Friday, January 29, 2010

Economy fallout

In November, the residents of the city received post cards, saying that the local community college wouldn't be sending class schedules via snail mail anymore. We were advised to search the colleges online class schedule. Unfortunately for us, the general public didn't think that post card applied to the library.

In the past, the library system has received vast quantities of schedules for universities and community colleges in the area.

This year, we were told that the schedules would be printed on a as needed basis, and very little would be distributed. I made a special request for 150, because I felt we've received far too many in the past. Of course, we ran out long before the Spring Semester start date(last week.) Patrons have been calling and hanging up in our faces, when told that we don't have any. The patron who walk in, have been yelling, and taking it out on us. They aren't even trying to hear that the same information can be found on the schools website.

***When the number of class schedules got low, I set aside two copies for the reference desk*****Patrons get an attitude and don't want to look at those copies either.

Weirdo alert

I went to the reference desk Wednesday afternoon to relieve a co-worker. I was told that another Librarian who had already been relieved was waiting on security. For what you ask........

A female page had been trying to shelve books in the education section and she reported a male patron sitting in a cubicle near the windows. He had his hand down his pants while he watched her shelve. She felt uncomfortable and reported the incident.

The security supervisor finally arrived(a woman) and escorted the patron downstairs. We don't know what happened after that, because rarely do we get follow-up information.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Storm filled Sunday

Spent walking around and waking up people. They were sleeping in aisles, along the walls under the windows, and at tables, out in the open. What's funny is everyone always tries to play it off like they weren't sleeping.

One man was sleeping so hard, that my knocking on the table didn't even stir him. My supervisor then walked over with a large reference book and threw it down on the table twice.

The smells of the library on a rainy day aren't nice at all. Everything seems to be magnified when it's damp, or soaked.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

This situation had me confussed for a while

For about a year, a flaming gentleman would always say "HEY BABY," whenever he saw me. I in turn, would always look at him as if he had lost his marbles. This man is rail thin and dyes his hair "Bozo The Clown" red.

The first time he said, "HEY BABY, HOW'RE YOU DOING TODAY?" to me I was at the reference desk with my supervisor. My supervisor turned to me and said, "Is there something that I've been missing here?"

Finally, two weeks ago, the guy approached me while I was helping a patron at the reference desk. He interrupted the conversation without excusing himself and said, "I NEED SOME HELP AT THE COMPUTER."

I said, "You will have to wait because I'm helping another patron right now."

He said, " Awww Aida, you gon do me like that after everything we've been through."

I said, "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

He said, "Aida(whispering)"

I said, "THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" That's the African American Librarian who works on
on the 4th floor. She is at least 10-15 years older than me.

He walked to the other side of the reference desk and asked the other librarian for help(he wasn't busy anyway.)