Blogger problems and new posts

For two weeks straight, each time I tried to log onto blogger so that I could create new posts, I was stuck at the login page. I kept telling myself that I would try from home, but you know how that can go. Since I am at home for a while, I decided to try blogger from home. Well, I can create post, but not much else.

I had no idea that people did this

Last Monday, October 15th, a man and a woman approached the reference desk. They looked to be no more than 19 years of age. They debated who would ask the question. The female finally said, " My job said for me to come to the library and get a book that will tell me how to talk to people, can you help me?" I was shocked, but I proceeded to search the catalog. I am sure that the expression on my face showed what I was thinking because the woman then asked me, "Do you think that you can find something like that in the library?" I told her that I am sure I could find some work etiquette books. I found two books and then the female patron dropped the bomb, "We need two books each." So I returned to the online catalog and continued the search. I finally found something that was about dealing with a$$holes in the workplace. They were so happy, they asked for that call number and they were off in search of the book.

I hate copycats

I am having trouble with blogger today, but at least I am able to post. I'll give you the background first. I had been having problems with my knee, the P.A. gave me a cane because she said I was at risk for a fracture. Now, with that said, on to the incident. I went to work on Tuesday October 9th and everyone one was as normal as they usuallly are. I missed work Wednesday October 10th because of a medical appointment. When I returned to work on Thursday October 11th, the woman who had been making snide remarks regarding my use of a cane, arrived at work with what? A cane. The other hypochondriac on our floor also had a cane. The first thing that I asked my boss is, "Can't I have anything by myself?" His response, "NO."

Security in the building

My first hour on the reference desk this morning; the head of security was making the rounds, introducing the new hire. Only, he's not so new to working for this City & County. His prior post from which I recognized him, was working the door at the downtown police precinct.

Why did dude circle back without his boss and ask me the same tired line that he would ask each and everytime that I saw him when I went to jury duty, get my car out of impound, file a hit & run report, you name it. "Did you go to high school in the city?" I had to stop the madness!!!

My response, " You ask me that each and every time that you see me! YES, I did, I.C.A."

That usually shuts him down because it is an all girls catholic high school. And no, I didn't go to school with him, nor did he do security at my high school.

This fool had the nerve to say, "Well, if you already knew me, why didn't you ask how I have been when my boss introduced us?"

He kept talking, but I said, " Nope, Umph, Umph, not." [ala NewNew] I didn't even hear the rest of whatever he was saying because I had tuned him out.

Today's adventures

I had the luxury of a four day weekend. Well, we all know that you find little surprises after being gone for a while.

We have e-mail suggestions and e-mail reference questions. Lucky for me, the floor manager is the person who assigns the items.

The first question I received, the guy asks if he can get a list of all of the poetry books purchased by the library this year. Our fiscal year is from July 1st until June 30th of the following year. We purchase books every month. For me to answer this question, I had to review all books purchased for the last fiscal year and the first three months of this one. Each month, we make two list, one of new books and one of replacement books. I spent two hours cutting and pasting the poetry titles from all list.

That was a behind the scenes question.

The desk question:

Caller: I am trying to locate information for an actor.

Me: Did you try searching the IMBD website?

Caller: That really doesn't give any information.

Me: What's the actor's name?

Caller: Well, it's a relative of mine and I'm nosey, so I just want to know what is available.

Me: What's the actor's name?

Caller: I called your library because I figured you are located in a liberal city and the librarians
wouldn't judge.
Me: What's the actor's name? I am only asking so that I can conduct a search to see what I can
find.
Caller: Well, its an um, um, an adult film star. I actually live in the midwest and I use my local
library all of the time, but they wouldn't search anything like this.

Me: OOOkay, so what's the name? [He was still trying to tell me how much they judge people
at his local library] I was thinking that they probably just look at him sideways.

Caller: Donita Dunes. She's a distant cousin and my sister calls me to tell me the family gossip.
I just want to know what is out there about her.
Well, I did a g***le search and found her website. I closed the website before it finished loading because of the racy pictures. I told the caller this.

Caller: I just want her contact information. You know, her agent, or her publist.

I tried a specific search for the contact information and was able to get the website address for the booking agency. I told the caller and he hung up the telephone so fast.

He lost me for a minute

Last Monday, September 17th, I was helping a patron who seemed to have suffered a stroke. He seemed to be paralyzed on one side of his body and had difficulty speaking. He also used a walker.
I was finally able to piece together that he wanted to use one of the internet computers. I found a vacant one in the back. I chose one near the exit aisles because I thought that would be easier for him.

About 12 minutes later, he approached the desk again. This time, he was complaining that he wasn't able to log onto the computer and for me to,"Juuus commme!" I went back there and he was trying to log onto a different computer, and he was still logged onto the first computer. I tried to explain this to him a few times. Well, he kept telling me,"NO." Finally, I simply logged him off myself and told him that after a few seconds, he should be able to log onto whichever terminal he wanted.

Ten more minutes passed and he was back at the reference desk again. He said, "Man wwwith bbbaaaagg STINKS, IIIII mmmmovvveee." I simply said okay. I finally ended up booking him a computer for the next hour on a different floor. This was after thirty minutes of back and forth.

Same stuff every single day

We've been experiencing the same complaints on a daily basis for the past three weeks. You see, the library is still in the process of renovation on the first floor.

The renovation process has moved into the second phase. This means that the new fiction stacks are gone. The new DVD stacks are gone. The express internet computers are gone.

Now, the new books are mixed in with the older works of fiction. The problems occur when we (the staff) are trying to explain the changes to the patrons. Because the bank of express computers had to be removed, there are now more express computers on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors.

Often, patrons walk away while I am in the middle of explaining the new changes. Others yell, " NOW, Whose BRIGHT IDEA was this, because it surely isn't working."

Out of the mouths of librarians

Staff meeting: While waiting for the meeting to begin, somehow the conversation turned to how
expensive hair cuts are.

Pt. Librarian, "Well, I cut my own hair and I guess that I've saved hundreds of
dollars over time." [we now know why she rocks a bad high top
fade with a duck tail]

Monthly services meeting: I was showing a fellow librarian a delightful find, Band Aid's Blister
Block. She commented that she has a hard time finding wide shoes.

Another librarian blurted, "That's why I shop at Pay*ess, they have
wide shoes in all kinds of styles."

The conversation paused......then we changed the subject.

This morning, my first hour on the reference desk. My co-worker annouces as she approached the desk, "I'm still HIGH from yesterday!" [She called in sick yesterday, saying that she was going to the emergency room to receive a morphine shot for her migraine.]

So this is how it ends today

It is my last hour on the reference desk and I have spent it listening to a patron read the World Atlas out loud. I have wanted to say something, but I realize that may be the only way that he is able to read.

Man..............these people

So, I am sitting at the reference desk minding my own business, reading somebody's blog.

A patron marched up to the desk, threw a book at me and said,"I HOPE THIS LIBRARY HAS A CHRISTIANS FOR DUMMIES book, or a PROTESTANT FOR DUMMIES book, because just having an ISLAM FOR DUMMIES book isn't right.

I respond,"I'm sure we do sir, would you like for me to check?"

Patron: "YEAH, YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK THAT OUT!!!! IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT IF THERE IS ONLY A 'ISLAM FOR DUMMIES' BOOK"

So as I began to search the online catalog, the fool stormed off.

Yesterday afternoon, this woman yelled at me because HER book wasn't on the shelf. As if I personally walked over and removed her book form the shelf, just so she wouldn't have the pleasure of walking in here and seeing her work on the shelf.

I went through the trouble of searching high and low for that book. I finally found in on a book truck in the back, waiting to be reshelved. I took the book to her and handed it to her. The witch had the nerve to tell me, " I didn't want the book, I just wanted to make sure that it was here! Why are you giving it to me, do you want me to reshelve it?"

She went on to say that when she came in the day before, they told her it was missing. She said that she located the book on the shelf and removed it, so that she could show them( the page desk staff) that it was still in the library. Hence the reason why the book was sitting on a book truck in the back waiting to be reshelved.

That is the point where my supervisor took over. He told the patron that she was wrong for yelling at me and it would not be tolerated.

Random stories for today

This morning, in the span of 10 minutes I was told this by two different patrons.

1. African American female in her late forties: " Sharon and Bob stole my credit card information from one of the branch libraries and were buying sex with it. You know you can't buy sex in Antioch"

I couldn't respond, I was laughing so hard.

2. Anglo male was having trouble booking a computer at one of the branch libraries. I told him
log out of his record and I would help him book a computer at the reference desk. As I am
helping him, he said, " All of the staff at the branch library are CRAZY!" This was right after
he told me that while he was speaking to some police officers, they told him he was crazy
because his face was swollen.

I turned to my co-worker and asked him, "What is it that I am doing because they just keep
approaching me?"

Cravings can sometimes get the best of us

This afternoon, I felt the urge for a piece of chocolate. I was too lazy to ride the public transportation so that I could get See's Candy, Godiva, or Tom's Cookies. I decided to walk to Walgreen's and kill two birds with one stone, pick up a gallon of water and some chocolate.

As I was walking toward the corner, I noticed men dressed in black leather. I forgot the Folsem Street Fair is this weekend. Well, I received an eye full. Leather vest, chaps, and g-string. Just what I needed for an afternoon wake-up call. I was so upset with myself because had I remembered what this weekend is, I would have stayed inside. I now know why parking was kind of tight this morning.

My July end notes for this week

Today will mark the second loss for my department. Two weeks ago one of the four supervisors retired. Today, the supervisor who just came back from Medical Leave is retiring. No announcement, no group e-mail, no cake, cookies, or juice. I don't even think he will get a formal goodbye.

On to my reference desk story.

I caught the usual juvenile suspects trying to hack into the system via the online catalog and database terminals.

Next up

Ghetto Love, they parked themselves at the online catalog next to the reference desk. I wouldn't have noticed, but they began fighting over some red juice. I informed them that the drink wasn't allowed in the library.

Ol' chicky decided that she wanted to get smart. "I'm pregnant, so I need this and proceeds to pop the top and chug."

My reply whispered in her ear because I didn't want to put her on blast, " Then you need to go to the lower level to the restaurant and have that drink!"

Not fifteen minutes later.

I hear Ghetto Love arguing with an anglo patron who had asked them to lower their voices. They went on and on, telling him where and how he could stick it. I sensed that he was heading to the reference desk to request back-up because they were LOUD.

I called security. Why is it that they came two deep. When we really need security because things are looking dangerous, they send one lone ragged guard.

Security's response, " They are on the catalogs and they are arguing????" I relayed the incident to them. They spoke to Ghetto Love, who returned to their post at the catalog afterward. Soon afterward, the anglo departed.

Here we go folks my library stab at the tag

Minoority Reporter didn't really tag me, but she listed my blog as one of the ones that she reads. So in honor of her, I am going to take a stab at answering this tag. My twist will be that I will try to apply my answers to the library.

The Rules

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of you blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Here we go: 8 Things you don't know about me.

1. I made my decision to obtain a Masters in Library Science during my first day of on the job
training for the Department of Human Services Non-Assistance Food Stamp Eligibility Worker.

2. I received my MLS in 1998 from Clark Atlanta University.

3. I worked part-time as a librarian for 5 years before finally taking a full-time gig.

4. This blog was started as a way to vent. Working as a Children's librarian is no joke.

5. I work with a lot of bitter, selfish librarians! ( I had a friend say that she thought all
librarians were giving and helpful---NOT)

6. I chose to become a librarian because I found myself always talking to random people
about books and what they should read (I am always reading for pleasure and nosy people
are always asking me about what I am reading)

7. Some days, I don't want to be bothered with most of my co-workers.

8. I am constantly looking for another job.

Half of the people I wanted to tag have already been hit.

Can you imagine work without the access to a computer? That is what my days now consist of. During the time that I am on the reference desk, I have access to a computer. All that behind the scenes actual work and internet surfing, that is a thing of the past, at least for the next two weeks.



30 people are supposed to share four terminals. They forgot to factor in the hogs. The staff members who think the computers are there for them and only them.

People don't listen

I hate when you take the time to explain to someone exactly what they need to do. They then come back to you, saying there is a problem. You go over with them what they needed to do and they turn around and tell you that you didn't tell them that is what they needed to do.

When I turned around and explained exactly what I said word for word, chic go an attitude. She couldn't say that I was wrong, so she told me that my breath stank. I just had two altoids, so I knew that she was lying.

Medical Leave

A supervisor in my department returned to work yesterday, after 1 month of medical leave. Somehow, he now has a new work schedule that begins at noon. When the said supervisor arrived at work and saw that he was scheduled to work the reference desk for three hours, he had a fit. He called the head of the library and proclaimed that he was not supposed to work the reference desk.

Meanwhile, this department has been stressed during his one month leave because we are also short two additional positions.

So as a result of his rant, the five of us who were here, were forced to work an extra hour on the reference desk.

Yesterday the head of our department was out sick. Today, the big boss is here and ol' boy is as quiet as a mouse.

I left work frustrated. We had behind the scenes mess, in addition to the regular drama we get from the patrons.

I understand workplace violence

I really, really do.

Patron via telephone: "Yeah, I want to know how to pronounce a word.
pareidolia"
I put the patron on hold and looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary, it wasn't there. I looked in the online database, it wasn't there. I searched www.dictionary.com, it wasn't there. Dictionary.com did refer me to their encyclopedia.

I told the patron that I didn't find it in any of the dictionary.

The patron said, "You can't find it on the internet?"

I looked at the online encyclopedia. So I tell the patron what I think the pronunciation is. He proceeds to tell me exactly what the encyclopedia entry says and then wants to debate my interpretation. I gave the call to my co-worker(who ended up siding with me.)

I REALLY WANTED TO PULL THAT MAN THROUGH THE TELEPHONE!!!!!

My funny story for the day

I don't know about you, but I hate when I return to work after a few days off and find something on my desk.

When it's mail, I think, "Now what did they send now!" Because most of the time the branches
will send a book or books that they want to discard. They don't want it in their collection anymore, but feel that it is needed here.

I also receive stacks of books that the clerk has been stock piling on her desk. She waits for my off days to deposit the books on my desk. I guess she is afraid that I will complain. I would prefer that she give me the books as they are given to her, but I think it is a little too late to change habits. I get the books that fall in my selection area that have been damaged in some way.

Today's mail waiting for me: A galley copy of America Needs A Woman President by Brett Bevell. I am used to seeing a bound galley copy. This copy is loose pages held together by a paperclip. They have also advised that the book is available for pre-order on www.amazon.com.

Brett Bevell sent the copy himself, why am I not surprised!!!!!

Of all days, I fail to wear the "ring."

I have a QVC Diamonique and Yellow Gold Wedding Set that I wear while at work. The need for this arose when I first began my career as a librarian. In the community college libraries, young men from 18-32 would make passes, ask me out, etc.

I began wearing a 2 carat engagement ring. When I began working full-time in the public library, I purchased the wedding set. It is a 3 carat solitare with a 1/2 carat of surrounding bagets, and a 1 carat band.

I forgot to wear it ALL DAY today. No problems, until the last hour on the desk. A man who has made passes in the past decided to try a full court press today. He was drunk and you know alcohol brings out the truth, courage, or whatever you want to call it.

He says, "You're married huh!!"

Me, "Yes."

Him, "You lie, where's your ring."

Me, "I left it in the back."

Him, "Tell your husband that I said he is a lucky man, so he won't get mad at me for making a
pass at you."

Me, " I will, as soon as I return to my desk."

Him, "I am really attracted to you because you are real. You are the type of woman that I need. You know I have money."

Me, " What did you do today?"

He continued to tell me how much he is attracted to me. Finally, I tell him, "You still haven't
answered the question that I asked you."

Him, "What did you ask me?"

So, I asked him again.

He says, " I have been drinking."

I respond, " I know."

He asks, "How did you know?"

I tell him, " I can smell it on your breath."

Him, "That is embarrassing."