Previous incident.

Sometimes you just have to smile.

Patron: "Do you have Breaking Dawn, Part 1 in?"
Me: "Thats not even out yet."
Patron: "Yes it is"
I go to the trusty Amazon.com and check to see if this is true.
Me: "That movie doesn't come out in the movie theater until Nov 18"
Patron: "So do you have it?"
Me: "What month is this?"
Patron: " October"
I just stare at the girl with the "do you get it yet?" look.
Patron: Turns red, "OH" walks away.

Previous incident.

Somethings that happen at the library, you just can't think is real.

A lady walked in the library today holding what appeared to be a blue spotted clorox wipe. The patron approahed  the first librarian she saw and said I think someone defaced the statue outside. The librarian went and asked the person in charge of the on loan statues about if she knew if the statue was defaced. Shock came over her eyes and she said please inform the patron that the paint is apart of the statue. The librarian then went to tell the lady that we thank her but the paint is apart of the statue and although we appreciate her concern, she did not have to return with more cleaning supplies "to finish the job"

The lady return a few hours later and wanted to argue with the librarian to demand it was graffiti and not apart of the statue. After being told by another librarian that she watched as the artist himself took the sculpture out of the box with the paint on it, she guaranteed that the blue paint WAS apart of the sculpture.

Librarian thought bubble - Thank you, patron, for ruining a perfectly fine, on loan, $19,000 sculpture with your "good intentions and your Clorox wipe" *rolls my eyes as I go to call the artist"

Oh how things have changed. I have gone from working in a public library, to working in a public school helping children read. Next year, I will be the librarian in a public elementary school. We have students ranging from ECE (4year olds) to 5th graders. 

There are many different languages in this school. We have Spanish speakers, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Indonesian, French, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, to name a few. We even have rare dialects where no one in the school can translate . Google Translate is no help because its that rare. 

One world comes together in a school.

This should be interesting. 

I have observed many people today in the library. However, one in particular...

A gentleman came in, looked around, and then asked for books on internet and database security.

Me: I asked him if he had look up any in the catalog.

Him: "No, I do not know how to use it."

"ok sir, let me show you"

We walk over to the computer, the screen is blank.

He looks very confused "Is it broke?"

I said "No, just move the mouse"

Still looking confused, says oh.

 After working with him for only a few minutes I discovered this man only knew extreme basic of computers. He did not know he needed to click search for a search or even click enter.
As I find him a few books, he tells me he is going to take an exam for his database security and internet security certifications next week.

Run

Spell Check, Please!

When someone applies for a library card, they fill out an online application. After finishing this, which is normally 3 or 4 minutes, they come to me to get their card. Asking for their ID, I look them up by their name.

Sometimes we cannot find them in the computer. We need to try alternate ways to find them. When we do, we confirm all of their information. About 50% of the time, we need to modify what they filled in. Some people forgot their birthday date, others put themselves in as the wrong gender. The most however, is the patron spelled their name wrong. Oh, you may think it is just a slip of a keystroke. I am here to tell you it is not. According to his license, we should be looking for John Weizenbaugh. However, an extended time later I hear “Oh I am sorry, I think I put in Jack". Looking for the new information and finding nothing, I have to ask "Sir, what name did you put in the computer over there about 5 minutes ago?" When you get a response of "Um, I am not sure", your poker face comes into play. I do my library magic, I find him in the computer. His name in the computer "Jackie Keilbaug". How, you may ask, do we know it's him? We do this by verifying everything on his ID and compare it to the computer. I then modify his application with what is true.

 

Many times the easiest of transactions, are the most difficult.

 

 

Sights and Sounds at the library

On a typical day at the library you find what you expect. The people browsing the stacks looking for books and DVDs, others using the Internet, even some studying, these people normally go by, not being noticed by others. But then, there are the few that stand out.

 

An extremely nice lady in  her mid sixties came up to me at the desk and told me she applied for a library card. I go through the process of checking her ID and issuing her a card. As I am explaining one last thing, I notice it. The lady is wearing a very thin shirt, this however is not unusual. The lady, who is very well endowed, was not wearing a bra which would have raised her assets to above her waist. This is also not unusual in the library. What is, is the outline of her large nipple rings.

 

I am not a prude. I am aware of these things, of why people do it, the process of getting them and maintaining them. However, it is a bit odd on woman in her 60's, in my opinion. I do not make judgements on people. I observe, and report my findings. This makes a sometimes mundane shift at the library, interesting.

Librarian thought bubble ~ "I hope this lady enjoys her nipple rings.

I just hope she realizes that nipple rings and a net body scrubby do not mesh"

How do people survive?

On occasion certain things happen at the library and you just wonder “how do these people survive?”

On such an occasion, a co-worker of mine was getting a patron a library card. After the patron filled out the required information on the computer, he came to the desk. When asked what his name was, the librarian typed it in and double checked with the patron on the spelling.  She could not find this man in the computer. A few times she tried and nothing. She asked for his I.D. The patron spelled his name wrong. Oh yes dear reader, the patron not only miss spelled his name in the computer, but also when he told the librarian his name.  She then asked the man, “is the spelling on your I.D. correct?” He responded with a laugh and said “Yes, yes it is. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Librarian thought bubble – “I know what I was thinking. You are number one on the idiot list today. Congratulations. Please do not ask me where the books are on conceiving a child.”