From a man asking about electoral registers in the north of the country, after a good ten minutes of irrelevant chatter:
“y’see, m’wife’s run off and she owes me a bit of money, and I might have to go up there and do some spying, y’know?”"
Saturday, 18 September 2010
another selection of madness
"Minette Walters books (crime)
Diane Chamberlain books (modern, all out on loan)
Lady giving her card back because they’re leaving Chelmsford today and won’t need them any more
Printing, printing and more printing
Protective book jackets
Street map of Kelvedon
Henry Moore (artist) books, information etc on drawings and sculptures
Antiques"
Diane Chamberlain books (modern, all out on loan)
Lady giving her card back because they’re leaving Chelmsford today and won’t need them any more
Printing, printing and more printing
Protective book jackets
Street map of Kelvedon
Henry Moore (artist) books, information etc on drawings and sculptures
Antiques"
Friday, 17 September 2010
musical
one of our regulars is, for reasons best known to herself, playing the clarinet in the high street.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
random things from today's hours on the desk
A Christmas Carol
Scanner x 2
Dead printing again
Bar Mitzvahs
Barley (as in the food)
Titanic
Magnets (this and the 3 above all asked for by unaccompanied adults… doing their children’s homework for them, I suspect)
Photocopying & faxing across to Colchester entries from the Gold & Silversmiths Directories
Knights of Malta (but not historical fiction, only factual)
Domestic violence for a school project
Lost keys
Information about using computers, Ancestry, etc
Managed to do the exciting messages (650s and 745s)
Tripped over some books in the illustration section I’d quite like to read one day in the distant future when I have time to breathe
Scanner x 2
Dead printing again
Bar Mitzvahs
Barley (as in the food)
Titanic
Magnets (this and the 3 above all asked for by unaccompanied adults… doing their children’s homework for them, I suspect)
Photocopying & faxing across to Colchester entries from the Gold & Silversmiths Directories
Knights of Malta (but not historical fiction, only factual)
Domestic violence for a school project
Lost keys
Information about using computers, Ancestry, etc
Managed to do the exciting messages (650s and 745s)
Tripped over some books in the illustration section I’d quite like to read one day in the distant future when I have time to breathe
knights of malta
Just had a lady in asking about the Knights of Malta, she and her husband had just been on holiday and were very impressed by them... so here's a link all about them!
Saturday, 11 September 2010
manners
Today, my job appears to be less that of a reference librarian and more one of instilling manners into customers…
One customer who persistently butts into other people’s conversations and enquiries kept coming over today, I had to tell him four times that I was with another customer and he’d have to wait, and no, he couldn’t have three hours on the computer.
One child came and started talking loudly at me while I was speaking to another lady about her enquiry, I had to also tell him to wait till I’d finished and myself or one of my colleagues would be with him soon.
Caitlin had a rude person from another library on the phone, and I just had a child ask me relatively politely for some books, only for his mum to snap at me “he has to write about Roman artefacts. What can he write? Tell me!” – as if I’m the expert!
I know I have to be polite at all times to our customers, but I wish I was brave enough to be sharp with the particularly mannerless ones – just because they don’t pay for our services doesn’t mean they’re entitled to every second of our time without waiting or queuing, and just because I work in a library doesn’t mean I’m paid to do your child’s homework for you – as a parent or guardian, that’s your job to help your child with the things they find difficult. I’m just here to provide the signposts, books & information. And I am human, not a robot that doesn't notice abusive/rude behaviour!
One customer who persistently butts into other people’s conversations and enquiries kept coming over today, I had to tell him four times that I was with another customer and he’d have to wait, and no, he couldn’t have three hours on the computer.
One child came and started talking loudly at me while I was speaking to another lady about her enquiry, I had to also tell him to wait till I’d finished and myself or one of my colleagues would be with him soon.
Caitlin had a rude person from another library on the phone, and I just had a child ask me relatively politely for some books, only for his mum to snap at me “he has to write about Roman artefacts. What can he write? Tell me!” – as if I’m the expert!
I know I have to be polite at all times to our customers, but I wish I was brave enough to be sharp with the particularly mannerless ones – just because they don’t pay for our services doesn’t mean they’re entitled to every second of our time without waiting or queuing, and just because I work in a library doesn’t mean I’m paid to do your child’s homework for you – as a parent or guardian, that’s your job to help your child with the things they find difficult. I’m just here to provide the signposts, books & information. And I am human, not a robot that doesn't notice abusive/rude behaviour!
Friday, 10 September 2010
how to dispose of a coat
a lambskin coat, in fact - i offered to find a vintage shop that would buy it from this lady, but she'd really much prefer it to be sold to someone who, wait for it, makes teddy bears out of fur coats.
So far I have drawn a complete blank in Britain, and have found one person in the States who uses donated coats... suggestions on a postcard, please!
So far I have drawn a complete blank in Britain, and have found one person in the States who uses donated coats... suggestions on a postcard, please!
Monday, 6 September 2010
ghostly
Man to my colleague: "Hi, I understand you can access Ancestry.com here at the library?"
Colleague: "That's right, it's free in all Essex libraries, do you have a library card so we can book you a session?"
Man: "If you could show me how to use it, that'd be great - I need to look myself up on there, I've died twice."
Colleague and me: *bemused / incredulous stares*
Man: "No, I really have died twice. Seriously - you don't believe me?"
At this point we let him go, telling him we'd be happy to book a computer any time he wanted to use Ancestry...
Colleague: "That's right, it's free in all Essex libraries, do you have a library card so we can book you a session?"
Man: "If you could show me how to use it, that'd be great - I need to look myself up on there, I've died twice."
Colleague and me: *bemused / incredulous stares*
Man: "No, I really have died twice. Seriously - you don't believe me?"
At this point we let him go, telling him we'd be happy to book a computer any time he wanted to use Ancestry...
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Friday, 3 September 2010
things found in books today
A handwritten note, found in “Managing with the power of NLP: Neuro Linguistic programming for competitive advantage” by David Molden, read:
“Debbie needs to notice the process of communication. She needs to unlearn the unhelpful and habitual behaviour.”
Poor Debbie!
--
A business card from Naomi Dube, Designer, of Zionelle Designs. ”The best choice of a successful person, for wedding/party, planning and decorations. Found in 'Create your own future' by Brian Tracy.
--
A bookmark featuring books such as “shaggy dogs and black sheep, the origins of even more phrases we use every day”, “phantom hitchhikers and decoy ducks, the strange stories behind urban legends”, “loch ness monsters and raining frogs, the world’s most puzzling mysteries solved” and “pop goes the weasel, the secret meanings of nursery rhymes”, all by Albert Jack. Found in A feast of Freud, the wittiest writings of Clement Freud'.
“Debbie needs to notice the process of communication. She needs to unlearn the unhelpful and habitual behaviour.”
Poor Debbie!
--
A business card from Naomi Dube, Designer, of Zionelle Designs. ”The best choice of a successful person, for wedding/party, planning and decorations. Found in 'Create your own future' by Brian Tracy.
--
A bookmark featuring books such as “shaggy dogs and black sheep, the origins of even more phrases we use every day”, “phantom hitchhikers and decoy ducks, the strange stories behind urban legends”, “loch ness monsters and raining frogs, the world’s most puzzling mysteries solved” and “pop goes the weasel, the secret meanings of nursery rhymes”, all by Albert Jack. Found in A feast of Freud, the wittiest writings of Clement Freud'.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)