Crude and Rude!

I'm not sure what is going on, but lately there have been lots of crude and rude library patrons.  Maybe it is the full moon.  Maybe it is the sense of entitlement people think they have.  Or maybe people just want to stick it to someone who can't say what they are really thinking back to them!  In the past week I have been told I suck because the book the person needed was checked out and her report was due the next day.  I  had to ask a patron to stop cussing (well he was cussing out his mother -that's another story) and to keep his voice down and he told me "This isn't any of your f**king business".  (For some reason my library gives this young man a pass because he has a brain injury.  I don't agree with that.  I think everyone should be held to the same standard of the code of conduct).  I had someone who was participating int he adult reading program say that the mug which is given for reading 8 books wasn't useful to her and she wanted a different prize. Granted the adult reading program is voluntary and you get some nice prizes for just reading!  So why complain about the prizes??? On a side note, I wanted to say to her "Let me run to Petsmart and get you a dog bowl to drink out of since cups are not useful to you".  Finally, don't get me started on cell phones.  Just put your phone down for 5 minutes and make eye contact with me when I am helping you. You can be off of Facebook for 5 minutes while I try to find you resources for your homework.

So my question  is why are people so mean and ungrateful while using the public library??  Where else can you go to use a computer for free? Where else can you check out books, audio books,  video games, and dvds for free?  Where else can you download ebooks and music for free?? (Okay, property taxes support my library, but it is minimal compared to what you get!).  I guess I won't ever get an answer to that question, but I would love to know why some people are so ungrateful while using the array of items and services available at the public library.

After working with the public for the last 18 years, it has made me a nicer person when I am out and about.  Just because I am having a bad day (trust me I have been having a bad day for the last month - maybe another post in the future) doesn't mean that I get to take it out on the person at the grocery store who is helping me.  I have also learned that "please" and "thank you" go a long way.  Since I wanted to be treated with respect when I am at my job, I do the same when I am at the store, movie theater, etc. The world would truly be a better place if we all treated one another like we want to be treated.

Reader's Advisory Scares The Hell Out Of Me!

One of my job duties is to teach the other staff in my library district about Reader's Advisory.  I sort of inherited the job from another librarian who went on to greener pastures.  I only have to do it for 3 days once a year.  But for the last 3 years, I have panicked about it for at least a month before I teach because I don't have a set answer on how to help a patron find a good book. Also, I think staff are tough critics and I want to be sure to know my stuff when I present it. But I really have to get over it.  I have 1.5 hours to help the staff who attend my class feel more comfortable doing reader's advisory.   I know that in MLS programs, they spend a whole semester. So I know I am barely scratching the surface.  But it still scares me!

But what scares me more is I know that every week at the Reference Desk, someone is going to ask me to recommend a book. Or they are going to tell me that they are in a reading slump.  I stay cool and calm on the outside, but on the inside I am saying "oh sh*t, what the hell am I going to recommend to them?"  (BTW, my library has plenty of reader's advisory tools, but it is still one of the hardest questions to get at the reference desk.)  Sometimes I hit it out of the park and recommend a book or two that someone loves and they thank me the next time they see me.  Other times, I spend 30 to 45 minutes with someone and nothing I recommend is good enough for them.  Unfortunately, the bad experiences stick with me.

So why is reader's advisory so hard??  BTW, can anyone recommend any good books??

Still Getting The Hang Of Things....

I know I have at least one reader out there (Hi!), but just in case there are others, I want to apologize for being so long between posts. I won't make excuses.  I just need to add my blog to my daily To-Do list.  So please hang in there with me while I get the hang of regular blogging.

Thanks.