It's been an odd night at Circulation, but it's Saturday night, so that should be expected.
I checked out a few books to a poor soul called Owen Owens. His parents should be shot.
I had an obnoxious girl haul three bags of books to check out onto the desk. And stand there and watched as I pulled them all out and put them back in. She did the same thing last week.
I had an enlightening conversation about Harry Potter with a girl who was working on a paper about it. We talked about the meaning of the name Voldemort and how Potter is definitely better than Twilight. Oh, and how JK Rowling will always be better, more awesome, and richer than Stephenie Meyer.
I discovered that by the end of the semester, I will have considerably more money than I expected and that the only hostel in Edinburgh that offers gender-segregated rooms is also Edinburgh's only green hostel. They are carbon neutral, not that I know what that really means.
When I was last in the back, there were two and a half carts of BP.
Everyone seems to think that Circ closes at ten. I've had at least three people ask me about it.
I met Libby's brother. He's from Ohio, so he's cool by default.
I had someone comment on the ghetto-ness of the keyboard at the handicap accessible computer. It is ghetto. And it's making my wrist hurt.
I just saw two people walk by with enough bedding for three or four beds, and I just checked out two books to a guy who looked like Chandler from Friends. Or maybe it was Joey? I don't know. I never was much of a Friends fan.
And we close in 52 minutes. And there will be much rejoicing.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Let me tell you a story about an obnoxious woman:
Awoman came in with her high-school student son. Her son forgot his ID card, and as such, we were not allowed to check out his books. This, apparently, was unacceptable to his mother (the jerk). She demanded that she apply for a library card. Her son warned her that she would have to pay, but she gruffly told him that didn't matter. In a very harried manner, she began to fill out an FOL because she didn't want to have to drive back here (it's an hour drive round trip). Meanwhile, her son filled out a 24 hour hold slip. When the mother discovered that it was a $50 donation for library privelages, she began to flip out.
"He [her son] only had to pay ten dollars!" she said.
Her son, very shame-facedly at his mother's poor manners, said that it was because he was a student. She then said she refused to pay fifty dollars and asked if I could just look him up. I explained to her that it's our policy to need his ID card to check out books to him.
"I'm his mother. Can't you use my ID card?"
Again, I explained to her that we need his ID card. I told her it was a security measure. This only made her angrier. Really, pardon me for looking out for the interest of her son's library privileges. She demanded that I look him up several more times before she demaned to talk to a supervisor. Of course, it's Saturday night, and we are supervisor-less. Again, this made her angrier. Then she looked at my name tag. "You're Sarah, right?"
I said yes ( as it was clearly written on MY nametag), and she scribbled my name down on a Due Date post-it. Then she stormed out of the library with her two sons. For both of whom I have the deepest sympathy.
So, let's take a moment to see where this crazy woman went wrong. First, she was a jerk. A really big jerk. If this weren't BYU and wasn't obligated to uphold the honor code by the picture of Harold B Lee staring me down, I'd use much stronger language. Use your imagination. If she'd been nice to me, I probably would have made an exception and looked her son up, like I did earlier for the very distrught and polite young woman who needed her books for a paper due on Monday.
Second, when you act like a psycho, people are not going to cooperate. I would definitely call her behavior suspicious and had she hung around a bit longer being a jerk, I think I may have called security because she was making me feel personally attacked. Not to mention it would have been immensely gratifying to watch her be escorted from the premises.
Third, what exactly is she going to do with my name? Is she going to call Bonnie or Jo Ann and tell them I'm following library policy too closely? That I'm doing my job too well? I sincerely hope that Bonnie/ Jo Ann tells me the aftermath of this encounter with a mad-woman.
So, if you are around when DJ, the poor high school student with braces and six or seven books to check out, comes back on Monday to check out his books, please be extra nice to him. It's not his fault his mother is crazy. And if his mom is with him, make sure you mention that it is policy to have his ID to check out books. And be really passive-aggressive about it.
Awoman came in with her high-school student son. Her son forgot his ID card, and as such, we were not allowed to check out his books. This, apparently, was unacceptable to his mother (the jerk). She demanded that she apply for a library card. Her son warned her that she would have to pay, but she gruffly told him that didn't matter. In a very harried manner, she began to fill out an FOL because she didn't want to have to drive back here (it's an hour drive round trip). Meanwhile, her son filled out a 24 hour hold slip. When the mother discovered that it was a $50 donation for library privelages, she began to flip out.
"He [her son] only had to pay ten dollars!" she said.
Her son, very shame-facedly at his mother's poor manners, said that it was because he was a student. She then said she refused to pay fifty dollars and asked if I could just look him up. I explained to her that it's our policy to need his ID card to check out books to him.
"I'm his mother. Can't you use my ID card?"
Again, I explained to her that we need his ID card. I told her it was a security measure. This only made her angrier. Really, pardon me for looking out for the interest of her son's library privileges. She demanded that I look him up several more times before she demaned to talk to a supervisor. Of course, it's Saturday night, and we are supervisor-less. Again, this made her angrier. Then she looked at my name tag. "You're Sarah, right?"
I said yes ( as it was clearly written on MY nametag), and she scribbled my name down on a Due Date post-it. Then she stormed out of the library with her two sons. For both of whom I have the deepest sympathy.
So, let's take a moment to see where this crazy woman went wrong. First, she was a jerk. A really big jerk. If this weren't BYU and wasn't obligated to uphold the honor code by the picture of Harold B Lee staring me down, I'd use much stronger language. Use your imagination. If she'd been nice to me, I probably would have made an exception and looked her son up, like I did earlier for the very distrught and polite young woman who needed her books for a paper due on Monday.
Second, when you act like a psycho, people are not going to cooperate. I would definitely call her behavior suspicious and had she hung around a bit longer being a jerk, I think I may have called security because she was making me feel personally attacked. Not to mention it would have been immensely gratifying to watch her be escorted from the premises.
Third, what exactly is she going to do with my name? Is she going to call Bonnie or Jo Ann and tell them I'm following library policy too closely? That I'm doing my job too well? I sincerely hope that Bonnie/ Jo Ann tells me the aftermath of this encounter with a mad-woman.
So, if you are around when DJ, the poor high school student with braces and six or seven books to check out, comes back on Monday to check out his books, please be extra nice to him. It's not his fault his mother is crazy. And if his mom is with him, make sure you mention that it is policy to have his ID to check out books. And be really passive-aggressive about it.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Another mind-numbingly dull night at the Circ desk. I managed to complete my Charles Dickens reading and outline a six page paper and it's only 9:30. Surprised? You shouldn't be.
The highlight of the evening thus far would have to be Amber's frantic search for her misplaced library book. You might think that a good place to lose a library book would be in a library, but you would be very wrong. She looked in all the logical places (ie the front cart, the mylar desk, by the computers) and when that failed, she searched in the illogical places, namely the copier. I don't know how her book could have gotten there, but she checked just in case. She eventually found it on one of the security carts. Huzzah.
Unfortunately for me and my Saturday night compadre, that means we have a cart of BP to do.
So Jacob, my Saturday night (please take a moment to appreciate the contradiction of terms that is Saturday night) compadre, is in the back taking care of that whilst I man the desk. Quick irrelevant tangent on etymology: does the slang term 'man' (as used above) have anything to do with the word manage? When you man something are you really just managing it? Or is it a completely unrelated word? And if it is unrelated, from where does it come?
Now to take a small poll of things at the library that bother me:
1. That stupid TV. You know the one.
2. That even more imbecilic Caffine commercial. You know the one, and you want to shoot it just as much as I do.
3. People who assume that I will remember who they are and which reserve book they checked out three hours ago.
4. The large crowds of giggly girls that seem in abundance tonight
5. The keyboard at the desk computer with the chair. I think it's fifty years (and by fifty I mean ten--which is at least fifty in computer years) older than the rest of the keyboards. And it's not nearly as cooperative.
6. The fact that I can't listen to music and have to make due with the Vienna study abroad commercial music. Or that weird 'share information' commercial music. I'm not sure which is worse.
Things that don't bother me about the library:
1. The Info Commons worker is still at Info Commons. That's right. We'll have to wait and see if she makes it until we close at the very least.
2. The fact that no one is here and I can blog/read/outline a paper as I work.
3. The really attractive and friendly boy who just checked out a few books.
Things that bother me that have nothing to do with the library:
1. Boys who move WAY to fast in order to have a relationship.
2. My contact lenses--they're not happy right now. In fact, they're quite cold.
3. Looking for housing next fall
4. Having all my papers and tests drawn out over the next month.
Okay, I'm done whining. And it's almost ten, which means it's almost closing time. Cue "Closing Time" Song.
The highlight of the evening thus far would have to be Amber's frantic search for her misplaced library book. You might think that a good place to lose a library book would be in a library, but you would be very wrong. She looked in all the logical places (ie the front cart, the mylar desk, by the computers) and when that failed, she searched in the illogical places, namely the copier. I don't know how her book could have gotten there, but she checked just in case. She eventually found it on one of the security carts. Huzzah.
Unfortunately for me and my Saturday night compadre, that means we have a cart of BP to do.
So Jacob, my Saturday night (please take a moment to appreciate the contradiction of terms that is Saturday night) compadre, is in the back taking care of that whilst I man the desk. Quick irrelevant tangent on etymology: does the slang term 'man' (as used above) have anything to do with the word manage? When you man something are you really just managing it? Or is it a completely unrelated word? And if it is unrelated, from where does it come?
Now to take a small poll of things at the library that bother me:
1. That stupid TV. You know the one.
2. That even more imbecilic Caffine commercial. You know the one, and you want to shoot it just as much as I do.
3. People who assume that I will remember who they are and which reserve book they checked out three hours ago.
4. The large crowds of giggly girls that seem in abundance tonight
5. The keyboard at the desk computer with the chair. I think it's fifty years (and by fifty I mean ten--which is at least fifty in computer years) older than the rest of the keyboards. And it's not nearly as cooperative.
6. The fact that I can't listen to music and have to make due with the Vienna study abroad commercial music. Or that weird 'share information' commercial music. I'm not sure which is worse.
Things that don't bother me about the library:
1. The Info Commons worker is still at Info Commons. That's right. We'll have to wait and see if she makes it until we close at the very least.
2. The fact that no one is here and I can blog/read/outline a paper as I work.
3. The really attractive and friendly boy who just checked out a few books.
Things that bother me that have nothing to do with the library:
1. Boys who move WAY to fast in order to have a relationship.
2. My contact lenses--they're not happy right now. In fact, they're quite cold.
3. Looking for housing next fall
4. Having all my papers and tests drawn out over the next month.
Okay, I'm done whining. And it's almost ten, which means it's almost closing time. Cue "Closing Time" Song.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Once again, we have cause for celebration in that the TV across the lobby is OFF!!!!! These truly are the best nights in the library.
Tonight, being the night before Valentine's Day and also being a Saturday, the library was relatively uninhabited. The few people in the library were few and far between which left Sarah and I bored behind the desk. Except that we were not bored. We occupied our time coloring Valentine greetings. They were beautiful. And should probably be hung up in an art museum.
It has also been rather fun looking at random pictures of guys in Sarah's ward with mustaches--or who wish they had a mustaches. The drawn-on mustaches were the best.
Surprisingly, there were still a couple of lonely souls in the library checking out reserve books. One such person came up to check out the infamous crab book and solutions manual. He has gotten these books quite a few time and has basically figured out how to work the system. However, I am no longer going to let anyone follow his stupid games. He has gotten fines for these books (and others) MANY times and has had said fines waived MANY times. He also has appeals on a couple of books which has been on his account as "claims returned" for as long as I remember him coming up to the desk. I don't believe he ever returned those books. I think he's lying. He seems to be very good at lying since he has had so many fines waived. I'm not buying it though. He now gets to pay all fines. We made a note to that effect and hopefully all our fellow coworkers will heed the note. I believe it to be necessary. He also came up with the theory tonight that since tomorrow is Sunday and also Valentines day that businesses should make exceptions to being closed so people can go on dates. It's my personal opinion that very few people share his point of view. Hence the empty library since everyone is going on their Valentines dates tonight instead of tomorrow. They find it easy to improvise. Maybe he should have done his date tonight and saved the crab book for tomorrow or better yet--Monday. It sounds like a plausible solution to me.
Tonight, being the night before Valentine's Day and also being a Saturday, the library was relatively uninhabited. The few people in the library were few and far between which left Sarah and I bored behind the desk. Except that we were not bored. We occupied our time coloring Valentine greetings. They were beautiful. And should probably be hung up in an art museum.
It has also been rather fun looking at random pictures of guys in Sarah's ward with mustaches--or who wish they had a mustaches. The drawn-on mustaches were the best.
Surprisingly, there were still a couple of lonely souls in the library checking out reserve books. One such person came up to check out the infamous crab book and solutions manual. He has gotten these books quite a few time and has basically figured out how to work the system. However, I am no longer going to let anyone follow his stupid games. He has gotten fines for these books (and others) MANY times and has had said fines waived MANY times. He also has appeals on a couple of books which has been on his account as "claims returned" for as long as I remember him coming up to the desk. I don't believe he ever returned those books. I think he's lying. He seems to be very good at lying since he has had so many fines waived. I'm not buying it though. He now gets to pay all fines. We made a note to that effect and hopefully all our fellow coworkers will heed the note. I believe it to be necessary. He also came up with the theory tonight that since tomorrow is Sunday and also Valentines day that businesses should make exceptions to being closed so people can go on dates. It's my personal opinion that very few people share his point of view. Hence the empty library since everyone is going on their Valentines dates tonight instead of tomorrow. They find it easy to improvise. Maybe he should have done his date tonight and saved the crab book for tomorrow or better yet--Monday. It sounds like a plausible solution to me.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
This is just to say
All things considered, the lonely and dull Saturday night shift was not nearly so lonely and dull as it normally is. Kim gave a beautiful recitation from Hate that Cat and I introduced her to the wonderful world of "This is just to say" spoofs. Everything was so wonderful (please note my tone of sarcasm, because you probably missed it because this is print, and not my voice) that I even drafted my own "This is just to say" spoof in honor of that lovely info commons worker in the yellow shirt who left at ten.
That's right.
Ten.
Two hours before she was supposed to go.
This is just to say:
I have left
the library
Two hours early
And am not coming back
You’ll have to deal
With my flustered patrons
Whilst I enjoy my
Saturday night
Forgive me
I knew the printers
Were going to break, so old
And so unreliable.
(Note: you can see the original poem by googling "this is just to say")
Yes. She did leave two hours early, and the printers did break. Poor Kim went to go help them and was practically accosted by an old woman in a baggy blue t-shirt and quite frightening 80's hair. Apparently, the printers took her money and didn't print her stuff. And she demanded Kim to fix the problem. Which she couldn't. Because she doesn't know anything about those printers. Not to mention, we watched Info Commons girl leave the desk right as we sent some poor UVU student over there to put a trace on a book. Poor UVU boy meandered over to the desk and then meandered out of the library without ever finding his book.
For shame, Info Commons. For shame.
In other news, Kim helped a student find a "missing" book. Really, she just helped him learn to count. He couldn't read the shelves properly. It astounds me that people can get into college without learning how to count, but then I remember that I don't know the alphabet (still) and then I suppose college isn't about teaching people new and hard to learn things, its about teaching people the basics. Again. For the fiftieth time.
Perhaps one of the more enjoyable highlights of the evening was the presence of Kim's thirteen year old brother and his friend. They hung out watching movies in the LRC whilst we slaved away and called us on several occasions to ask Kim questions. The last time he called, we decided it would be amusing for me to answer the phone in a fake british accent and tell him he had reached the british lit section of the library. Which I did. He assumed he had the wrong number and was too afraid to call back for the rest of the night.
Also in good news, the TV was off for the WHOLE NIGHT. Huzzah. Glorious, glorious silence.
That's right.
Ten.
Two hours before she was supposed to go.
This is just to say:
I have left
the library
Two hours early
And am not coming back
You’ll have to deal
With my flustered patrons
Whilst I enjoy my
Saturday night
Forgive me
I knew the printers
Were going to break, so old
And so unreliable.
(Note: you can see the original poem by googling "this is just to say")
Yes. She did leave two hours early, and the printers did break. Poor Kim went to go help them and was practically accosted by an old woman in a baggy blue t-shirt and quite frightening 80's hair. Apparently, the printers took her money and didn't print her stuff. And she demanded Kim to fix the problem. Which she couldn't. Because she doesn't know anything about those printers. Not to mention, we watched Info Commons girl leave the desk right as we sent some poor UVU student over there to put a trace on a book. Poor UVU boy meandered over to the desk and then meandered out of the library without ever finding his book.
For shame, Info Commons. For shame.
In other news, Kim helped a student find a "missing" book. Really, she just helped him learn to count. He couldn't read the shelves properly. It astounds me that people can get into college without learning how to count, but then I remember that I don't know the alphabet (still) and then I suppose college isn't about teaching people new and hard to learn things, its about teaching people the basics. Again. For the fiftieth time.
Perhaps one of the more enjoyable highlights of the evening was the presence of Kim's thirteen year old brother and his friend. They hung out watching movies in the LRC whilst we slaved away and called us on several occasions to ask Kim questions. The last time he called, we decided it would be amusing for me to answer the phone in a fake british accent and tell him he had reached the british lit section of the library. Which I did. He assumed he had the wrong number and was too afraid to call back for the rest of the night.
Also in good news, the TV was off for the WHOLE NIGHT. Huzzah. Glorious, glorious silence.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Never Again
I will never ever again work a Friday and then a Saturday in a row. It makes my brain melt and me come close to a total breakdown...
Its like the worst ever, anyway I think that I am going to just say that has for as interesting goes the later it gets the weirder the people are.
So here is the super sweet thing that we did tonight this poor guy was sent by his wife to find some books and after two hours he couldn't find them so I went and looked and found one but not both. So after he left i found the other one. so i checked it out and then we placed a hold for him.. that's how slow Saturdays are.
We also had a pilgrim and Indian run by the desk..ask Kimberly about that one.
The statues have been wrapped for the game agaisnt Utah and I think that is really silly....
So I would like to pose a question to my fellow co-workers. What is your Thanksgiving wish if you get the wishbone this year? and What was your best Thanksgiving ever?
Well when i was around 13 my grandparents came out to watch us when my mom went to visit my dad at some port-call (when the boats pulls in) at some foreign place. Well it was over thanksgiving break and my Grandparents wanted to go and visit my Aunt who lived in Glendale California at the time. So we drove from San Diego to Glendale in a cramped Truck and RV. So it was the three of us Me, my brother John and Sunnie. We had never really been to a Family Thanksgiving because we hadn't lived close enough, needless to say it was the worst one we had ever had. Not only were we treated like toddlers but we had to participate in some random traditions. Later that night we all got together and dicussed what we believed the greatest thanksgiving was.. Which is as follows
While livinig in Maine I think, My dad decided that he would sign us up to eat dinner at some OSA (i think military term) anyway they had asked for volunteers and my Father didnt want us to miss an opportunity signed us up. So come thanskgiving we didnt have anything planned for dinner and so we went to where this dinner was going to be. Well after driving through the rundown scary part of town we found it. My father went in to investiagte and came out with a grimacy look on his face. It was a dinner for the homeless veterans and it smelled strong with smoke, which makes my mom really sick. So without any dinner plans we traveled to the nearest Super Walmart and were allowed to choose on main dish item and one desseret item. My brother got a 3 gallon ice cream thing which was quite big because he was tiny then. I choose some apple pie and pototoes, My dad choose Chocolate cake and we got a turkey and some other things. When we got home and had everything made it was later at night. However I remember my dad using a cookie sheet to eat a little bit of everything desseret and then we have a picture of him leaning back in a chair, stuffed. All the kids agreed that it was the best ever.
However over seas my parents were at some asian resturant with bugs on the floors and walls telling my dads shipmates what thier worst thanksgiving was which happened to be the kids favorite. We sooned learned this a few years later when we were in Hawaii telling our thanksgiving stories to some poor college students who where celebrating with us at the time. To this day we still talk about the best/worst thanksgiving ever and how it just made our childhood that much more amazing and unlike anyone elses.
Just wait to hear my three top Christmases. They are even better!
Its like the worst ever, anyway I think that I am going to just say that has for as interesting goes the later it gets the weirder the people are.
So here is the super sweet thing that we did tonight this poor guy was sent by his wife to find some books and after two hours he couldn't find them so I went and looked and found one but not both. So after he left i found the other one. so i checked it out and then we placed a hold for him.. that's how slow Saturdays are.
We also had a pilgrim and Indian run by the desk..ask Kimberly about that one.
The statues have been wrapped for the game agaisnt Utah and I think that is really silly....
So I would like to pose a question to my fellow co-workers. What is your Thanksgiving wish if you get the wishbone this year? and What was your best Thanksgiving ever?
Well when i was around 13 my grandparents came out to watch us when my mom went to visit my dad at some port-call (when the boats pulls in) at some foreign place. Well it was over thanksgiving break and my Grandparents wanted to go and visit my Aunt who lived in Glendale California at the time. So we drove from San Diego to Glendale in a cramped Truck and RV. So it was the three of us Me, my brother John and Sunnie. We had never really been to a Family Thanksgiving because we hadn't lived close enough, needless to say it was the worst one we had ever had. Not only were we treated like toddlers but we had to participate in some random traditions. Later that night we all got together and dicussed what we believed the greatest thanksgiving was.. Which is as follows
While livinig in Maine I think, My dad decided that he would sign us up to eat dinner at some OSA (i think military term) anyway they had asked for volunteers and my Father didnt want us to miss an opportunity signed us up. So come thanskgiving we didnt have anything planned for dinner and so we went to where this dinner was going to be. Well after driving through the rundown scary part of town we found it. My father went in to investiagte and came out with a grimacy look on his face. It was a dinner for the homeless veterans and it smelled strong with smoke, which makes my mom really sick. So without any dinner plans we traveled to the nearest Super Walmart and were allowed to choose on main dish item and one desseret item. My brother got a 3 gallon ice cream thing which was quite big because he was tiny then. I choose some apple pie and pototoes, My dad choose Chocolate cake and we got a turkey and some other things. When we got home and had everything made it was later at night. However I remember my dad using a cookie sheet to eat a little bit of everything desseret and then we have a picture of him leaning back in a chair, stuffed. All the kids agreed that it was the best ever.
However over seas my parents were at some asian resturant with bugs on the floors and walls telling my dads shipmates what thier worst thanksgiving was which happened to be the kids favorite. We sooned learned this a few years later when we were in Hawaii telling our thanksgiving stories to some poor college students who where celebrating with us at the time. To this day we still talk about the best/worst thanksgiving ever and how it just made our childhood that much more amazing and unlike anyone elses.
Just wait to hear my three top Christmases. They are even better!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Oh Yes, This is Happening
I cannot believe I didn't notice this sooner!!! I had already stopped writing the blog tonight due to business, but I couldn't end the night without reporting the greatest thing that ever happened to human kind. The TV in the lobby is NOT ON!!! I repeat: the TV with the repetitive, annoying videos is NOT ON!!!!! This is now the best night ever--despite the business!!!
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