Budget cuts and staffing

As a result of my library system's budget cuts and hiring freeze, they've developed the concept of cross-training. The line in the manager's minutes read, We will begin cross training in all departments.

What it should have read is, Librarian's from the 3rd floor will be training in all departments lacking sufficient staff. Yours truly is the victim of this scam. I was told that the Chief wanted me to cross-train in the Government Information Center. That isn't the case, my supervisor volunteered me. This is the department with the most vacancies. I'm told that the staff are treated as if they work in a factory.

My first day of training was today. Everyone was all smiles and played nice.

Someone wrote what a lot of us would love to SREAM

My Mom sent me this link the other day. I thought those of you who read my blog would enjoy this. I've also passed it on to a few librarian friends of mine.

http://librarianavengers.org/worship-2


The link isn't working, so here's the post. Over at the website, they have a great graffic includes with the post.


Why you should fall to your knees and worship a librarian
k, sure. We’ve all got our little preconceived notions about who librarians are and what they do.

Many people think of librarians as diminutive civil servants, scuttling about “Sssh-ing” people and stamping things. Well, think again buster.

Librarians have degrees. They go to graduate school for Information Science and become masters of data systems and human/computer interaction. Librarians can catalog anything from an onion to a dog’s ear. They could catalog you.

Librarians wield unfathomable power. With a flip of the wrist they can hide your dissertation behind piles of old Field and Stream magazines. They can find data for your term paper that you never knew existed. They may even point you toward new and appropriate subject headings.

People become librarians because they know too much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines. Librarians are all-knowing and all-seeing. They bring order to chaos. They bring wisdom and culture to the masses. They preserve every aspect of human knowledge. Librarians rule. And they will kick the crap out of anyone who says otherwise.

Public schools have only been out for 1 week

I'm ready for summer to be over already! There's a group of three boys ages 11-13 who have been pressing their luck. I had them escorted out of the library last Wednesday. They were arguing with me, trying to tell me what the library rules are. They did what they wanted, after I informed them of the rules on our floor. They were arguing with each other. I called security because of other patrons. The responding officer saw the three boys and decided to observe them. He then asked me what happened. After explaining that they refussed to follow rules, they were told to leave.

Thursday, two librarins spoke to two of the same boys on two different occassions. They had girls with them. They were teasing the girls and throwing books at them. All involved were told to separate. All they did was return an hour later, when the desk staff changed. My supervisor when to verify what they were told. They noticed him eyeing them and left the floor.

Early this afternoo, they were kicked out for identity theft( it was discovered that they were using multiple library card numbers to aCcess the internet.)

Time away

I made the decision last month, to begin taking one vacation day per month. Sometimes I feel as if I need a break from the patrons and my co-workers. I put my request in for 6 months of one day vacations, and it was approved.

It's very rare that I take a vacation day, and 1 week of vacation almost never happens. The biggest obstacle is my co-workers. They block up months in advance in the vacation calendar book.

Last Thursday, my co-worker(who talks LOUDLY and sits in the cubicle adjacent to mine,) came to my desk with the vacation book. She said, "If by any chance you decide not to take October 26th off, can you let me know because I plan to go on vacation that week. Before she finished her spiel, I said no. I then told her that I'm taking one day per month off.

This woman calls in sick three out of the four Tuesdays every month. Her work schedule is Tuesday - Saturday. As she was talking to me, I was thinking that she just needs to work the other three Tuesdays that month, so she can call in sick on the 26th. We already know that she won't be in to work that day.