Oh Whoa Is Me...

I got to participate in a library sanctioned day of 'hookey' at the local ballpark.  After spending the afternoon at a company picnic and baseball game I returned this morning to the Ref Desk and discovered a pile of research requests in my inbox.  Karma bit me in the a$$ again.  That's what I get for trying to be a 'team' player.

Who Stole My Butterfinger?

Okay people! What is this world coming to when co-workers nab each other's frozen treats?  I stuck a melted candy bar in the fridge and one of my co-workers appropriated it without my knowledge.  There are always enough sweets floating around the library to send any diabetic into shock so why steal my treat? Aargghh!

Nothing But Compliments

I had my mid-year review the other day and I passed with flying colors.  It's so nice to finally be appreciated for who I am and what it is I do.  I can't say that has always been the case here at the Ref Desk. 

Hurry Up and Wait

Hurry up and wait is all I seem to do when I have to rely on other people to 'help' me help others.  Does this bug anyone else?  You try to provide good customer service but sometimes you can't find the answer alone so you contact the 'experts' for help and the so-called experts are always out-of-the-office or otherwise too important to return your call or email.  Geez!

Flattery Will Get You Everywhere, Right?

What does it mean when a patron comes up to the Ref Desk and asks you a million personal questions about why you do what you do?  Is it pity? Is it disgust? Or just bad manners? What compels people to ask why you work as a librarian?  They all know we are lowly paid and disrespected but why do they have to rub our noses in it? 

Repeat Offenders

I know I've mentioned this before but it still grosses me out.  Why do male library patrons always drag the newspaper or a magazine into the bathroom?  Women don't do that. It's disgusting!  It's one thing to do it at home when all  your spreading is  your own cooties but in a public restroom with public access materials.  Yuck! 

No Change - Is That Good or Bad?

My boss returned from vacation yesterday and I'm still doing all the work while she gets caught up on emails.  Is that more reflective on me or her management style?

Pity Party

Why is it when you wake up and don't feel well but you muster the gumption to go work anyway the day always goes by soooooooooooooooooo slow. Is it karma biting me in the a$$ or what?

Last Day of Freedom

Well today is my last day alone in the library.  My supervisor returns on Monday.  I have managed to accomplish a lot while she was gone.  I got all the shelves re-labeled with the proper call numbers; I cleared out and processed all the books stashed in the back office; I processed new orders and did all the research requests for the last two weeks.  My desk is clear.  Now if 5:00 would hurry up and get here...

Shoot For the Moon

Got an obscure request this morning.  Someone wanted a complete glossary of terms used in a particular industry.  Why don't you just shoot for the moon or something?  Sure... I'll get right on that! Compiling thousands upon thousands of terms into one nice, concise email for you to enjoy.  Gimme a break!

The Meaning of Service

I guess some people just don't know the meaning of good service anymore.  I needed to get an ILL ASAP for a VIP and I called the lending library to try and expedite the service and I was answered with a curt reply stating that they were severly understaffed and that they couldn't possibly walk to the microform cabinet, pull a microfiche card and make a mere 17 copies for me without it taking 3-4 days. 

So being the resourceful person that I am I personally drove to the library in question (a mile down the road) and asked for assistance in locating the microform room and the student worker wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to locate the same exact information in the library catalog that I had printed out and presented to her at the beginning of my quest.  She then pointed me in the direction of another library across the vast college campus which should have the journal so I set out on another trek in 95 degree heat to find the elusive journal article. 

The second student was much more helpful but yet again the library did not have the particular year in bound periodical form that I needed.  He ended up referring me to yet another affiliated library at the local hospital.  Rather than suffer heat stroke I decided to forfeit my adventure and return defeated to the Ref Desk. 

So much for going the extra mile.  It only bites you in the a**!

Fire In the Hole

I once retrieved a returned book from the book drop and the whole thing smelled like it was doused in gasoline.  Thank goodness there is no smoking allowed in the library. The whole place would have erupted if someone struck a match.

Did someone save it from a trash pile and decided to turn it in? 

When I called the last known patron to let them know that the book was damaged and beyond repair and that they would have to pay for a replacement copy the woman refused to acknowledge her misdeeds and insisted that she only used her 'gas card' as a bookmark. 

Man Down

The Reference Department just lost a librarian and two part-timers.  Whatever is "Miss Jane" to do?

Off With His Head

"Mr. Sarcasm" is leaving the Reference Department.  Somebody out there was dumb enough to hire him to be a library director.  Good luck people!

Talking to Myself

Talk back people.  It's getting lonely here in blogworld.

Found a Boo Boo

I had a research question today that turned up something curious.  I was trying to locate an article that resulted from a presentation given way back in 1996.  The citation provided was from a reliable and noteworthy source but upon further investigation it turns out that the paper was never presented and the results of the study were never released yet the author and title are clearly noted in the bibliography of this major reference work.

Somebody at the publishing house didn't do their "research".  Verify your sources.

Shame... Shame...

Any Suggestions?

My supervisor took off without helping change the cartridge in the large-scale laminator.  Does anyone know how to get the new roll installed?  I can't even figure out how to take the guard off.  Help!

21st Century Meltdown

I have finally joined the 21st Century, not only do I have an iPhone but my wonderful boyfriend just bought me an iPad.  You can't keep me off the thing.  I've been sucked into the touch screen vortex.  Is there any way out now?

Twiddling My Thumbs

I think I spend the majority of my day waiting for the library catalog to load.  Why can't someone invent a system that doesn't take an eternity to open and move files about?  Aargghhh!