Not your usual library staff meeting...

Have to make sure his baby is ready for the summer...

In lieu of our boring monthly staff meeting, my branch manager sent out an email saying that we are having a surprise baby shower for my supervisor.  His wife is due any day now, so my work schedule is up in the air since I may need to cover a shift or two.

On another note, my literacy council student passed his citizenship test and is officially an American!  I didn't realize how much I had forgotten about the government and civics until I was helping him prepare for the process.  "Name a power that belongs to the state" --- what now!??

Looking for Love in the Library...

I am the library man-whore.

Librarians love to find and share information, it's their job.  So it should come as no surprise that they love to gossip.  A former coworker who transferred to Tech Ops stopped by the branch last week and told me that she heard that me and coworker/friend #2 were dating.  She doesn't remember who told her, but she said it wasn't anyone from my branch.  WTH, other branches are talking about me and my love life!??  This isn't the first time, I've been associated with a coworker/friend.  My former coworker/friend #1 was also romantically linked to me and everyone secretly thought "it was cute."  This went on unknown to me for a few months before I burst their bubble.

This hasn't happened at just this particular library system either, when I was working Sundays for the City my coworkers and supervisor thought I was dating another coworker/friend because we would take breaks together and hang out outside of work.  Okay, I can kind of understand her because she was/is kind of flirty, but irregardless!  And every time I visit my first branch, the first thing the ladies ask is, "are you still dating the same girl?"  They've never met any of my past girlfriends, but yet it's always the first thing they say to me.  Guess they've heard through the library grapevine that I get around.  Thankfully, I've dodged any and all of their matchmaking attempts.  It's actually pretty easy to do, I just change the subject to either 3 topics: grandchildren, cats, or sewing, or if I'm up for a challenge I ask about them sewing for their grandchildren.

I'm worried about what they say when they see me talking to my info BFF who's married.  Actually, I'm worried about any female coworker who is seen talking to me, it's the whole guilty by association thing.  My friends at work are taking bets on who my latest library conquest will be.  I guess I shouldn't really complain, when I first started at this branch, a few coworkers later told me they thought I was gay because the way I dressed.  Thanks for the compliment, I guess???

Older Coworkers, Always There to Make Things Awkward...

It started before our staff meeting. I try to get to the conference room early so I can pick the best seat AKA the one farthest from any manager. My Info BFF came in and sat 6 seats down from me and announced to the few of us in the room that it was best she didn't sit next to me. I told everyone that that was messed up and she said I would get her in trouble by making her laugh. I mean, how else are you supposed to survive boring ass meetings if you don't make inappropriate side comments to the people sitting next to you.

During the last hour on the circ desk, a middle aged woman came up to the desk to register for a new card. It was a typical transaction, she didn't want to damage her fancy nails so she asked if I could attach her keychain card to her key holder. Afterwards she asked where the language section was and I told her to check the 428's. She came back to the desk with some items to check out and I let her know how to renew and all that good stuff. She was a little touchy feely, hands on the arms when she kept saying "thanks," and touching my hand when I handed her books or her card. When she walked out I turned around to see my coworker giving me a look. She was looking at me over her glasses, her look said, "better be careful with that one." I was like you don't have to say anything. This patron is the type who dresses 20 years younger than her age and she happens to be 20 years older than me.

Which reminds me of a time I helped a similar type patron and my coworker working the desk with me came up to me and said, "I don't care if I'm off the desk or on my lunch break, the next time she comes back to the desk, I'd be more than glad to help her." I had no idea how to respond to that considering he's my parents' age and he's married with two kids. I can't talk to him like that or about stuff like that, that's just awwkkwwaarrrdddd.

I <3 my Coworkers...

Because they feed me.

Week in Review

So I've been at my temporary branch for a week now and have a pretty good feel for the place.

Overall, it's an "okay" branch.  I wouldn't be willing to stay here permanently. 

The patrons are more patient, I guess they've been trained to be that way with 3 self check out machines and only 1 full service computer.  Lines can get pretty long in a short amount of time, but I have never seen or heard any complaints about the wait.  That is completely different than my home branch.  If a person has to wait for 30 seconds for assistance, they go into full ballistic mode. 

The branch is set up like a big square with the stacks on opposites sides, so there really isn't any where to hide.  I'm not saying I hide all the time, but it is a good distraction to disappear into the stacks for a few.

The backroom set up is wide open, it's not the cubicle farm I've come to like.  Info and Circ staff are interspersed among each other but there isn't much interaction between the two camps.  At least we joke around and talk to each other at my branch.

Even though I already have a maternal coworker at this branch, I'm counting down the days to go back to my original ones...

You Are What You Eat.

There's currently a County wide health competition going on between all the different agencies. Much like the episode of "The Office" where all of the Dundler Mifflin offices see which can lose the most weight. I was asked to join our branch's team. And I totally would have, honestly(!), even for the free t-shirt and pedometer, but I would not have enough time to devote to it. Plus I'm a self proclaimed fat ass and I would be the weakest link.
But I'm not sure how "our team" expects to win when you walk into the break room every day and find these goodies sitting there calling your name.