Don't Mess with TX-LIS
A Library and Information Science Blog from a Texas Public Library
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Old Woman Fan Club
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Quick reference shift
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Why the library's electric bills are so high
1. Back corners of the stacks must be brightly-lit for safety
2. As long as the elevator exists, no one uses the stairs
3. Scanners. SO many scanners.
4. No matter how many times I ask them to, staff never turn off the front desk computers at night
5. The patron who comes in with his own power strip and charges two phones, a tablet, a laptop, and a mysterious device I have yet to identify.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Oh no
I am doing a pet project of cleaning up old notes on patron records when I have downtime on the reference desk. As far as I can tell, I seem to be undoing the life's work of one of Those Old School Library Workers who felt that all things should be noted in the patron's account, period. Today I deleted someone's social security number from the notes field of their patron record.
SMH.
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Grandson/grandma
Today an elderly lady who was hard of hearing came in with her grandson, who I'd guess was in his mid-20s. I'd ask the lady questions in a loud speaking voice, and she'd say "What's that?" and then her grandson would repeat whatever I said by shouting it 18 inches from her ear: "SHE SAYS THERE'S A SCANNER IN THE COMPUTER LAB!"
Fortunately, none of the other patrons complained.
Friday, November 3, 2023
4 branches, 3 (not 4) sets of etiquette
The library system where I work has four locations. Here is how changing of the desk shifts "on the hour" works at each one:
Location #1: If you're not arriving to relieve your colleague 5 minutes before the hour, you're late.
Location #2: You arrive on the hour, on the dot, period.
Location #3: You wander in around 5 minutes past the hour. Sometimes the person on desk has to call their replacement to remind them to come out.
Location #4: Half the staff thinks the cultural standard is the same as location #1 and half the staff thinks it's the same as location #3, and they hate each other. You cannot win. If you try the location #2 approach, BOTH groups hate it.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
'Technology' Librarian
I know that I am easier to reach than the IT department is, but please be advised that the things below are not my job just because I am the Technology Librarian:
- Resetting your work computer password
- Finding you a spare extension cord
- Helping you with your personal cell phone
- Figuring out why your webcam won't work three years into the era of virtual meetings
- Replacing a clock
- Explaining to a patron why the website they want to go to is blocked just because you don't feel like breaking the bad news yourself