So the assistant branch manager walked into the backroom and turned to me and a coworker and exclaimed, "I love this job," while rolling her eyes.
A patron was sitting at a public computer reserved for another patron and she walked up to the guy and told him that the computer is being reserved for someone else and that he would have to sit somewhere else. He responds by cussing her out and turning off the computer. The patron who was waiting for the computer told her that she should ban that patron. She said, "Unfortunately, he just exercising his First Amendment Rights."
Yeah, sure, but I didn't know that being a complete a-hole was also a clause. If I was in her shoes, I'm not so sure I would have responded like that. I probably would have punched him in the face and asked, "Why the eff did you just do that??" If I had the authority to single-handedly ban patrons whom I deemed fit, let's just say I would have a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Indeed, a big reason public librarianship is not for me. If one of those public patrons had done that crap in one of our public access computers (yes, we have to provide some access, which we do in the form of two public computers), campus police would have been called, and the guy taken away in handcuffs. No ands, ifs, or buts. College librarianship has its days, but at least campus police is a phone call away, and as they say, "we are very happy to come over."
ReplyDeleteYou can't punch them, that's assault, brotha!
ReplyDeleteWhat I like to do is this: just boot everyone from the wifi and internet management system. See how they flee when they can't check their precious Bookface :)
DANCESWITHBOOKS,
ReplyDeleteI feel like everyone in the library field should work at a public library just to say you have. It's the same way I feel about working retail, everyone should just to know how BAD it can really be. Oh, by the way, you are now my go-to person for any academic librarianship questions I may have.
SHUSHIE,
"I mean you punch them in the f-ing head emotionally"
Yeah, forreal forreal, whenever the public internet goes down, I feel like charging patrons $5 to update their status via my Blackberry.