Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A regular asked...........

Does the library have books on personality disorders?

I said, I'm sure they do, would you like one?

Patron, "No, you just deal with so many people on a daily basis that have mental
problems. Do they offer classes for the staff, teaching you techniques,
that enable you to deal with the issues?"

Me, "No, not really, and I haven't taken what they do offer."

Patron, " Have you read any of the books?"

Me, "No."

Patron, "Well, you must have a strong faith or something, to help you deal with all
that happens here on a daily basis."

Me, "Yeah, you have to have something."

As of this week, the restrooms are closed

The Chief of the Library and the City Librarian made the decision to close the public bathrooms on the 3rd floor indefinitely. The last straw occurred 1 1/2 weeks ago. A patron was caught cooking heroin in the stall in the men's restroom.

I have worked on this floor for 3 years, and they chose that incident as the reason.
The paramedics had to be called because a patron overdosed in the men's
restroom.

A fight broke out between a group of men's in the restroom.

A father and son were robbed and the boy was punched in the face
in the men's restroom.

The toilet and or, one of the urinals are intentionally clogged at least
once a week.
You get the idea, a lot of bad things have happened in that restroom before, and they thought nothing of it.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

This is my greatest fear while at work

http://www.khou.com/home/Houston-librarian-beaten-after-asking-patron-to-quiet-down-79675377.html

How are you feeling today

That was the question that a patron asked me Tuesday.

Me: "It doesn't matter, Do you have a question?"

Patron: "It does matter, how are you feeling today?"

Me: "Like I said, it doesn't matter. What is your question?"

We went back and fourth a few more times, until he finally realized that I wasn't going to answer his question.

He wanted a book, but he didn't know who the author is, and he didn't know the title either. All he could tell me was that it was about wealthly African Americans in California.

The back story to this individual and myself is that I had him removed from the branch where I used to work. I was the only librarian on duty one Saturday, and he entered the library cursing and talking about white people, christians, and saying how he was going to destroy things. I called the police and had him removed. Before he would leave, he insisted that he needed to check out a book.

About two weeks after that, he returned to the branch and told he that I had gotten the wrong impression of him. I told him that it didn't matter what I thought of him.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The buzz this week

For the past few months, there have been stabbings on our local transit system. The same individual has been identified each time. A first, there was only a police sketch. Last Friday, the mug shot of the suspect was released. This is where the buzz at work occurs. When I saw the picture flash across the screen, I immediately recognized the individual. He was a regular at the library and was always on the floor that I work on. He would insist on being helped by the male African American librarian. If he wasn't available, and I was on the desk, he would insist that I help him. If we were both on the reference desk together, he would wait for him to help him. The patron stunk so bad, I didn't mind that he refused my help.


http://www.ktvu.com/news/21925268/detail.html?taf=fran

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Man!!!! It started before I even entered the building today

As I approached the entrance, I saw two of our security personnel with three individuals.

Security was rousing the men from laying on top of the grates in front of the building. One of the men was yelling at security, telling them, "I'M HUMAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO ME LIKE I'M A DOG!!! I'M GETTING UP, DON'T YELL AT ME, YOU AIN'T NOBODY, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A REAL JOB!"

What our "patrons" laying across the grates outside has produced in the past, is foul odors throughout the building. Sometimes, it smells as if the staff area is on fire(because a lit cigarette or cigarettes have been thrown down the grate.) There are other times when it smells as if someone has urinated throughout the building, because you guessed it, they have urinated into one or all of the grates.

Friday, December 04, 2009

I have no one to blame, but myself

Monday November 30th, I volunteered to cook and serve food at a homeless shelter in my neighborhood.
When I arrived, I was told that sign-in wasn't until 9pm. The late time should have been my clue to just drop off the food and leave. I saw quite a few men who visit my floor in the library all day. Thankfully, if any of them recognized me, they didn't say anything.