Are you sure about this?

So last week I helped a patron with a computer software issue, and after I had solved the problem he turned to me and said, "why are you a librarian when you are clearly good with computers?" My answer at the time was, well originally I thought History was far more interesting, and I love libraries. Now I think back and I realize that one of the reasons why i love working at both Public and Academic libraries is that I get the best of both worlds. I love the mix of subjects and people that I deal with each day. Most of all I love working with people. I could not deal with the variety of questions that I deal with on a daily basis in any other field, and while I do admit I could be making more money in other positions... I genuinely love what I do.

Diamond Defense

One of the problems of working in any public setting is that often times when you are serving the public in some fashion the polite kindness that is provided in a business situation can be translated as romantic interest. When you work in a public library you get to meet ans serve people from all walks of life, and that is one of the great aspects of a public library. It can however cause problems at times. Therefore I have taken to slipping a small diamond ring on a rather important finger as a form of armor against these unwanted attentions. While I am not engaged, and I have no interest in being so in the near future. This form of the defense has seemed to help immensely to safeguard against unwanted patron attentions!

Foreign Patrons and Bad Pantomime

I don't know if any of you have had to work in an environment where a portion of the people you serve speak little to no English, but I do so on a daily basis. One night about a month ago I had this fantastic family visit the library with all the paperwork they needed for new library cards. Yes, that happens every night, but this night was different because not one member of the family spoke English.

What proceeded was a delightful bonding experience between a very stressed me and this fantastic Hispanic family. The entire application went without a hitch, but was a challenge because I had to pantomime or do monosyllabic communication.

For example when explaining how many movies they could check out I pantomimed a video camera and help up 10 fingers and when I wanted their address I pointed to the line and said, "casa." This stressed what little Spanish I do know, and prompted me do a little more studying and ask that we translate our applications and handouts into both Spanish and Bosnian.

It was certainly a learning experience if nothing else.

Um, there's a chicken outside the library...

So one of the best references question I have had so far this semester is when a student comes up to me and says almost matter of factly, "Um, there's a chicken outside the library under a bench."

I assumed the student was talking about a man dressed in a chicken suit because we are next to the theater department and odd costumes plague the library frequently, but no. When I asked if the chicken was selling anything or making any sort of disturbance she said, "No... it's just a chicken, and I think it is hurt. Is there someone we should call?"

Now dumbstruck I said, "and where is the chicken?" She replied, it's under a bench between here at the next building. She left then to go to her next class, and I was left to deal with a hurt and vaguely located chicken. What was I do to?

I got a printer paper box and poked some holes in the top and ventured out to find the chicken. When I found it all the feathers were gone from its backside and it did seem injured. It was under the concrete bench outside the library. Well I didn't want to pick up the sick chicken, and animal control would never be able to find us on campus. So I did the next best thing...

I called the police.

The conversation went a little like this: "Hi, I don't know if I should be calling you, but I work at the library and student just reported a chicken outside the library. I am with the chicken now. Can you send someone up here it seems to be hurt." The lady at dispatch replied, "I'm sorry... did you say chicken?"

"Yes, I did say chicken. I didn't think that animal control could find us or know where the park."

"Can I have your name and department please?"

After I provided my information and she checked to see I was not a crackpot or at least if I was who to tell the police to pick up instead of the chicken she said, "We are sending someone up to take care of the situation."

In about 15 minutes a man walks up carrying a swimming pool net and says, "I have had many calls to take care of animals in my 17 years here, but never for a chicken." Then he came around the bench, looked at the poor creature and said, "Yep, that's a chicken."

He scooped up the chicken, put it in my printer box and took it away to the university farm.

Turning Tables

So my office is right next to the Reference Desk now, and today I had a patron come up and shut my door. Now granted this is a recurring problem patron. When I opened the door and said "C----- why did you shut my door?" He said, "You were too loud." To which I replied, "this is not a quiet study area. If you want to study in a quiet place please got to floors 7 and 9 where there are quiet study areas." His response was to make a face at me... an actual grimace. He then tried to close my door again (which I prevented) and grimace again and walked away.

This was one time when a patron... shushed a librarian.

Abusing Patrons

So last night I was shelving DVDs and I am standing in front of the cart with my back to the drama section when a patron walks up and asks me where "Roots" would be. I chose to gesture over my shoulder with the current DVD in my and to tell her it was in drama. I actually whacked the patron who was right behind me trying to see the new DVDs I had just put on the cart in the head. Her response was "Well, that came out of nowhere."

Well later when she came up to the Circ desk to check out she said, "You know, you are supposed to help patrons not abuse them." All I could do was apologize again and look sheepish.

Party Tonight

I'm so excited because tonight about 8 or 9 of my library cohorts and I will be getting together for a board game party. While as parties go I know that is a pretty mild option, but really when I work 60 something hours a week my time with friends and family is so limited. Tonight is a night I have wanted to have for months.

The games on the menu: Apples to Apples, Monty Python Flux, Scrabble, Spoons, Beatles Monopoly, Cranium, Scattergories, Uno, and possibly Pass the Pigs.

On the actual menu: Pizza and Beer, and possibly homemade ice cream and cookies depending on how much time I have after cleaning.