Pet peeve

I'm sure this annoys anyone who deals with the public on any level. We close at 6:00pm on Mondays.

I watched the patron exit the elevator onto the floor at 5:45pm. He made a point to walk around the reference desk. At 5:55pm, just as the closing announcement was being broadcast, the patron approached the reference desk. He asked if I would help him find a book. I said, "You just had to wait until 5 minutes before closing?" He replied, "I thought I could find it on my own."

I look up the call number for the book, and it's a reference book. I informed the patron that he wouldn't be able to check that book out, but I told his where it was located. He then asked me to look up another book. That book was one that he could checkout. I took him to the shelf and handed him the book. I informed him that he needed to hurry up, if he intended to check the book out. He decided to browse the book. I then watched him return the book to the shelf at 5:59pm, and select another book.

He was looking for books on the occult. This happens to be the my order area. There is a high theft rate for books on that subject. The bulk of the books have been made reference because of this.

Finals month

It seems as if that's how long finals last. Sundays are classic for elementary/middle school/high school/college students to approach the reference desk. They request help in finding books related to their topic/assignment.

In actuality, they want us to find the books/articles, and point out the information needed. Some even want us to narrow their broad subject. When it is explained that we don't do that, we get blank stares. You hear all of us repeating the same thing over and over, "We can show you where the information is, but it isn't our job to find everything."

Using the computers, they always seem to need more that 1 hour because they can't complete everything during that time.

This past Sunday, a patron asked me how to save something in his email. I explained to him how to copy and paste. He gave me the classic BLANK STARE! Of course, when he approached me for help, he only had 5 minutes left on the computer. I copied the document and pasted into a new email. I told him to type an identifier in the subject line and save it as a draft. I pointed to the save as a draft tab. Two minutes later, the patron ran over to me and said, "I don't know what happened, it just disappeared."
I went over and it was gone, but the word document was still there. Time was running out, so I got a flash drive and tried to save it, but there wasn't enough time.
This man turned on me that quick and said, "I DON'T KNOW WHY THESE COMPUTERS CUT OFF AND ERASE INFORMATION. I GO TO THE ART INSTITUTE AND THE COMPUTERS STAY ON THERE."

I said, "My only advice to you is to come back tomorrow and ask for help earlier."
His response, "I'M NEVER COMING TO THIS LIBRARY AGAIN!"

At the same time this was going on, another patron was yelling at my co-worker because it takes money to retrieve a print job. She wanted to know why she couldn't pay with a debit or credit card. She also said the she should have been informed before she began using the computer, that she would have to pay for her print jobs with a copy card. My co-worker said, "We aren't mind readers!"

What a week

And it's not over yet.

It began last Thursday, May 6,2010

A local news reporter was touring my floor. Accompanying her were a camera man, the library's public liaison, and the social worker.
They found a man at one of the study tables along the wall. He just happened to be pleasuring himself. Security was called and everything from the confrontation to the man being escorted to the security office was filmed. I'm sure that the library will be exposed on television soon.

Sunday May 9, 2010
The staff toilets were working, but we couldn't use the sinks.
We were told to wash our hands in the kitchenette sink.

A patron was banging the computer mouse on the table and cursing the computer.
He was upset because he couldn't use the computer(it had been booked by someone else.)
I told him that he could use an express terminal(there was a line.)
He told me that if he felt like waiting, he would have reserved a computer.

He then went over to the express computers and jumped the line. Security was called.
When the officer arrived, the man didn't like what he was told. He sucker punched the officer. They began to tussle, and the officer put him in a choke hold.

Monday May 10,2010

We arrived to work and were told the only working restrooms were on the 1st and lower level. We couldn't run any water at all. We were told it would only last 30 minutes. An hour later, they sent an email saying everything had been repaired EXCEPT the 3rd floor. We had to wait until the afternoon. That afternoon,
the toilets were back working, but the sinks only had cold water.

As of today, May 19, 2010, the staff restroom sinks are still running just cold water. We were told that a replacement part was ordered for the sinks.

This is your reference question, really?

Caller: What day is cinco de mayo?

Me: May 5th, today!

Caller: It's always been May 5th?

Me: Yes

Caller: Always, even in the 70's

Me: Yes, even in the 70's

My Co-worker has jokes!

I had a staycation April 22- May 1st. As I approached my cubicle this morning, my co-worker asked me, "Are you HAPPY to be back at work?". I replied, "That was not nice."