Welcome to Walnut Bluff

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I got promoted to be the branch manager at Walnut Bluff, a different location in the same system as Mystery Library. Mystery Library boss finally got back from her vacation so I've now moved over to Walnut Bluff. Being a new manager is exciting, probably too exciting. I had about a week where I didn’t know what to do with myself but now that I know enough to be of some use to the staff it’s gotten crazy. Here's what it's like at thew new job in the new library:

I used to drink a single cup of coffee most mornings and was in plausible “I can quit whenever I want!” denial, but I have rapidly become very addicted.

Staff member warns me—"I really don’t think you should let the embroidery group that comes on Tuesday evenings be out in the public area like they want to. They always bring like an entire dinner and make a huge mess! I personally feel they should be confined to the conference room.”

Rainstorms—one of the library assistants shows me where to put out the buckets.

A grandma and mom get into a heated argument about whether the daughter is qualified to be taking care of her baby son. The police arrive and I have to stay late so I can pry the call report number out of them for admin’s records.

All the regulars have caught on to my existence and have either introduced themselves in a helpful and friendly fashion, and/or tried out their best ’but I didn’t knows’/’everyone else lets me’s/whatevers on me, usually both.

The front doors have to be locked and unlocked with an allyn wrench and I’m really struggling with it. At this rate I’m going to have to observe every single one of my employees do it before I finally figure it out.

The monthly meetings the management team has last four hours. I really hope this is atypical but I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone.

Trying to figure out how to use the antiquated software for using our security cameras is like deliberately slamming my head repeatedly into a brick wall. It doesn’t help that the only password I can find written down (1234, by the way) doesn’t actually work, so I only have access to some of the system features and I can’t tell what doesn’t work because I’m not logged in vs. what I haven’t figured out how to use vs. what just isn’t possible.

I find a domino hidden behind a poster in the children’s area, page says “yyyyyeah, that’s been a problem lately.”

I present a list of demands to our Building and Grounds department for things that we need fixed: New flags for the flagpole out front, paint over the graffiti in the women’s bathroom, replacement bulbs for 4 or 5 lights on the public floor, and someone to clean the outsides of the windows. It’s amazing what level of dirt and brokenness people get used to when it accumulates gradually. Our Buildings liaison says, “Nice to meet you. This building is the same age as I am so we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

One-on-one introductory meetings with staff—when I close the door behind the first person, he says, grinning, “This is giving me flashbacks to the high school principal’s office.”

A woman wants to bring her ‘service chihuahua’ into the library. Nope, nope, nope.

A different woman is surprised to hear that we are open on Sundays: “I knew deep in my heart that you were closed that day!”