I caught her in the act today

Almost everytime that I have a perfect desk schedule, there's a floor supervisor who will rearrange it so that mine sucks and hers is glowing.

You see, I'm late almost everyday(that says something about my feelings for my job, I know.) It's usually somewhere in between 5-15 minutes. Today, the bus driver was working in my favor. She was on time and she went the speed limit(she's usually early and I miss the bus.)

Well this supervisor takes advantage of my not being at my desk. Meaning, she doesn't have to ask me about any schedule changes. Today I went to check the schedule and she had just switched me with her. I said, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" She said, "AND WHY CAN'T I?" I then told her that I was scheduled to work in another department during the timeslot that she wanted me to be on the reference desk.

Instead of taking my word for it, she had to double check what I said. After she saw the written proof that she was in the wrong, she said, "Oh f**k, I guess I have to work that hour afterall."

A continuation of the patron incidents from last week

Last Thursday, my co-worker informed a patron that he was sitting in a designated teen area and he had to move.
The policy is that an adult must be accompanied by a teen, when sitting in the
teen area.

Okay, no biggie. The man then came over to me and said, " I want to know that librarian's name because I'm going to write a letter to the city librarian." My co-worker then came over to where we were and said, "We don't give out our names, but you can have my badge number."

The patron stated, "YOU HAVE A BAD ATTITUDE" and walked away. We thought nothing of the incident, because it happens all of the time.

Sunday when I arrived to work, my supervisor asked me about the incident. He wanted to know if it was me or my co-worker that the patron was complaining about. I told him what happened.

He then explained to me that the patron did send a complaint letter to the city librarian and he now had to appologize to the patron.

My co-worker followed proceedure, but because a complaint was made to the city librarian, the patron now has to receive an appology. He also needs to be reassured that my co-worker will be reprimanded.

Another problem caller

Thursday evening 2 times, I returned to the reference desk and heard my co-worker say, "I'M NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU YELL AND CURSE AT ME." She would then hang up the telephone.

10 minutes passed. A clerk calls, I answered, he began yelling, "YEAH, IT'S THAT PATRON AGAIN"

I stopped him mid sentence and said, "I haven't spoken to you or that patron today, so I don't know what you're referring to. Just transfer the patron."

The patron starts in, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS". I stopped her and said, " I didn't speak with you earlier and I don't need a recap of what happened. I just need to know the titles of the books that you're looking for." Only 1 title ended up being circulating.
I put the book on hold for her. She then asked, "Can you transfer me to the manager for Information Services, because I didn't yell, or curse at anyone."

I transferred the call.

Who knew

If you act a fool on the telephone, you get results.

Wednesday, I heard my co-woker tell a patron via telephone that she has fines and they need to be resolved before she can check out a book.
The patron had requested that a book be placed on hold. My co-worker explained to the patron that she'd had to override the block on her record. My co-worker then told the patron where she could pick-up the book. The patron was yelling and screaming so loud, she didn't even hear what was being said.

My co-worker hung up the telephone as the patron was in the middle of her rant.

The patron called back and she was transfered to our floor. My co-worker said, "I'm not speaking to her again!"

I picked up the call, and the caller was trying to play the innocent victim. "Yeah, you hung up the the telephone in my face without even telling me where I could pick up the book."

I said, "I didn't hang up on you, and she did tell you where the book would be."

Patron: "If you didn't speak to me, how do you know what I'm talking about?"

I told her that I was standing at the desk when she called. The patron then began another rant, "I want her name and I want to speak with the manager. If the manager isn't available, then I want to speak with whoever's in charge!"
I put the patron on hold, so that I could transfer the call. She hung up.

This happened two more times.

Thursday afternoon, we found out that she had complained to the Chief of the Main's office, and her fines disappeared in the process.

The Vapors Patron returns

Yesterday her issue was the library's windows. They don't open, we need ventilation, and fire exits. I told her that the windows don't open, but we do have a ventilation system. She then said, "Well the windows in city hall open!" I said, "City Hall is a much older building. This building opened in 1996." She then stated, "There are city regulations that say buildings must have windows that open and fire escapes."

I said, "Well you need to take that complaint to city hall." She then asked for one of the library's comment/complaint forms.

After completing the form, she said to me, "No make sure that you give that to the correct person."

To be appreciated

An elderly woman approached me at the reference desk and said, "I'm not too good with new technology". I asked her what she was looking for.
She told me that she only had 80% of her hearing. I asked, "What is it that you're looking for?". She put the books that she had in her hands on the counter and said, "I need you to make some copies for me."
I stopped her by saying, "Oh, no, I don't do that. You need to go over to the page desk, which is across from the copy room.". She learned onto the counter and said, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?". I wrote page desk on a piece of paper and pointed in the direction she needed to go. She then said, "OH, THAT'S NOT A PART OF YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION, EXCUSE ME FOR OFFENDING YOU!"

As she walked away, I thought, "You can't hear, but you knew exactly what I said."


An old man was after her. He told me I wasn't listening to him. I told him the search terms that he needed to use for an online catalog search. I let him finish rambling, and the same terms were needed for the search. I also told him that he wouldn't find the books he wanted on the 3rd floor. I showed him the titles and he wanted me to print out each one he was interested in. I finally explained to him that all of the books are shelved near each other upstairs.


I helped a woman who was looking for books with information about harems. I asked her if she had done a keyword or subject search. She told me that she had done every type of search and wasn't able to find anything.
I asked her what country did she want? She told me whichever one had results. I did two keyword searches and found quite a few books.
She said, "I need to learn your search skills."

Are evil thoughts okay?

This evening, I had to wake a patron who had fallen asleep while at one of the internet computers.
I knocked on the table near him, he didn't budge. I took a reference book from the index table and threw it down on the table near the patron. He still didn't budge. I walked toward the reference desk(I was going to call security,) and one of the observers yelled that the patron had finally awakened.
I returned to the patron's side and told him that he had slept through his internet session and needed to move.

Instead of believing me, the patron continued to sit in front of the computer. He was trying to log in and use the time that he slept through.

While trying to wake the patron, I thought, "Now if I kick him, he'll wake up and I'll be in the wrong!"

Our Library has vapors

That's what a patron told me yesterday. She proceeded to explain to my that she could see the vapors. She also said that in order for me to view them, I had to take pictures with the camera set on natural light exposure. This is when she pulled from her many backpacks, pictures of things like trees, the side of a house, and a toilet. All of the pictures had the glare of light.

I listened with grave difficulty. I was trying so hard not to laugh in that womans face. I just kept nodding and looking at her as if she had lost her mind. Thankyfully, she finally said, "OKAY, you have a good day now and walked away."

What I learned today

While in the Government Documents Department, a patron who frequents my floor had just left the reference desk when I arrived. The other librarians were saying how much humor they get out of their interactions with him. He has given one the name of Glorious Librarian, the other he gave a police badge sticker and she's a Sargent Librarian.

They asked me if I had any experience with him on my floor. I told them yes, and it's never as pleasant as theirs. I explained that whenever he approaches me at the reference desk, I can't understand what he's saying. I'm always asking him to explain slowly, what he is saying. He ends up grunting at me and walking away. He then rolls his eyes at the reference desk every time that he walks by afterward.

Well, the GIC Librarians told me that I must never try to figure out what he is saying. They said that I must just nod in agreement with everything that he is saying. When he is done, he will ask, "Do I have permission to leave?" I must tell him yes, and he will walk away quietly.

I failed to mention that he wears some type of foreign service uniform, topcoat and all daily.