refgrunt highlights 24/1/11

1-3pm:

driving theory books & practice

where's the Whoosh centre?

can I borrow a magnifying glass?

No rest for the wicked by Kresley Cole

pen & scrap paper

Reassured a gentleman he's not alone in needing/wanting to learn about computers & the internet, and enrolling on our course

the stages of child development

is Direct Access 3 working?

do you take any computer magazines?

more refgrunt highlights 22/1/11

From my 12-1 shift on the desk:

Can I update my account and get a new library card?

I live in Rochford, where can I recycle my old flowerpots?

Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada (small boy with the man asking for this: "Dad, are you absolutely sure it's a book? Positive? Certain? Three million per cent sure?" - I found this hilarious)

I've seen the "please do not watch live Internet TV" sign - how would I go about watching live Internet TV?

Sikh history - foundation of the Khalsa

Can you find out the name of a boardroom drama from a few years ago starring Rob Lowe? Is it on DVD? Can I borrow it? (Lyon's Den, no and so sadly not)

SolidWorks for dummies (I still don't know what SolidWorks is, but I found & ordered the book the customer was after)

From my 10-11 stint:

children's toilet

sociology section

children's party cakes

Seabiscuit on audio CD shelf check

Lion King 3 DVD

access to pc, printer & scanner

what does In Transit mean on your catalogue?

children's toilet again (ok, it's not a highlight but seems to be the thing I've been asked for most in the last two weeks)

Very Best of Robert Palmer CD

computer/internet please

what time is my computer course?

where would I find books about Cyprus?

refgrunt highlights 22/1/11

From my 2-4 stint on the desk:

What else has the author of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo written? (And what's his name?)

Can you take a laptop home on Monday to drop at a colleague/friend's house on the way home?

Could you help me scan & email on the computer I've booked at 3pm?

I need any of Shakespeare's plays in the original Old English, I'm reading them for pleasure

Can you find me that series with Billie Piper in it on DVD please? (Secret Diary of a Call Girl)

I've been listening to the 'Book at Bedtime' and it's stories by Julian Barnes - do you have any of his books or short stories in stock?

Can I look at the Essex Chronicle?

From 5 - 5.30:

I'm after things on cake decorating and knitting? (my colleague looked at me and said "I think this is probably more your enquiry than mine, don't you think?!")

Ray Davies CDs

refgrunt highlights 12/1/11

9am-1pm:

Dein Perry's Tap Dogs DVD

Can I look at this CD on the computers?

I'm hard of hearing but I want to do First Click

There's a customer having trouble on the microfilm machine

I'd like some photos of my house from history, please

Do you have a directory like Crockfords for Congregational Methodists, dating back to 1850?

Why can't I run thsi CD on this computer? (it was a CD of the Windows 98 operating system)

OCD workbook & overcoming OCD

audio materials for French, German & Spanish

when's your book sale and do you sell audio books in it?

simple musical pieces by Chopin

2pm-7pm:

GCSE maths revision book

birds of the Gambia

books on gold trading

really reeaaalllly slow public computer

where's your nearest phone box (I've had this a lot recently, not sure why)

refgrunt highlights 10/1/11

how many years do you need to be separated to file for divorce?

Despicable Me DVD

Internet for the older & wiser

Adrian Wesker plays (Roots & The Kitchen)

Room on the Broom as an audio book

Zog by Julia Donaldson

refgrunt 7/1/11

World Reports - from worldreports.org (at subscription cost of £450) - this customer dismissed the things we do subscribe to and provide as "kindergarten stuff"

Yesterday's Financial Times (this is another really popular request, usually from people that I've seen in the library the previous day... I can't for the life of me work out why they don't look at the current papers)

Last two weeks' editions of the Essex Chronicle

I'd like to donate these books to the library

Children's books on medieval society

refgrunt highlights 6/1/11

Royal Albert Hall - book on the architecture etc

books on philosophy for an OU course

can I book a computer for 1 minute?

Can you type my CV for me?

Can I book the family history PC?

where would you buy duvet slippers? (weirdly, I knew this, because I have some!)

Can I use your phone to call the council about my daughter's school? (no)

weight training books & DVDs

slow writing

Customer: Hello, would you be able to look a book up for me on your computer?

Me: of course, what book would you like me to look for?

Customer: (hands me a hand-scrawled CV) - here you go, you can type this out for me

Me: I'm afraid that's not a service we provide - would you like me to book you a computer, or find you a book about CV writing?

Customer: No, you said you'd type for me, I need you to type this up because I'm a really slow writer.

Not a service we provide...

tin opener

As I arrived today there was a man with a can opener tapping things and talking to himself – went for the fan, a couple of the chairs and then one of the book carts...

New Year's Day

1st January, in the library... I don't mind working but it's SO QUIET! Even the shops don't open till 10, but we've been open since half past eight this morning... and will close at half past five as usual.

We had a heartbreaking customer in this morning, she said she'd 'done a bunk' from her care home and couldn't get hold of the police, so we made her a cup of tea and called the non-emergency police number... they sent someone over and we spent the majority of the morning looking after her and trying not to let her get too distressed.

Apart from that, literally nothing happened... hope it doesn't stay this quiet for the rest of the year, when it's busy it can be stressful but the days go so much faster!