"I Have to Do My Homework"

Today was a phenomenon.
We have teenagers here all day everyday after school complaining that they are bored. They don't want to read so we give them other activities to do. LIke today, we had these Professional Pumpkin Carvers come in to show off thier work. Which was very impressive. They even made a pumpkin with a kid reading just for our library! Well, we invited all the kids to go and check it out. And they mostly said, that's boring. And then to make it even more frustrating, they would say 5 minutes later, "I'm bored." ... Teenagers....
Well, one kid came in and made me proud of the teenage world again. I invited him as he came in to the pumpkin carving extravaganza. And he actually said this, believe it or not, "No, I can't today. I have to do my homework." What!? I was so impressed, and doubtful, that I check on him periodically and yes, he was actually doing his homework. Maybe I should tell the kids that are bored to do thier homewrok since they seem to like it more than pumpkin shows...

Anti-Lingual Man and the Search for Recovery

Recovery Inc. is a group therapy program that comes to Kearns Library every Saturday to help people recovering from Depression.

Well, Anit-Lingual Man found a mystery and felt a need to solve it. Being a bit inebriated, he wobbled from employee to employee until he came to me asking about the crazy, depressed group that was meeting at the library. I told him about the program and gladly sent him back to get enrolled. We didn't quite understand if he was interested in getting some help, which we would love to grant him, or if he was about to terrorize them and tell them that crazies aren't aloud in the library... either way, we figured any help from some professionals would help.

Stay tuned as we follow Anti-Lingual Man from his search for Recovery, to, we hope, a Change of Heart....

The New Library Card

A man comes in and wants to get a new card. Yes, he had one before and lost it. I know, I know, it's one of the worst sins to lose a library card.

Well, we looked him up on the computer and he had a significant fine. He said, "Well, I want a new card."

We explained to him that he would have to pay off his fines first. He noded in understanding and walked back to our library catolog computers and we figured that was that.

He returned a few minutes later and requested a new library card.

We looked up in amazment.

"Okay, we'll have to pay the fines first and then we'll get you the new card."

He turned red, "But, I just signed up for a new card! I don't want to pay for that old one"

We almost couldn't control our laughter. People can be so creative, it amazes me.

And I Thought Being Bi-Lingual Was A Good Thing

So I have to say, I never expected this conversation. Usually, our Hispanic communtiy loves finding out that there is a person who can speak Spanish to them. Many of them still appreciate speaking english to me, but the like knowing that if ever there is something they can get across in english, they can ask me and they'll get taken care of.
Well, today, I found the Anti-Lingual Man. I was the only one at the librarian's desk and a half drunken man came to the desk. I have helped this man a few times now, but this time he stopped me and said, "I don't want any Bi-Lingual people helping me out! Everywhere I go, people are always sending bi-lingual people to talk to me. I don't want to speak to Bi-Linguals!" So I said, "Well, sir (and I want you all to understand, I have never spoken Spanish to this guy), I am the only one here right now. You can wait here until someone else comes, or I'll gladly come and help you." He grumbled the same sentence about not wanting help from bi-linguals and then I followed him to his computer to help him send an e-mail.
I looked at the screen and everything was in Spanish. he then asked me how to send an e-mail. I almost laughed my head off. How was anyone going to help him if they don't know Spanish. he even asked me what one of the phrases said...! So I told him what it meant and I showed him how to send his e-mail and I took off. If he didn't want my help, I didn't want to give it.
Well, he actually came up to my coworker a few minutes later and told her, "I don't ever want to a bi-lingual person." I just smiled. Finally, one less annoying person that I have to smile pretty for. I think I may have to do a happy dance or something.... wait, maybe not. I don't want to crack a bone.

Customer Service

So my title, until recently, was Customer Service Specialist... code word for "part of the team of people who have to deal with the angry, insane, or otherwise unpleasant people"... Having a job, even in the library... well, especially in the library, were you deal with strangeness, you're bound to have funny experiences. Here's one of my favorite.

A 9 year-old boy came up to the desk and looked into my face matter-a-factly and then he looked down at the sign on the desk which reads "Customer Service." I knew I was doomed right then and there.
I read the sign intently and then looked back up to me with a sense of authority.
He asked, "Can I have some Customer Service?"
I was impressed with the cleverness and thought I'd match his wit.
I responded, "Yes, How may I help you Today?"
He looked at me quissically, almost offended and said, "No, I want your job!"

I laughed, but he didn't when I told him I'd go take a break while he took over on his own.

Photobucket, Flikr, Shutterfly, Zoomonga... Fotki?!!

What kind of websites are these? Now photobucket I get, it's a bucket of Fotos. And Flikr.... well it does sound more like an unhygienic behavior involving mucus. But Fotki? Sounds like a naughty word... and Zoomonga? Sounds like a Japanese Anime novel about

Noah's Ark vs. Godzilla.

But hey, they're all fun web sites were you can do stuff like This!!!

When I think of turkeys, I'm also thinking about naughty, unsupervised kids

Why Did the Caterpiller Go To the Library? Because He Wanted to Be a Bookworm !!

So we have a new addition to our library pets, A June Bug. My wife found him on our front porch and instead of squishing him, we decided to keep him. When you put it like that, it's a good thing our parents don't look at us like we do bugs... I would lose with those two options (should we squish him... or keep him?).


Aren't bugs just the perfect little pets for a library? I have always thought we needed more fun pets at the library. We have shown off the awesome Tarantula, and the fun red ants and some pretty butterflies... all of which, except the tarantula (kid favorite, mother not approved ;) are all gone. We had some Gerbils.. but they've since passed on, and the birds I wanted to bring would have a hard time with librarians shooshing them all the time. But you see, Bugs don't make noise, and if they die there's a billion more just outside that you can fit into the cage before the poor kids even notice the difference...

So I like this picture. Tarantula vs June Bug. Who will win. Well, we've got big, hairy, extremely scary looking Charlotte (tarantula) in one corner. anf facing off with her, we've got Hiss (June Bug), buggy, yellow, "cute" and completely harmless but well known for it's devestating "hissy fit".... the only thing in the way of this epic fight are the butterflies, always the peace keepers they are.... oh, and yea, some glass is kinda in the way too...
Stay tuned until next time, when we see Armadillo vs. Pill Bug. Who's gonna get Rolled?!