8.08.2005
No Manners
A guy asked me a question (did we have the Sound of Music on VHS) and then stood there thumping the desk impatiently. THEN he walked around the desk and took a book off the cart next to me. Without asking. Then he carried it away. All without asking. I was only "de-new-ing" them, so it didn't matter in this case, but it could have. In what alternate reality is that considered OK?
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Ooo, a "real" librarian! I'm assuming not a real public librarian. Or perhaps not a real working librarian.
I'm a gen-you-wine MLS and I share your "unprofessional attitude" - public libraries are basically the only place in North America where anyone can walk in off the street and demand anything they like from the staff. And we're expected to be polite and helpful, no matter what the person says or does. We have to deal with drunks, druggies, the mentally ill and the angry, snotty, and stupid. As your guard tales tell, we're usually on our own, apart from calling the police (which takes forever) security guards are often useless or don't speak English (which is helpful when you need to, oh, tell them what you need them to do). If you're lucky enough to even have a guard - many libraries don't.
So if the worst thing we do is release our frustration at having to deal with the dregs of society (and, of course, many wonderful people, too, but they're not stressful) is post comments on a blog that none of them will ever read, I'd say we're doing pretty well. Otherwise, they'd have to rename the term "going librarian" instead of postal.
Here endeth the rant. :)
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I'm a gen-you-wine MLS and I share your "unprofessional attitude" - public libraries are basically the only place in North America where anyone can walk in off the street and demand anything they like from the staff. And we're expected to be polite and helpful, no matter what the person says or does. We have to deal with drunks, druggies, the mentally ill and the angry, snotty, and stupid. As your guard tales tell, we're usually on our own, apart from calling the police (which takes forever) security guards are often useless or don't speak English (which is helpful when you need to, oh, tell them what you need them to do). If you're lucky enough to even have a guard - many libraries don't.
So if the worst thing we do is release our frustration at having to deal with the dregs of society (and, of course, many wonderful people, too, but they're not stressful) is post comments on a blog that none of them will ever read, I'd say we're doing pretty well. Otherwise, they'd have to rename the term "going librarian" instead of postal.
Here endeth the rant. :)
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