Monday, February 23, 2009
Look You
I'm not throwing away old magazines. I'm a professional librarian, for heaven's sake. I'm deaccessioning superannuated serial publications.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Seen a kid? Sure.
He rode a scooter into the library, so I was not exactly favorably disposed towards him. The young man, after dismounting and being reminded about riding in the library, he asked if we had seen a kid. It was about 30 minutes after opening on a busy Sunday, we told him, we've seen lots of kids.
"About yea tall?" he clarified, holding his hand palm-down at eye level.
I shrugged. My colleage shrugged.
"Curly hair? More shrugs. "Well, kind of curly." Again with the shrugs.
Sensing that he wasn't going to give up soon, my colleage recommended that he look around for his friend since there were too many people here for us to take notice of everybody. Dejectedly, he scootered off. I chased him down to remind him of the conversation we'd had not three minutes previously about not riding scooters in the library.
"Oh, sorry," he said, dismounting. "Hey! You seen a kid, 'bout yea tall?"
"About yea tall?" he clarified, holding his hand palm-down at eye level.
I shrugged. My colleage shrugged.
"Curly hair? More shrugs. "Well, kind of curly." Again with the shrugs.
Sensing that he wasn't going to give up soon, my colleage recommended that he look around for his friend since there were too many people here for us to take notice of everybody. Dejectedly, he scootered off. I chased him down to remind him of the conversation we'd had not three minutes previously about not riding scooters in the library.
"Oh, sorry," he said, dismounting. "Hey! You seen a kid, 'bout yea tall?"
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Irony so thick and creamy it could be a dessert topping
Monday, February 2, 2009
The cover is blue, I think
The young man wanted a particulr book about Norse mythology. The cover was blue, he was pretty sure. I took him to our section that has Norse mythology. Lots of borrowed, nothing blue. I was pretty polite when he asked if we could Interlibrary loan this item for him.
A theme was established later when he came back looking for a collection of Thor comic books.
A theme was established later when he came back looking for a collection of Thor comic books.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Suddenly I'm the Jerk
A guy came up to the desk inquiring about free dental care. Actually, he said he needed a dentist. Quickly applying my RefSkillz, I ascertained that he lived in the immediate area and prepared a listing of local dentists using the excellent ReferenceUSA database. Printing it out, I noted which dentists were closest to DeskSlaveCentral.
"Are they free?" he asked, grabbing the proffered sheet of paper.
"Kinda doubt it."
He dropped the paper and fixed me with a "you dumbass" look. The look was practiced, like he spent a lot of time putting up with idiots like me who were unfamiliar with deep subtext and mind reading.
"It's gotta be free," he sneered, "I can't pay for no dentist."
I was inclined tell him that I couldn't either and you didn't see me whining about it. Instead, I told him that I'd see what I could do, but I held out little hope. I also asked him to check back in a while since the would-be reference customers were stacking up. At this point, he became like the paperboy in the John Cusack movie "Better Off Dead" where he keeps cropping up every few scenes wanting his two dollars. He kept circling back, giving me the hairy eyeball every few minutes.
Eventually I found several low-cost dental outfits that serve uninsured, low-income people. During the next stinkeye pass, I handed him the list, being careful to note that none of the listed places would be without charge.
I thought that would be the end of it. But he was back an hour later to give me hell because none of the numbers I gave him offered free dentistry.
"Are they free?" he asked, grabbing the proffered sheet of paper.
"Kinda doubt it."
He dropped the paper and fixed me with a "you dumbass" look. The look was practiced, like he spent a lot of time putting up with idiots like me who were unfamiliar with deep subtext and mind reading.
"It's gotta be free," he sneered, "I can't pay for no dentist."
I was inclined tell him that I couldn't either and you didn't see me whining about it. Instead, I told him that I'd see what I could do, but I held out little hope. I also asked him to check back in a while since the would-be reference customers were stacking up. At this point, he became like the paperboy in the John Cusack movie "Better Off Dead" where he keeps cropping up every few scenes wanting his two dollars. He kept circling back, giving me the hairy eyeball every few minutes.
Eventually I found several low-cost dental outfits that serve uninsured, low-income people. During the next stinkeye pass, I handed him the list, being careful to note that none of the listed places would be without charge.
I thought that would be the end of it. But he was back an hour later to give me hell because none of the numbers I gave him offered free dentistry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)