<< libraries are for cell phones! >>
2005-10-16 - 11:47 a.m.

I think I'm officially a librarian now. I have entered the ranks of the complained about.

On Thursday, we'd already had to call security twice, once for a car break-in in our parking lot in broad daylight, and once for a physical fight between library patrons.(1) While security was still trying to sort out the patron fight, there was a guy on the floor in front of the elevator, screaming into his cell phone. One of the clerks had asked him twice to take it outside, but he just ignored her. So I went over and asked him again to take it outside, and he actually gave me the hand and said, "Hey, I'm talking here." So I told him that I'd ask security to talk to him about it instead.

He high-tailed it out of there before security could walk over. The next day, he called to claim that I had been "condescending" to him. I had smiled politely, so there you go.

People, I swear. I could chop them up in tiny pieces and put them in a stew. Or, deliver outstanding reference and readers' advisory services! It's their choice, really.

My supervisor came into the library yesterday and said, "Sounds like you had quite a day in here on Thursday." I said we had, and that I was sorry the patron had gotten so upset. She said, "Some people are always upset. I would have done exactly the same thing."

The really offensive thing about the whole situation was Cell Phone Dude's official description of me: "the young, thin, red-headed librarian in her 30's."

Please. I'm only 29, and I like to think I look better than some people my age.


1. In this case, an older, probably homeless man, and a young woman with a kid. Seriously.

One theory for all the recent violence at our branch is that the park across the street from our library is famous among street people throughout the city for having fantastic mushrooms this time of year. Last year, all the library staff even got special training on how to deal with patrons who might be hallucinating. Which is cool because sometimes just dealing with the same old drunk/junkie patrons gets really boring.



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