Google can't replace Librarians because Patrons don't go beyond the front page.

Last week on the info desk, I got a call from a paralegal 1,000 miles away.  She was referred to the library and my branch specifically from someone she talked to at the "county clerk's office."  I could tell that she only phoned us out of sheer exasperation and she didn't expect me to really help her.  She lead in with, "I don't have much information, but I just wanted to see what you can find," --- Challenge accepted.

She was calling from some law firm and she only had a first and last name, with a partial address and phone number.  It was basically the same information you would get if you Google someone's first and last name and are shown a bunch of sites that promise to give you that person's complete information for a nominal fee.  You know what I'm talking about, don't act like you haven't Google-stalked someone before!  Well, this is obviously the farthest she tried herself before she called the county clerk's office.  Her phone call to the clerk's office was unfruitful and I honestly thought to myself, "If they couldn't find anything and they have all that info, I'm not sure what more I can do."   I don't know why she called my branch, there are three other branches that were closer in proximity to the partial address, I can only narrow it down to kismet because quite frankly, if she got any of my other coworkers, they probably would not have offered to go as far as I did.

She asked if I could check any of the phone directories we had.  It honestly took me a second to remember where they were located, they don't get much use --- shocker.  I wasn't able to find anything in them and again sounded like she expected that result.  I told her that I would be off the desk in 5 minutes and would be more than willing to search further for her and the response I got was equivalent to, "Sure, kid, if you want to give it a try, go ahead."  No lie, it took me about 5 minutes to find the person's full address and phone number using several sites on the internet and the county's public information on land taxes.  To break it down, 2 minutes to find the information and 3 to verify it.

Could a non-librarian have found the info, yes.   Anyone could have if they knew how to research properly.  With the glut of information on the internet and some search results equating to hundreds and hundreds of page results, patrons rarely make it past the front page.  In my email to her, I told her how I went about finding and verifying the information --- the whole teach a person to fish proverb.

After I got her response telling me how "great" I am, I was almost half tempted to ask if they were hiring...

Mo' Library, Mo' Problems...

My branch is newly remodeled, just re-opened last summer.  It is twice as large as the old building, from 3 internet PC's to 20.  We are still getting the oooh and aaah compliments from patrons who only visit when their internet is down.

Now that the building has had time to settle and put through its paces, the flaws are starting to come through.  A few of the hanging signs have decided to break free and swing dangerously above patrons' heads.  Good job to the person who thought of having sharp cornered metal signs hanging above!  Whenever the front doors open a blast of cold air hits the circ and info desk unabated, that and it seems that leaves tend to prefer the lobby than the outdoors.

Now the phones are on the fritz.  "Can I hear you now?"  --Actually no, I couldn't because your calls won't go through.  I never realized how much slower the day goes by on the desk without getting any incoming calls from patrons.

Rules of Circ #3 (RoC)

"Can You Hear Me Now?"

It's a cultural norm that libraries are relatively quiet zones, at least here in the States.  So I can forgive those who are new to public libraries, I have had to explain how the library works to several people who registered for their first library cards --- "No, it is for free (I know, I know, nothing is for free, but I don't have the time to give them the whole economics spiel)... You have to bring back the books..."  Most individuals know that it isn't "proper" to yell/talk loudly/carry a 20 minute conversation on your cell about what you had for breakfast.  Now libraries have adapted with the times; I'm sure back in the day there were signs that asked patrons to set their beepers to vibrate and now the signs ask to silence cell phones.  But who the hell am I kidding, who reads signs in the library anyways, not like any of them are into reading!??!

You still get the inconsiderate patrons who DON'T silence their ringers and who still hold loud conversations.  I will also give a temporary library pass to those not who are technologically challenged.  There are some patrons who do not know how to lower their ringer and you see them struggling with their phones pushing every single button BUT the right one.  Then when the call goes to voice mail, they look at you apologetically and mouth, "I'm sorry."  You also get those patrons who think they hit the button to lower their volume but they end up having a conversation through speakerphone for all the library to hear.


Taking your conversations to the stacks does not make the matter any better.  You cannot use the shelves as a form of sound deadening, they are not acoustically tuned to block out your incessant chattering.  It's even worse when they're blabbing on their phone while attempting to checking out.  They realize they have a fee and you're trying to explain to them what's overdue, how much is owed, when materials are due back, but they still insist on multitasking.  HANG UP THE DAMN PHONE.  A one minute transaction ends up taking 5 minutes.  Stop wasting everyone's time, I'm sure the other person on the line can live for a minute or two without the digital umbilical cord.

Ringtone context also does not matter.  I don't care if you have one of the latest "Top 50" crap they play back to back on the radio as your ringtone, no one wants to hear it in the library.  That goes the same for the "sophisticated" types with your classical ringtone in MIDI format.  No offense to Beethoven or his 5th Symphony, but your highly refined taste in music does not make it acceptable to have it blaring from the Blackberry on your hip.  Yeah, even nature ringtones are annoying, nobody enjoys the sounds of crickets... nobody.

Daily Scheduling 101

How in the hell did my manager become a "manager" in the first place?!?
There are 7 people working in the Circ side when we opened up this Monday morning. It was just myself and one coworker on the circ desk the first hour. Why in the world did we also have the phones out there as well when there were 5, FIVE, people in the backroom??? Not only did my coworker and I have to deal with overnight bookdrop, and assisting people at the Circ desk, but to also handle the phone calls coming into the branch was too much.

Gotta Love Working the Phones

Since I had the phones last from yesterday, they were still transferring to my phone this morning. So at 9:59 as I was about to head to the Circ desk my phone rings:



Me: Good morning, so-and-so Library, how may I help you?

Lady: (chuckles) Well I was expecting to get a female like most other times.

Me: (laughs along with her, thinking to myself I really need to stop procrastinating and write about the Library being a "Woman's World.")

Lady: Now that I think about it, I'm glad I reached a guy.

Me: Sure, I'd be glad to help you.

Lady: (chuckles) Alright well, when you have a female cat and you "get it done" its called "spaying" right?

Me: Yes ma'am.

Lady: Well, what is it called when you do it to a male pet? You know, neuter a dog, when you chop off its nuts.

Me: You're correct, its called "neutering."

Lady: Are you sure?

Me: Yes ma'am I am sure.

Lady: (chuckles) Great! Thanks a lot.

hangs up...



I guess its better than the phone call I received from an elderly lady who requested a female coworker to speak with. I transferred it over to my friend, who later comes back to my cubicle to tell me the caller was looking for books about puberty for her granddaughter. Better my coworker to handle that particular call than me.

Last hour

There are not many things as fine as working the phones during the last hour on a busy day such as a Saturday. While my coworkers have to deal with the always predictable last minute deluge of checkouts, I am back safely in my cubicle counting down the minutes. Why is there always a group of people who wait til we start turning off the lights to run to the check out desk with their arms full of books?

Correction, one last minute phone call for a renewal.

Spent my last hour working the phones and not one call... At least I got today's online crosswords done.

They callin' me...

Why is it that whenever I'm scheduled to cover the phones, there are long periods where no one calls. The second after I get a call, someone else calls right then and there. Oh, and I'm posting this during my telephone coverage hour... Multitasking is fantastic.

What's in a Name? part 1

There's not much to do during down times at the library, you could read but why would you want to do that?
I have resorted to people watching from the circ desk. I have also gotten very good at guessing patrons ages +/- 3 years, but it only works for female patrons. Needless to say I get bored at work often (see exhibit 1a: photo album of the library).
It's even worse when I'm not working the desk. So what to do when I'm working the phones? Well, I do have the library's entire database at my disposal. I began to query odd names to see what hits I would get. It just started out as something to give off the appearance that I am actually doing backroom work to anyone who passes by but when I realized how many 'unusual' names there are, I started to write them all down.
Aided by my PICAW (partner in crime at work), Rebecca, we've come up with a pretty impressive list so far: first and middle names only. There are only so many people in the library database so this is not as extensive or thoroughly researched as the one case in Freakonomics. But it is funny to see what names do come up, they are all broken down by topic and there are several sections.

So what is in a name? Apparently, geographic locations are very popular. Is it because it is the place of their conception? Birth? I don't know, maybe I'll ask Denmark next time. But we do have a well-represented United Nations in the library system.


Geographic Locations
Africa
America
Antigua
Argentina
Asia
Austria
Bari
Benin
Bolivia
Brazil
Burma
Canada
Chad
China
Cuba
Denmark
Dominica
Egypt
England
Eritrea
Ethiopia
France
India
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italia
Jordan
Kenya
Mali
Milan
Niger
Oman
Paris
Romania
Rome
Somalia
Spain
Sudan
Tonga
Trinidad
Tunisia
Wales
Zaire
Zambia

States
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Montana
Nevada
Virginia
Washington

Librarians Against Renewal Driving

One of my coworkers was working the in house telephones one day when he got a call from a patron asking to renew their books. It was obvious they were calling from their cell phone---in their car---while driving. I have no idea what possessed this person to think that they really should be renewing their books while maneuvering a one ton, explosive gasoline driven metal projectile of possible carnage. Well, this patron was so engrossed in reading off their library card number that they did not notice that they were driving through a red light and they got into an accident. I wouldn't be surprised if this super-genius had a key card and they were trying to read off the numbers from the ignition. The last thing people should be worrying about while driving is renewing their books. Please don't ever call me while I am working the phone lines when you are driving or I will hang up on you without hesitation. Oh, don't worry, their overdues got renewed.
- a message from LARD, Librarians Against Renewal Driving.