Name change

So I changed the name of this blog, of which I'm sure I'm the only reader, because I'm no longer a "proto librarian" and "post proto librarian" was way too clunky.

I am now almost at my 9 month anniversary as a YS department head, which kind of blows my mind. We're also 4 days away from concluding summer reading---hallelujah! It's been hectic and crazy and mostly fun, except for having to discipline unruly skatepunks in the library, etc.

And on that note, let me now rant about horrible patrons in all their forms....

1. Last night's guy who completely monopolized the time of the adult services librarian, using her to teach him how to use a computer to do God knows what. Then he of course ignored our 8:45 PM announcement that we were closing in 15 minutes, please return your laptops, check out your materials, blah blah blah. At 9:05 PM he ambled up to turn in his laptop, then went back to use the bathroom. HEY BUDDY: the library staff have lives too, and we'd like to get back to them before we have to be back here in 12 hours. A**hole.

2. The passive-aggressive "art researcher" who, like Mr. Man above, waits until the ultimate last minute and beyond to ask for obscure books that NO library has and then gets upset about it. Several times a week.

3. The tweenagers who came up with a petition to have another tweenager "banned" from a program, because she was noisy and obnoxious. This from the kids who DEFINE the word "obnoxious". No can do, kiddos; we all have to play nice in this public space or else GO HOME!

4. The comment card-filler-outers who have lots and lots of opinions. Some recent comments:
"Have kids learning to read clubs".
Um, do you mean storytimes? We have at least 7 of those every week. If you mean kids' book clubs, we have those too! READ our newsletter or LOOK at our website, PLEASE!
"Have a loveseat where parents can read to kids. We can't fit into the chairs."
Okay, I sympathize with this. We had to toss our old heinous beanbag chairs because they were gross & damaged. The problem with a loveseat is that we have alot of "early-maturing" kids here after school (and now in summer, all day long) and we really don't want to have an ACTUAL "love" seat, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.
"Get more videogames."
Again, I sympathize. I buy games all the time, they get stolen. Games can cost up to $50 a pop, and my budget isn't that big. 'Nuff said. Want more games? STOP STEALING THEM.

5. Finally, my least favorite "patrons" of all---the pigs. YOU know who you are, you people who dump puzzles out to do with their 2 year olds and then don't put them away. You also leave empty Dorito bags stuffed into the non-fiction stacks. Yesterday one of you bled all over the toilet seat and didn't bother to clean up after yourself. (They didn't teach us about biohazards in library school, amazingly.) You leave things everywhere--crumpled pieces of paper, gum wads, empty cups, God knows what. You dump unwanted books everywhere, despite the presence of carts provided for exactly this purpose. You let your kids play with our small collection of toys and don't make them clean up after themselves--no doubt training them to be like you. Pigs, the world is your ashtray, your garbage can, your toilet---and the library is no exception.

Okay I feel better now. On to another day of public service!