Librarian Ire

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Security!


I'm not quite sure, but I think there was just an attempt on my life. One of the administrative support staff rolled around in a vat of perfume then came into my office to yabber at me. I stopped breathing and would have lost consciousness if a large group of students had not walked by at that second and created enough of a draft to allow me to fight my way out of the office! Looks like I'll be spending the morning at the front desk until I can trick one of my students into testing the office air.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Lazy gene found in Library goers.

(Rooters) Basement room, ivory tower. Results of a recent study have shown that people who use the library may be lazy. The study examined the habits of those using the library compared with those seen other places around. Researchers came to the conclusion that library goers were indeed a lazy lot.

"This study just confirms what I've always said, patrons are lazy bastards" Librarian Nike replied in response to the results of the study. The results measured things like use of the handicap door - 9 out of 10 library goers would push the handicap button to have the door automatically opened for them instead of opening the door for themselves - and retrieval of books - 8 out of 10 library goers would spend time logging onto a computer, filling out a long request form for a book, waiting for the library staff to receive the request and walk the 15 feet to the shelf, pull it, and process the request, all of which takes upwards of 2 days. In comparison, it was found, only 2 out of 10 mall goers pushed the handicap button and only 1 out of 10 people at the grocery store tried to convince staff to shop for them.

This study is sure to provide much to debate for genetists and robot scientists, but doesn't really impress librarians. Librarian Loki believes the study was a big waste of time and money: "What, they couldn't just look in the building and see all the people sprawled out sleeping and slouching along dragging their feet to tell they're lazy? I sure could have used that guy counting the people hitting the handicap button to dust the bookshelves!" It would seem in this case that science has proven it still has much to learn.

Friday, February 17, 2006

New horizons, same old idiots

I am bettering myself this semester, yet again. This time no on-line classes with wine and music. Oh woe.
This is a class that is offered by my work that they happily agreed, nay, insisted that I take.
It's a fun library class. (Okay that sounds like an oxymoron) But it is really.
Mostly because I know most of the answers. But there are problems.
My fellow classmates oh so lively.
In a two and a half hour class the five of them can maybe string 2 sentences together.
Maybe I am too hard on them. Maybe they are stupid and really don't know the answers. But when they offer multiple choices you can just pick one.
And this week one of my classmates (Mr. C. for clueless) came in and started to ask me all sorts of questions about the homework. Where do you find this database? Where did you find the answer to number 3? Show me how to use the internet again.
I showed him the links that the assignment gave us and told him how to use the OPAC and even gave pointers. But that's not good enough. He wanted me to actually do his assignment for him. Oh he didn't say that. But after 20 minutes of the same questions like What database did you use? And what was your answer to this? And my personal favorite--"Show me how to get to the New York Times" I refused.
Okay, I get paid to know this stuff. And yes I am expected to help patrons with questions. But if you are taking a class on how to use the library you should actually make an effort to USE the library!!!!!!

Important Website

Check out the Chilling Effect Clearinghouse.

The cease & desist letters people have gotten are very scary. The things companies and persons (from the letters) are trying to go after is frightening. This is a great site to go to find out what's going on in regards copyright & cyberspace.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Ok. What the hell?

Just in the restroom. [Why do frightening things happen in there?] While I was in there, but not near or in line for the faucet, if you get my trying to be discreet meaning, another girl turned on the water to wash her hands. It was running. Then she walked over to the hand dryer... water STILL running. Used the hand dryer, opened the door and left. She kept the water faucet running!

What. In. The. Hell?

Its not broken, its not super quiet, if I'd had my stupid stick I would have chased her down and let her have it!

Stupid stick v.3

I have blogged about one of the new students before. Ms. Stripes. After this most recent episode I have to conclude even a marathon beating with the stupid stick won't help.
Read and see if you don't agree.

I sent her to pick up and bring back loose books. People do tend to leave things all over. And then complain they can't find stuff. I also wanted her to shelve in the reference room. It's been quiet overall, so I figured it would take her 30 minutes. I sent her on this easy errand about an hour before closing time. She came back at 10 minutes after closing. With no books and an empty book cart.
Then she wanted to check out a book. What the hell? She knew we were closed. I turned off the lights!
Big hint, girlie.
Do they make stupid tazers? Cause with her I am thinking we need to update the technology.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Are you a big fiction reader?

A database I am in love with Fiction Connection!

So much fun if you're a big fiction reader. I love the "find similar" - finally a new list of authors I haven't heard of and need to try! For a short time, life is good.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Someone hasn't quite gotten the point

When they use a scanner to create a seperate pdf for each page. I think the old fashion copier would better serve you guy.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Student woes

I am missing something here. We had to hire a new student because one of the good ones(why do they always go MIA?) had to stop working.
This new student, while cheerful and an industrious scholar, has little clue about working.
Case in point. She(let's call her Stripes after her hair style) has yet to finish filling out her paperwork. Stripes has worked here without getting paid for 3 weeks now. While that's good for us budget-wise, the red tapers don't like that.
Every time she comes in she asks another question about her paperwork. It's not hard! Fill it out, bring it in the next day and if you have questions ask them then!
And when you tell her that the AA will be in the next day to process her forms she disappears for a week.

Dr. Nathan needs a lesson in body language. Picture it. The circ desk, last week. Here he is sitting at the circ desk 'working' but he is actually hunched over his book. He's practically in the fetal position. With all due apologies to turtles that's what he reminded me of.
Then someone comes up to the desk wanting help. Dr. N. doesn't even see him. This is not good customer service. The guy waits for a minute or two before actually speaking up.
Which shocked the hell out of our resident moron.
He has two extremes. The first is fetal position studying(which can't be good for your back) where he pretty much ignores everyone in an attempt to look studious, and the other is verbal diarrhea, where we get to hear about his career plans, life before here, his family problems or whatever ad nauseum.
I much prefer fetal position studying.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Sizzling Spam

As if I don't have enough crazy...

For some reason, the 12/29/04 post about book carts drives the spammers wild! Today I deleted another 5 spams! (cat fishing and a chocolate fondue fountain were amongst the highlights)

I hadn't started counting, but I know I've deleted 4 spams in the past.

I don't know much about these blog spams, but I think it should be a little research project of mine. After my psych evaluation of course.

Uh-oh.

I had a dream last night that my director sent me to a psychiatrist for stress. This can not be good. Perhaps my subconscious is telling me to stop mumbling kill kill kill.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

I have GOT to get a camera phone!

Spied a female student (not one of those alternative types) coming out of the bathroom:

emerald green jeans falling a fashionable 2" above ankle, royal purple sweater, white t-shirt underneath hanging out, black socks, white and blue floral open toed sandals!

he he he... I needed that laugh.