40 hours

The library has bumped me up from 32 hours a week to 40. This became official at the beginning of last week, but since last Monday was a holiday I didn’t work 40 hours. So this week will be the test. I haven’t worked 40 hours a week since I had that low-paying office job between college and grad school. I quit that job in December 2003 when I moved to Vancouver, BC, so it has been more than four years since I truly worked full-time. It will definitely take some getting used to. Less time for hiking, traveling, photography, and reading. But more money, which is good. Especially since I had my taxes done this week and had quite a shock when I found out how much I owed. I promptly sent a revised W-4 to the finance office to have more money withheld from my paycheck. This is the second year in a row I’ve owed a huge chunk of money, and I’m not going through this again!

Baked potatoes

A conversation I had with an elderly-sounding man who called the library this evening:

Patron: “I’m using this new microwave here and I don’t know how long to cook my potato for.”

Me: [Pause, while my wheels turn. This is not at all the kind of question I normally get on the phone.] “You want to know how long you should microwave a baked potato?”

Patron: “Yeah. It’s about 2 inches by 6 inches and I don’t know how long it should be in there for.”

Me: [Trying not to laugh] “Okay, let me see what I can find.” [I do a quick Google search] “Looks like five minutes on high should do it.”

Patron: “For an average-sized potato?”

Me: “Yup, according to this web site. Now don’t forget to poke holes in it so it won’t explode in the microwave.”

Patron: [Chuckles as if to say, "Everybody knows that."] “Alrighty, thank you!”

That’s the kind of phone call that makes me love my job.

Printing hassles

With the new time and print management software we installed on the public computers at the library, printing has become infinitely more complicated for some patrons. I agree that the old way was more simple, but the old way relied on the honor system for paying. During one busy five-hour Saturday a few weeks ago, there was less than a dollar in the print jar at the end of the day.

So now you have to print your document from your computer, go to the print release station, log-in with your library card number, select your print job(s), click the Print button, tell the computer how you intend to pay (a bone of contention for some patrons, since we only accept bills and coins at this point and not credit/debit cards), insert your money in the coin and bill acceptor, and then the printer will release your precious document. Yeah, it sucks. I’m sorry. Life is unfair.

Some people have a WAY harder time with all this than other people. The other day a woman said to me incredulously, “This is supposed to be more efficient?” Actually, no. We weren’t going for efficiency, we were going for accountability. Some people get so frustrated with the multi-step process that they give up in disgust and declare that they’re going to Kinko’s or they’re going straight to Costco to buy their own printer. I am often baffled by the immense anger and frustration some patrons display, especially since I am patiently and calmly showing them exactly what to do, and I will gladly do it again next time they come in, if they want.

This morning a woman was standing in front of the print release station looking confused. She wanted to put her money in the coin and bill acceptor to get her print-outs, “like I did yesterday,” she said. But when I tried to show her how she also needed to log-in to the print release computer so it knew WHOSE jobs were being paid for, she lost her patience and threw up her hands in disgust, turning her back on me and walking back to her computer without getting her print-outs. Great. Thank you for your patience. Have a wonderful day.

So scared I peed

On Monday after visiting some waterfalls, I was using one of two stinky vault toilets in the parking lot. There was no one else around, so I didn’t bother locking the door. Greg didn’t know I had gone in that one, though, and opened the door on me. I was so startled I screamed and peed a little on myself. Greg beat a hasty retreat to the other toilet with many repetitions of “Sorry! Sorry!” I thought it was funny, though. I guess you had to be there.

Storytime

Earlier this week, I got a call from one of my on-call libraries asking if I could fill in at the last minute on Friday. I had the day off, so I agreed. Then I got another call from them, asking if I could do preschool storytime while I was there. Storytime? I have never done a storytime, and haven’t even watched one in its entirety. But I agreed to that as well, figuring that it was good experience and it could actually be fun.

So I woke up yesterday morning ready to read aloud and sing songs and be high energy. With Valentine’s Day next week, the theme was “love.” We opened with a song everyone knows (ironically, I chose “Eensy weensy spider” which is a fun song I love despite my fear and hatred for spiders). Then I read some Valentine’s and love books, interspersed with Valentine’s songs. The kids were great, and they didn’t start to get restless until the end, which is to be expected. They were pretty cute, especially when I read about Clifford’s puppy adventures at the post office on Valentine’s Day. When Clifford fell down the mail chute, the text (and I) said “Uh-oh!” after which the kids all responded in unison “Uh-oh!” as if I had prompted them! Cute!

So, good experience, and it was fun and I’d do it again if I had to. I still know I’m not cut out to be a children’s librarian, but doing something like storytime is no problem.

I’m a regular

I was amused to realize this morning that I have now become a regular at my local coffee shop. I walked in, put my book on the comfy chair by the window and hung up my coat, and as I walked towards the counter, I heard the barista tell the new guy, “I’m guessing she’ll order a bagel with cream cheese and an English Breakfast tea.” This is indeed what I order 9 times out of 10 when I go there, and I laughed as I approached, saying “That’s exactly what I’ll have!”

What with being sick, and being busy, I haven’t been in there very regularly lately. Maybe once every 10 days or so. So I’m impressed with her memory, considering how many different customers she must serve every day. Working in libraries where I have come to know and recognize the regulars, I find it amusing that I have become one!

System unavailable

In the library world, we create so many signs that people never read. Maybe we’re overloading people with all our signage. But hey, we’re just trying to be helpful! Nevertheless, the non-reading-of-the-signs that takes place sometimes really blows my mind.

We have two self check-out machines at the check-out desk where patrons can check out their own materials (except DVDs). Right now they are not working because of a glitch with the new software. There are big red and yellow signs covering the monitors saying “System Unavailable”. But I’ve lost track of the number of people who have walked up and tried to scan their library cards at the self-checks. What really gets me is that it often takes people several moments to realize why their card won’t scan. It’s not like they’re looking at a black monitor and wondering why their account won’t pop up. The monitor has a big sign on it saying they can’t do what they’re trying to do! Sometimes people have to be told by the staff behind the desk that the computers aren’t working. WOW.