public service desk (a rare commodity in a busy public library) looking for good clip art or stock photos of blood spatters.  People in the workroom kept walking by and asking me what the heck I was looking at. 

I do a monthly display in adult fiction of author read-alikes, and next month I'm doing Patricia Cornwell since she has a new book coming out.  I made a flyer and bookmarks with blood spatters all over them, and now I need to find some police tape.  Hopefully Party City has some... 

I'll try to remember to post a picture of the display.  It will be pretty cool and hopefully won't shock any of the old ladies looking for Jan Karon books.

PS - Has anyone else had trouble getting photos from iStockPhoto to work in Vox?  I tried several times and got error messages.

NaBloPoMo