The Life of an almost-librarian

[Jayelle]

I've posted before about my job, I figured I'd post more. Feel free to use this thread to ask questions about life in the library.

Now, without further ado, I bring you...

Things that you should not use as a bookmark in a library book(because you will forget about them and return the book)

1. Your Passport
2. Kleenex, used
3. Bills
4. Cheques
5. Photographs
6. Homework
7. Bandaids
8. Letters to loved ones
9. Cigarettes
10. Lettuce Leaves
11. Money (actually, leave that in the books, cause I get to keep it)

[KennEnder]

a new Bandaid wouldn't be so bad, so I imagine this ban is for the... used ones...? Yuck.

[v-girl]

I left my library card in a book before, and since I had reserved it from another location, it went back there. So, I had to sign up for a new card (or drive 30 minutes to go get it). It was kind of annoying because I hardly ever take my library card into the library because I had my number memorized and could check it out with that.

Fortunately I don't think I've left anything gross or embarrassing in library books.

[Jayelle]

Most people don't realize what a reference person is for. I sit behind a desk all day and wait for you to ask me questions. Sure I have other things to do (like, say, posting on pweb ), but my main function is to answer questions. People can ask anything. Seriously. My job is to be the human google.
A couple of days ago a woman called me to ask how to underline something in email. Good times. I haven't been doing this long enough to get any really bizaare questions, but I have gotten two of the "I need to do an email, but I don't want an email address."

[Rei]

I'll admit, I generally assumed the reference person was there to help you find books that are in that library system.

[Oliver Dale]

I know what a reference librarian is/does, but I have to admit to never, ever using them. Thing is, I'm better at it than most librarians I meet. This stems largely from having actually worked in my university's library, and is also in part due to google being the grand equalizer.

[Jebus]

Wow, Ollie just totally slammed Jayelle, I don't think he even realised it either.

Quick Ollie, say how you're sure there are other things reference people do that are really difficult. And maybe give her chocolate, women like chocolate.

[Young Val]

I've worked in various libraries in various positions before, but never in reference. My respect for those who do that job is ginormous. The things they are able to find absolutely boggle my mind. Seriously.

[Dr. Mobius]

Hey Jan, can you find my missing socks?

[Luet]

The only time that I remember using the services of a reference desk (other than to ask them to purchase a book for the library) was about 12 years ago when my friend and I were arguing over whether it was the front or back legs of a male frog that were more muscular (in comparison to the female frog). That is one way to tell males from females in at least some frog species because the males use the legs to squeeze the eggs from the female and thus have muscular legs. I think I was wrong, at the time believing it to be the back legs and it is really the forelegs.

Poor librarian.

[Oliver Dale]

Wow, Ollie just totally slammed Jayelle, I don't think he even realised it either.

Quick Ollie, say how you're sure there are other things reference people do that are really difficult. And maybe give her chocolate, women like chocolate.

Unintended, surely. My apologies to Jayelle. I was merely personalizing, rather than generalizing. I'm confident that for many people, reference librarians are an incredibly helpful and under-utilized asset.

[Jayelle]

Wow, Ollie just totally slammed Jayelle, I don't think he even realised it either.

Quick Ollie, say how you're sure there are other things reference people do that are really difficult. And maybe give her chocolate, women like chocolate.

Unintended, surely. My apologies to Jayelle. I was merely personalizing, rather than generalizing. I'm confident that for many people, reference librarians are an incredibly helpful and under-utilized asset.

Meh. I'm not insulted. I just think the majority of people don't know how to use reference tools.

[Eaquae Legit]

The librarian at my school library is scary. He gets mad easily. Once he took away the book my whole class was studying because it was tired and needed to rest. I think I'm developing a fear of librarians.

[Jayelle]

Yikes!

I would never want to work in a University library. I love the public library. Especially now that I work in Children's. I get to sit at my desk and fold paper cranes and cut snowflakes without anyone getting mad at me because it's my job!

[zeroguy]

I would never want to work in a University library.

What's so bad about the University libraries? Perhaps you get a lot of students who just want librarians to do their work for them, or something?

[Jayelle]

Boring books. University libraries don't have much fiction or any children's, which are what I like.

Plus, students are annoying.

[zeroguy]

Boring books. University libraries don't have much fiction or any children's, which are what I like.

I can understand that. Ours doesn't even have SftD! (Although it does have EG, Xenocide, and CotM, oddly.)

[ratesjul]

Once he took away the book my whole class was studying because it was tired and needed to rest.

This made me smile!
Poor book...

[Jayelle]

So this guy keeps coming in to ask me about gift ideas for his kids. That's great and all, but he immediately goes to the bookstore afterwards to buy them- going back and forth between me and the bookstore.
Why? Why not just ask the salespeople at the store?
Granted, it's Christmas and I'm sure they're busy... but our city has a McNally Robinson - a big awesome bookstore where the staff are well trained and have degrees in Lit. It's not like your average Chapters or whatnot.
I am up on what books we have in our library, but I don't know what the store has!

Silly man.

[Luet]

Maybe he just likes talking to you?

[Oliver Dale]

So this guy keeps coming in to ask me about gift ideas for his kids. That's great and all, but he immediately goes to the bookstore afterwards to buy them- going back and forth between me and the bookstore.
Why? Why not just ask the salespeople at the store?
Granted, it's Christmas and I'm sure they're busy... but our city has a McNally Robinson - a big awesome bookstore where the staff are well trained and have degrees in Lit. It's not like your average Chapters or whatnot.
I am up on what books we have in our library, but I don't know what the store has!

Silly man.

Sweet Goodness, that's a great idea. Actually, I don't have access to helpful store workers (they're nice, but not knowledgeable), so maybe my reference librarian will do ;0

[Janus%TheDoorman]

A thought came to me as I went to check out a book from the University Library today. It's huge. Like... stunningly, monstrously, immensely huge, covering every subject in more languages that I knew existed.

How can a librarian possibly have ever a cursory knowledge of all the things that go in there? If a student, or anyone really, comes in and says, "I'm looking for a book on [insert random subject here]", how can a librarian do much more than point them to a general section, especially if the request is more specific than that?

I ask because, as I went into the library, the same librarian who gave me a reading list when I was looking for introductory stuff for string theory gave me a reading list when I was looking for war theory. This is the first time I've dealt with such a large-scale library, but is it normal for librarians to have such an in-depth knowledge of such a broad range of subjects?

[Jayelle]

Yes, or at least, they are trained to be able to research things better then the average schmo. Don't forget - a (real) librarian has a Master's Degree.
A librarian knows where and how to find things in a library and in databases, it's their job to do so. So, they can point you in the correct section, then look up more things on that subject, etc.
Of course, the one you talked to might know particularly well about the things you asked about because of personal interest... just like I have a tendency to recommend the comic "Bone" to anyone with a tiny interest in the Graphic Novel section.

[shadow-petra]

Hey! I work at my library too!!!! Except I can't really say I'm a librarian cuz I only shelve the books and help people find books...and the bathroom. It's the biggest question I get. Yeah, to answer Janus's question, I have most of the sections memorized.

I haven't found money in the books, but I have found pokemon cards

[Jayelle]

Wow. They let you tell people where things are? When I was a page, the answer to everything was "Ask the people at the Reference Desk".

"Excuse me, where is the bathroom?"
"Ask the people at the Reference Desk."

[shadow-petra]

Really?? That's what you tell them? I can't do that. They all have such urgency in there faces. It's not like "excuse me, could you please tell me where the bathroom is?" It's like "WHERE"S THE BATHROOM??? TELL ME NOW!"

That's what my job position is called? I'm a page?

[Jayelle]

It's a joke. We would actually tell them where the bathroom was.


Most places call them pages, but it depends on what your library calls them.

[shadow-petra]

I have no clue...I'm doing the same thing I was as a volunteer, which I think is really really weird.

[Olhado_]

*bump*

When I heard this story I just thought of you Jayelle.

I am sure there are a few patrons who you wish this would happen to.

[Mich]

Rereading this thread made me super-angry:

Of course, the one you talked to might know particularly well about the things you asked about because of personal interest... just like I have a tendency to recommend the comic "Bone" to anyone with a tiny interest in the Graphic Novel section.

No one who looks through my graphic novel collection recognizes Bone. I did, before even being into reading comics outside of Foxtrot! What the heck?

As for the arrested woman, I can't really blame her for keeping the books after paying for them, but obviously she should have returned them. The Meridian Public Library still hasn't gotten around to arresting my brother for his unreturned book, but I imagine they care less about The Joy of Pickling than Angels and Demons.

[Olhado_]

Rereading this thread made me super-angry:

I guess I should apologize for making you angry


And I guess Jayelle will not be reading this thread for a while.

[Seiryu]

Back when my library left cards in their books when people checked them out, I stumbled upon a book with its card left in there and took it to the front desk. They had to check in it because it was on the bookshelf still checked out to the poor bastard. He may have done it himself or it was a librarian error, but I'm pretty sure I may have saved the guy some money by doing that.

[Jayelle]

*bump*

When I heard this story I just thought of you Jayelle.

I am sure there are a few patrons who you wish this would happen to.

Yeah, I read about that. I like our way - we send a collection agency after them if fines are too high and they refuse to pay.
People need to realize they sign a contract when they get a library card.


And Mich: why does me recommending Bone make you angry?

[Mich]

No one who looks through my graphic novel collection recognizes Bone. I did, before even being into reading comics outside of Foxtrot! What the heck?

Apparently I wasn't clear who I was angry at: people who don't recognize Bone. You made me a little happy that you actually knew what it was, but then I remembered all of the times that I'm talking to someone who, gosh darnit, should, and they don't!

Make more sense?

[Jayelle]

Ah. That makes more sense. I recommend it to young kids (8-9 yr. olds) in hopes that it will get them into better graphic novels as they grow up, instead of them reading the crap graphic novelizations of tv shows *shudder*.