02-20-2005, 04:20 AM
We've got several library stories from the electronic angle, so I'll add a few low-tech stories to the collection.
I'm a library page. I do the gruntwork: loading carts, sorting carts, and shelving books. Since I'm one of the brighter crayons in the box, I often sub for people since I can shelve any collection in the place or run search lists.
It's also written into my job description that I can't talk to the public--I'm supposed to direct any and all questions to the reference desk on each floor. This runs the gamut from "where can I find this book?" to "where are the bathrooms?".
This job has also taught me how to hate people.
me: *pulls reserved books off the shelf and places them on a cart labeled "RESERVES--PLEASE DO NOT CHECK OUT"*
patron: *browses the cart*
me: "Um, ma'am, this is a hold cart, these books aren't for checkout."
patron: "I know, I'm just browsing."
patron: *picks a book off the cart and adds it to her stack*
me: "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I've gotta ask for that book back. See, it's waitlisted for another patron--"
patron: "Oh, but I'm on the waiting list." *takes book and walks away*
--LATER--
me: *checks in full cart of reserves at the front desk and puts them on the hold shelves*
desk assistant: "There was a patron down here earlier who said that she could take a book off the reserve cart. You know you're not supposed to let patrons do that."
me: "But she took the book even though I told her not to!"
desk assistant: "You said she was waitlisted for it and could have it."
me: *headdesk*
Then there's also the fun and joy of obvious questions:
me: *shelving magazines in the flip rack*
patron: "Hey, are those for checkout?"
me: *points to the red binder magazines* "These can't be checked out, but these--"*points to stack beneath binder*"--can be checked out."
patron: "Oh, okay."
patron: *seconds later* "What about these ones in the red folders?"
And there's the quintessential query: "I'm looking for a book." For the love of God, say "I'm looking for a particular book", because if you don't, I might just say...
..."Aren't we all?"
..."Sorry, this is a delicatessen. The library's down the street."
..."Really? The last seven people who talked to me were looking for books too!"
..."Here you go." *hands patron a random book*
...*southern accent* "I'm looking for beer and porn and I ain't been finding what I'm lookin' fer either."
I'm a library page. I do the gruntwork: loading carts, sorting carts, and shelving books. Since I'm one of the brighter crayons in the box, I often sub for people since I can shelve any collection in the place or run search lists.
It's also written into my job description that I can't talk to the public--I'm supposed to direct any and all questions to the reference desk on each floor. This runs the gamut from "where can I find this book?" to "where are the bathrooms?".
This job has also taught me how to hate people.
me: *pulls reserved books off the shelf and places them on a cart labeled "RESERVES--PLEASE DO NOT CHECK OUT"*
patron: *browses the cart*
me: "Um, ma'am, this is a hold cart, these books aren't for checkout."
patron: "I know, I'm just browsing."
patron: *picks a book off the cart and adds it to her stack*
me: "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I've gotta ask for that book back. See, it's waitlisted for another patron--"
patron: "Oh, but I'm on the waiting list." *takes book and walks away*
--LATER--
me: *checks in full cart of reserves at the front desk and puts them on the hold shelves*
desk assistant: "There was a patron down here earlier who said that she could take a book off the reserve cart. You know you're not supposed to let patrons do that."
me: "But she took the book even though I told her not to!"
desk assistant: "You said she was waitlisted for it and could have it."
me: *headdesk*
Then there's also the fun and joy of obvious questions:
me: *shelving magazines in the flip rack*
patron: "Hey, are those for checkout?"
me: *points to the red binder magazines* "These can't be checked out, but these--"*points to stack beneath binder*"--can be checked out."
patron: "Oh, okay."
patron: *seconds later* "What about these ones in the red folders?"
And there's the quintessential query: "I'm looking for a book." For the love of God, say "I'm looking for a particular book", because if you don't, I might just say...
..."Aren't we all?"
..."Sorry, this is a delicatessen. The library's down the street."
..."Really? The last seven people who talked to me were looking for books too!"
..."Here you go." *hands patron a random book*
...*southern accent* "I'm looking for beer and porn and I ain't been finding what I'm lookin' fer either."
UPDATE: Spamblaster.