In the spirit of
RefGrunt, I give you my day:
Come in, realize that instead of having backup in the afternoon so I can get some frakking work done, instead I'm alone all day.
Start up patron PC's. Many of them waaaay slow. Oh crap. It was bad on Thursday, too, and I was afraid of this. We have a dying 3Com switch. Perhaps today is death day.
::We open::
Good morning, may I help you?
You have a study room booked? Bless you for booking ahead. Here's the key, may I have your ID? ...Wait, why are you handing the key to that kid and leaving? Oh, the kid is waiting for a tutor to arrive? Okay. Why didn't the tutor book the room in her name? That's SOP. Whatever...I just hope Mom comes back for her ID.
A visitor's pass to use the computers? Sure. (I print out 10, knowing the hordes are about to descend)
Visitor's pass? Sure
Visitor's pass? Sure
"How do I get your wireless access?" We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you.
"Can I have headphones." Okay, sign here.
Your computer is slow, and won't sign in?
Yours won't sign in at all? Ah. Okay. It is death day. Move to another computer, as the ones on the other switch should work fine.
"Your wireless needs rebooting!" Well, no. Read the signs. We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you.
Walk around area. Signs are mostly missing. ::sigh:: Print out more for temporary, which entails running up and down stairs to only color printer.
Wait for lull in hordes. Go downstairs to switch room. Switch is cycling off and on every 5 seconds. Death knell. Crap.
"How do I get your wireless access?" We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you.
Call Head of IT on a Saturday. Thank god he likes me. "Hi, ***. Um, that bad switch? It's dying. Yeah. Is it okay to switch the affected stations onto the VERY few ports we have available on the other 2 switches? Yes? Okay, thanks. Stand in sweltering switch room (the entire library staff area is like 80 degrees F today) for 20 minutes or so with map of patron network in one hand (thank goodness I made that map with port numbers!) and following patch cables with the other. Massive spaghetti mess of cabling. Pull all the ones I'm responsible for, leave others to fend for themselves. Return to Ref Desk.
"Can I have headphones." Okay, sign here.
Circ staff member calls up to say so-and-so regular patron needs pictures of circus animals. Okay, is the patron here? (I'm confused, as I've been back at my desk for 10-15 minutes). Just send the patron up. No, really. Stop making a fuss and send him up. I make list of books and give to patron (who I recognize - long-time patron).
Visitor's pass? Sure
"How do I get your wireless access?" We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you.
Lunchtime. Every time I want to leave, someone comes up. No lunch for me.
Quiets down...just in time for the Children's person to go to lunch (late), so that I can't. Frak.
Business picks up again. Visitor's pass? You betcha.
Study room? Well...there's like one left. Take it or leave it.
"Can I have headphones." Okay, sign here.
Friend comes in. Talk to her for a few minutes in between helping patrons.
Woman comes in with toddler in tow, plops down at PC. No toys for toddler, just sippy cup, nearly empty. I see danger ahead!
"Wireless, da?" We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you. I don't speak Russian, but we both speak stupid Microsoft, so it goes fine.
"Java won't work on this machine" Erg. It won't work on any of our patron machines, then. Damn. Okay, come to my desk, we'll do it there.
"Really?! You're so nice!" Honey, you just made my day!
Nice Sikh gentleman who was using study room asks what rules are about taking photos in library. I don't know, I just remember we had conversation about this with director and city atty. Get nice gentleman's name and number, and email director.
Visitor's pass? Sure
In between manage to respond to a dozen or more emails, 2 phone messages (including my homeowners assn board prez - I'm the secy - asking what I think about the latest bid from the fountain guy. It's cool. Sign it.)
Woman with toddler is ignoring her child while surfing pics on MySpace. Incredibly cute little girl, getting into potentially dangerous trouble. Gently try to guide little girl away from power cords and photocopier. Yes, by all means, yell at your child for banging the doors of the paper cabinet repeatedly, but don't actually get off your ass and care for your child. Bah!
Smelly guy wants USB extender, as usual. At least he knows the drill. Sign here.
Toddler starts to play with rolling chair. Chair is much bigger than she is, and looks about to tip. Mother notices not at all, until I say "honey, that's not safe, can we put that back?" in my nicest aunt voice.
She DRAGS her child back by ONE arm - I thought she was going to dislocate it! I watch, but she doesn't bother to talk to child.
Visitor's pass? Sure
"I can see your wireless. Why can't I get to Net? Do you just hate me?" I couldn't say. We have stupid proxy settings. Let me show you.
Toddler is wailing in despair, cuz mommy won't even look at her while telling her to shut up. I secretly run downstairs, check there are stations to be had in Children's area, run back upstairs. (Had to do that cuz Children's person is STILL at lunch. Bah! I don't even get lunch!) Nonchalantly walk past woman with toddler, pretend to do something at adjacent computer, then say in my perkiest voice "Hey, you know, there are stations downstairs in Children's, if you'd like to work on one while she plays with the toys" Woman gives me nasty, dirty look. Whatever, lady, if I had my druthers you'd be talking to social services. She gathers up her stuff and goes downstairs. I hope to Children's. Or better yet to spend quality time with her really very nice but neglected child.
Children's person finally gets out of lunch. I tell him about toddler lady, and ask him to find appropriate toys for little girl if he can do it quietly - Mom will likely not notice.
Call woman sponsoring the preconference I'm supposed to be doing in (frak!) 11 days. I so have no idea if I'm doing what they want. Go over it with her, shoot the breeze, she tells me it sounds fine, I breathe a bit easier. She then tells me I may or may not have wireless access. Frak! Allright. I'll get out the hand puppets. ::sigh:: Oh, yeah, and would you like to chair the IT forum? um, maybe? First I have to become a member (d'oh!). Shoot off email to appropriate person, who as it turns out is working today, too, poor lamb.
Three people done with rooms all at once, standing in line to turn in keys while I explain EBSCO to a delighted patron (finally, a delighted patron!).
Visitor's pass? Sure
Work on preconference PowerPoint a bit. It's a re-do of a class from January I wasn't entirely happy with, but which went over well. I know it can be better, but I need to figure out how...I think of a few things, which are going to eat up most of my limited free time for the next week. ::sigh::
Ooh! One of our most handsome and pleasant patrons wants a study room. You betcha! (what? I'm only human...and single)
Very sweet blond girl with funny band-aid like stickers on face in school colors asks about wireless. She looks too young to have laptop, but what do I know? I ask her what browser she's using, she says "well, I have an iMac". Ah, Safari? "Yes, that's it". Very nice gal. She takes sheet. She and friend come back few minutes later. Both very sweet. "We can't get it to work, could you help us?" Sure. They almost had it, but had to click one more thing. They are wonderfully grateful. I think it's a new toy. Very nice girls. We could use a bunch more like that here.
Visitor's pass? Sure
Grumpy, belligerent guy comes up, I charm him, he walks away happy and smiling. Ha! Don't mess with the librarian!
What do you mean it's only 4:50pm? Better start closing.
10 more minutes, then 15 to close. Then pick up take-out (no WAY I'm cooking tonight) and home to a cool G&T, my cats and my TiFaux (DVR).
Weird thing is, I love my job. What's up with that?
