So, the Summer Reading Program is in full swing at the Moore Public Library. This is absolutely my busiest time of year. I am worn out with crazy amounts of kids, about three programs a week and just a busier library in general. Last summer was my first one and it went quite smoothly and successfully. I actually won the employee of the year award for my stellar performance as programmer extraordinaire.
This year has been a little different. First, there has been a ridiculous amount of teens signing-up. I had about 400 last year and planned for the same this year. However, I had 400 kids by the third week and have run out of give-away bags. I found about a hundred bags from a few years ago that were left over and those are almost gone. I still have 4 1/2 weeks left! I don't know what I am going to do.
Also, my programs are a little crazy this year too. My first program had a 30 person limit. There was a registration and everything for it. However, through a small misunderstanding of some volunteers allowing people in the room early, I ended up with a mob scene of 70+ people, half having signed-up and the other half being sneaky. It was awful, but it worked out alright in the end. We scrounged up enough supplies and all had fun.
The worst fiasco so far was the ice candle making workshop. I was excited about it. The candles look awesome, I had oil to put in them so they would smell nice and everything. Before the program I tried to melt the wax crystals in a crock pot and it worked fine. So, at the program I set up about five crock pots, ready to be a melting fool. However, at the program with 31 kids, it didn't work. Then we rolled in the staff microwave to try to melt them that way and that didn't work either, it only melted the boiling bags.
We luckily have a stove in the kitchen that is on the other side of the library from the meeting room we were in. I started a pot boiling and stuck one of my co-workers in front of it. I had to run back and forth with bags of wax crystal in one direction and boiling hot bags of melted wax in the other direction. A program I worried wouldn't take an hour took two. It was miserable, I was in heels, and one mom was a little mean to me about it (however, she has been mean to me at every single teen event so far and I really wonder why she keeps coming back).
The important part is that everyone left with a finished ice candle. At every program, everyone has left with their proper product and mostly with smiles (except for that one lady), and my numbers are crazy up. I am sure this summer will feel very successful in August after I have taken a week vacation and am well rested (or as well rested as a pregnant lady can be). But right now, I am a little stressed and exhausted. My Eclipse party is looming over my head and will happen tomorrow. That will be a nice one to have out of the way.
Oh, summer.
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Not cool man, not cool
A man came into the library today to update his account information. He did not have proof of his address when he first got a card, but since he was fully vetted from the penitentiary he had a card with his information on it. He took it from around his neck and tossed it at me to check. There was a brown glob stuck to one side. That glob was poop.
I touched another person's poop!
I gagged. I pushed it back towards him. I smiled brightly and said we're done now, have a nice day. He walked away. I used sanitizer goo. I walked immediately to the bathroom and washed my hands . . . a lot. I then went back to the desk and used more sanitizer.
I am okay now.
I touched another person's poop!
I gagged. I pushed it back towards him. I smiled brightly and said we're done now, have a nice day. He walked away. I used sanitizer goo. I walked immediately to the bathroom and washed my hands . . . a lot. I then went back to the desk and used more sanitizer.
I am okay now.
Gosling juggling
Library patrons are like baby ducks and geese. Let me explain.
There is a whole sect of library patrons who seem to imprint on a specific librarian just like baby water fowl with their mommy-like-creature. They speak with a nice librarian who helps them put a book on hold or who finds their lost zip drive, etc. This is great. The patron gets the help they need and the librarian did their job. And then the patron imprints.
The patron then feels that the librarian they imprinted on is now the only librarian who is able to help them. When the book was put on hold and it comes in for pick up, the imprinted librarian is the only one who knows where the book is. There is no other librarian in the world who could possibly help them get it and use it.
Because we librarians love inefficiency and are the most unorganized people on the planet we feel that the best way to help the public is to divide them all into portions and then distribute them out to one appropriate librarian for the patron's convience. We then remain on-call 24-7 to help them with their personal needs because we are their personal librarian. We are similar to doctors really in both pay and availability.
You are welcome public, you little ducks and geese.
There is a whole sect of library patrons who seem to imprint on a specific librarian just like baby water fowl with their mommy-like-creature. They speak with a nice librarian who helps them put a book on hold or who finds their lost zip drive, etc. This is great. The patron gets the help they need and the librarian did their job. And then the patron imprints.
The patron then feels that the librarian they imprinted on is now the only librarian who is able to help them. When the book was put on hold and it comes in for pick up, the imprinted librarian is the only one who knows where the book is. There is no other librarian in the world who could possibly help them get it and use it.
Because we librarians love inefficiency and are the most unorganized people on the planet we feel that the best way to help the public is to divide them all into portions and then distribute them out to one appropriate librarian for the patron's convience. We then remain on-call 24-7 to help them with their personal needs because we are their personal librarian. We are similar to doctors really in both pay and availability.
You are welcome public, you little ducks and geese.
Kid-napper
Today at the library I had a little incident.
As I was walking through the library, looking for a book to help a patron, I stumbled across a little girl. She was younger than two, crying and standing alone in front of the copy machine. I immediately looked around for a grown-up who might claim her. As I was doing so she reached her little tiny hand up and grabbed mine.
I thought, okay, we'll walk around until we find her owner. As we began to walk around I heard behind me a frantic shriek of, "OLIVIA!!!!!!!"
I spun around, taking the poor little one with me. A small woman was running at me looking terrified. I immediately dropped her hand and took a step back realizing how I was being perceived. Luckily, I was wearing my library lanyard and she relaxed when she saw it.
She heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Oh, I had no idea who was grabbing my little girl and leaving with her."
I responded maturely, "She grabbed MY hand!"
Apparently all was well afterwards. Olivia was mad at her mommy and left for a while. All were reunited and I was not convicted for any crime.
As I was walking through the library, looking for a book to help a patron, I stumbled across a little girl. She was younger than two, crying and standing alone in front of the copy machine. I immediately looked around for a grown-up who might claim her. As I was doing so she reached her little tiny hand up and grabbed mine.
I thought, okay, we'll walk around until we find her owner. As we began to walk around I heard behind me a frantic shriek of, "OLIVIA!!!!!!!"
I spun around, taking the poor little one with me. A small woman was running at me looking terrified. I immediately dropped her hand and took a step back realizing how I was being perceived. Luckily, I was wearing my library lanyard and she relaxed when she saw it.
She heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Oh, I had no idea who was grabbing my little girl and leaving with her."
I responded maturely, "She grabbed MY hand!"
Apparently all was well afterwards. Olivia was mad at her mommy and left for a while. All were reunited and I was not convicted for any crime.
Wacky movie stuff can happen
In the past I have hated watching movies full of ridiculous happenstances that put the characters into wacky situations. You know the ones, where they answer the phone and just begin talking expecting it to be one person and it is actually the person they are talking about,they lean against a car and it rolls backwards into the pond, etc.
I now have a new respect for those people and those happenstances. Sometimes the wacky can happen in real life.
Yesterday I had a situation at work that included my co-worker not doing their work correctly and deciding to blame me to my supervisor instead of taking responsibility for it. At work I was so upset that I could not speak without crying. I was furious, frustrated and more emotional than I have been in a long time. Because of these facts I did not feel comfortable talking with my supervisor in the hour left of the work day.
Instead, I began an email. I wrote the email using highly emotional language citing specific incidents of poor work by my co-worker and stating that I wished to never work with her on a project again. This was a venting exercise that was meant to help me get my thoughts in order before talking with my supervisor. It made me feel better and more able to talk with her.
However, when I went to the top to push save I actual hit the send button. That's right, I sent it to my supervisor. I was probably immobile for a full minute staring at the screen in disbelief. Then the waterworks began. It was a long time before I was able to pull myself together. I sent a second email to my supervisor apologizing for the first email and asking her to not read it until I was able to explain.
Yesterday was literally one of my worst days in a long time. I then spent the whole night rehearsing what I would say to my supervisor the next morning. I will say that it has turned out alright and that it pays to keep good records of things and to have good relationships with as many colleagues as possible.
I now have a new respect for those people and those happenstances. Sometimes the wacky can happen in real life.
Yesterday I had a situation at work that included my co-worker not doing their work correctly and deciding to blame me to my supervisor instead of taking responsibility for it. At work I was so upset that I could not speak without crying. I was furious, frustrated and more emotional than I have been in a long time. Because of these facts I did not feel comfortable talking with my supervisor in the hour left of the work day.
Instead, I began an email. I wrote the email using highly emotional language citing specific incidents of poor work by my co-worker and stating that I wished to never work with her on a project again. This was a venting exercise that was meant to help me get my thoughts in order before talking with my supervisor. It made me feel better and more able to talk with her.
However, when I went to the top to push save I actual hit the send button. That's right, I sent it to my supervisor. I was probably immobile for a full minute staring at the screen in disbelief. Then the waterworks began. It was a long time before I was able to pull myself together. I sent a second email to my supervisor apologizing for the first email and asking her to not read it until I was able to explain.
Yesterday was literally one of my worst days in a long time. I then spent the whole night rehearsing what I would say to my supervisor the next morning. I will say that it has turned out alright and that it pays to keep good records of things and to have good relationships with as many colleagues as possible.
Mature librarian
Every morning we pull books that are on hold and put them on the hold shelf for those who have requested them. We mark them with the first three letters of the person's last name and the first two of their first name.
Yesterday morning I did one that was this:
TIT, TI
Hehehehehehe, titti.
Some days are really slow.
Yesterday morning I did one that was this:
TIT, TI
Hehehehehehe, titti.
Some days are really slow.
Budding artists
I love the arts. I support the arts. I even, on occasion, consider myself an artist. However, I find it difficult to support the little budding artists in my library.
A while ago I was strolling through my teen section, making sure all my little library ducks were in a row. On the back wall of my section are fabulous, tall, brightly colored panels of abstract teens in cool poses. While walking towards that wall I noticed a dark smudge on the lower part of a panel. It was actually located right around one of the teen's giant nostril. My first thought was that someone had drawn a booger there. I was mostly wrong.
It was a penis.
Yes, a penis.
This penis was done in Sharpie. It had balls. Hairy balls. Quite large actually. But that is not all it had. The artist really paid attention to details. Apart from the detailed hairy balls there was also jizz.
That's right, this was a happy, satisfied penis. IN SHARPIE. That doesn't just wipe off. We had to repaint that whole section and ban some of the boys from the library for a while. Awesome day.
Now, if the artist had placed the penis in the nostril as some kind of statement about how penises are as useful as boogers or that jizz and snot have similar goo levels, then I would respect their art more than I do now. I also would have respected it more if they had made it three dimensional, possibly adding shading and texture to it. Really the job overall seemed a little rushed.
I will say that I would rather try to wipe Sharpie jizz off my wall more than actual jizz. There is just no telling where the jizz has been.
A while ago I was strolling through my teen section, making sure all my little library ducks were in a row. On the back wall of my section are fabulous, tall, brightly colored panels of abstract teens in cool poses. While walking towards that wall I noticed a dark smudge on the lower part of a panel. It was actually located right around one of the teen's giant nostril. My first thought was that someone had drawn a booger there. I was mostly wrong.
It was a penis.
Yes, a penis.
This penis was done in Sharpie. It had balls. Hairy balls. Quite large actually. But that is not all it had. The artist really paid attention to details. Apart from the detailed hairy balls there was also jizz.
That's right, this was a happy, satisfied penis. IN SHARPIE. That doesn't just wipe off. We had to repaint that whole section and ban some of the boys from the library for a while. Awesome day.
Now, if the artist had placed the penis in the nostril as some kind of statement about how penises are as useful as boogers or that jizz and snot have similar goo levels, then I would respect their art more than I do now. I also would have respected it more if they had made it three dimensional, possibly adding shading and texture to it. Really the job overall seemed a little rushed.
I will say that I would rather try to wipe Sharpie jizz off my wall more than actual jizz. There is just no telling where the jizz has been.
My first pageant!!!!
That's right, I have finally hit the pageant scene. I know many will think, "Why hasn't this happened before?" After actually being a part of one I now wonder the very same thing. I rocked the pageant scene. The only downside is that I placed 1st Runner Up because they allowed unlimited audience voting and one library brought A LOT of rich people.
The Oklahoma Library Association's Conference is this week and tonight was the Stacked Modelling Show where contestants had to make their outfits out of as much library materials as they could and then have a model parade up and down the runway. Since I was the only one who could fit in a library bag I was the chosen one for our branch.
There was some fierce competition. I actually went up against my most dreaded library professor (The only B I made was from HER!).
She is far scarier in real life.
My dress takes after the great Audrey Hepburn with a hat made of Hold Slips, the dress made of library bags with a zipper pocket to allow easy access to important librarian needs!
The good news is that I didn't fall at all! And my heels were high.
The winner did have an awesome outfit though mine was made entirely of library material (whatever).
Overall I had a blast. It helped that all the librarians around me turned into gigantic lushes. There were many who were having problems walking and a few men who became a little hands-y with me. Humorous to watch. I abstained because I felt I would be having enough problems walking without throwing in a liquid hazard.
The Oklahoma Library Association's Conference is this week and tonight was the Stacked Modelling Show where contestants had to make their outfits out of as much library materials as they could and then have a model parade up and down the runway. Since I was the only one who could fit in a library bag I was the chosen one for our branch.
There was some fierce competition. I actually went up against my most dreaded library professor (The only B I made was from HER!).
She is far scarier in real life.
My dress takes after the great Audrey Hepburn with a hat made of Hold Slips, the dress made of library bags with a zipper pocket to allow easy access to important librarian needs!
The good news is that I didn't fall at all! And my heels were high.
The winner did have an awesome outfit though mine was made entirely of library material (whatever).
Overall I had a blast. It helped that all the librarians around me turned into gigantic lushes. There were many who were having problems walking and a few men who became a little hands-y with me. Humorous to watch. I abstained because I felt I would be having enough problems walking without throwing in a liquid hazard.
Rant
I do NOT understand people who think we are going to just give you our books without a card or SOMETHING! How is it possible? If I hear, “Oh, I have to have a card to get these?” I will scream! Come on people, even places that make you pay like Blockbuster makes you have an account.
Also, to send an email, you need an email account. Even if an Outlook like thing pops up and lets you fill in information, it does not count because you don’t have an account.
I am not talking about children either. Adults. Grown-ass people are the ones who seem to have the most problems in libraries.
I just need to take deep breathes and expect less from humanity.
Also, to send an email, you need an email account. Even if an Outlook like thing pops up and lets you fill in information, it does not count because you don’t have an account.
I am not talking about children either. Adults. Grown-ass people are the ones who seem to have the most problems in libraries.
I just need to take deep breathes and expect less from humanity.
Don't begin to covet
I am off next week to the coastal land of Portland. This is exciting to me because I have never been, yet fully believe that I should live there (it actually makes sense in my mind and that is all that counts). Next week is the big Public Library Association Conference and from what I hear, it is the conference of the year.
Don’t be shocked, librarians can get CRAZY when put in one place, or under the influence of alcohol, or when thinking of Batgirl, or most times. People have no idea.
Anyways, I digress. The real reason I am writing this is because of what I will be doing on the side while in Portland. I will be going to the amazing Powell’s Bookstore, not just for the books and experience, but for an author! I will get to see the hilarious Christopher Moore speak and read from his new book, which is the third in his trilogy of vampire books, my favorites. First came Bloodsucking Fiends, then came You Suck, and now comes Bite Me!
I am not certain, but something makes me think that he will be one funny guy in person just like he is on paper. And for my trouble to get out and come to hear him I get a signed copy of his book! Call me a nerdy librarian but I am excited.
Don’t be shocked, librarians can get CRAZY when put in one place, or under the influence of alcohol, or when thinking of Batgirl, or most times. People have no idea.
Anyways, I digress. The real reason I am writing this is because of what I will be doing on the side while in Portland. I will be going to the amazing Powell’s Bookstore, not just for the books and experience, but for an author! I will get to see the hilarious Christopher Moore speak and read from his new book, which is the third in his trilogy of vampire books, my favorites. First came Bloodsucking Fiends, then came You Suck, and now comes Bite Me!
I am not certain, but something makes me think that he will be one funny guy in person just like he is on paper. And for my trouble to get out and come to hear him I get a signed copy of his book! Call me a nerdy librarian but I am excited.
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