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I did something I thought I'd never do

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  • I did something I thought I'd never do

    I waved a guy's fines to get rid of him

    I work at a library. The day I was approved to work the desk, I was given a great power: the power to wave fines. I can use my own discretion for it, even. If you have a good excuse, or even just a good story, I can wave them. If you have a decent excuse but you're a total asshole, I won't do it. Like this one guy, he was a new patron, and he didn't realize that DVDs were a dollar a day late instead of twenty cents like everything else. As a result, his wife had him keep eight DVDs a week late to finish watching them instead of returning them, planning to pay elevenish dollars. Instead it was going to cost him $56. We talked for a while, I got the sense of his situation, and genuinely believed his story. I ended up charging him the elevenish dollars he thought he would pay, adding a note on his account that he had been briefed on the charges just in case it was a huge scam and he tried it again later. I had the power to do that.

    But in the seven years I've worked here on and off, I never waved somebody's fines because they would not go away. I did that recently. It was eighty freakin' cents, and this guy had absolutely no excuse.
    "I forgot to return them. Wave my fines." Uh, no. The fines are there to discourage you from forgetting.
    "I was on campus all day." WTF? From 10AM to 9PM you were on campus? "Yes." Which campus? Wouldn't say. And you couldn't go online to renew them? "No, I didn't have a computer." You could have called, too. "No, didn't have a phone."
    Bullshit. Absolute bullshit.
    There was no one behind him for me to call. I was the only one on the desk. There was nothing else I had to do that I could use to end this conversation. He just. Would. Not. Let. It. Go. I tried to use my psychic powers to make his head explode. No dice.

    Finally, I decided it was worth eighty cents just to get rid of him. I just broke. I regret it, but what's done is done. I taught a customer that if you drive me crazy hard enough, I'll give you what you want.



    ALSO, HERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO GET OFF MY CHEST BUT I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER THREAD.

    Some guy asked me how to log out of his Yahoo account.

    There was a bit of a language barrier between us, but while I was shelving books a man came up and asked for computer help. He couldn't log out of his Yahoo account. He showed me that when he closed the window, re-opened it, and went to Yahoo it was still logged in on him.

    I've never used Yahoo, and I didn't see a logout button. I told him I didn't know but I would find one of the other workers who dealt with computer problems. He kept asking and asking, I think he thought I still couldn't understand him. Finally, I interrupted him and said, "Wait here a moment," and walked away. I wasn't going to get a chance to if I didn't just cut him off.

    Seriously. Dude. It's YOUR Yahoo account. How do you normally log out? Or did you just now make it here in the library?

    Another lady was frustrated because I didn't know how to add people as friends on Facebook. I think people don't understand I'm not a librarian. I am literally trained to do nothing but check in, check out, and shelve books. Everything else I know about the library I've picked up on my own.

    I know you hear all the time that your local library can help you with just about anything. That's true. You want the ladies who work at the desks. They're the ones who are trained to run a library. They are the bastions of knowledge that you expect out of a library worker. Don't act pissy because I need to go get them. And don't look at me like I'm stupid. I'm not stupid. You didn't ask me how to itemize your deductions for your federal income tax or how many cells to draw per second to animate a television cartoon. I know that stuff.


    ...
    But in spite of it all, it's a lovely day.
    Each one of us has a special place just like the Evergreen Forest. Enchanting, sparkling, and perfect. And, like the flowers that bloom there... fragile.

  • #2
    At another library, the savvy patron waits for amnesty day to return over due books.
    "I don't have to be petty. The Universe does that for me."

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    • #3
      Okay, I know this is a threadjack, but I have a vote in for "ugliest comic baby ever" for Trillian... >_>
      My Guide to Oblivion

      "I resent the implication that I've gone mad, Sprocket."

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      • #4
        Quoth MrsEclipse View Post
        Another lady was frustrated because I didn't know how to add people as friends on Facebook. I think people don't understand I'm not a librarian. I am literally trained to do nothing but check in, check out, and shelve books.
        I don't even think it's the librarian's job to teach idiots how to use Facebook. Basic use of the computer itself if necessary (only logging on and how the mouse works), maybe. But definitely not some social networking site.

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        • #5
          Quoth strawbabies View Post
          I don't even think it's the librarian's job to teach idiots how to use Facebook. Basic use of the computer itself if necessary (only logging on and how the mouse works), maybe. But definitely not some social networking site.
          It's not really their job to teach you Facebook, but there is the prevailing idea of "if you have questions, go to the library and ask the people who work there. It's their job to help you find answers." I know that the desk people are trained to help everybody with all their questions (theoretically; in practice you can't prepare for everything.) So in this case, maybe they should help you find information about Facebook's basic functions, like a for-dummies book or a website with simple instructions they can print out for you. Or just be the first ones to introduce you to Google.

          But they are supposed to help you help yourself. If your question is "Does this rash look bad to you?" the answer is something like "Our medical health collection is now in a special location there with blue spine lables. I have the numbers for local rash specialists in this database. And here's some information to help you if you are currently uninsured. Now please pull your pants up or I will call the police."

          Quoth Ironclad Alibi View Post
          At another library, the savvy patron waits for amnesty day to return over due books.
          Oh, Unshelved. You're always there for me. Thanks for sharing, IA ^u^
          Each one of us has a special place just like the Evergreen Forest. Enchanting, sparkling, and perfect. And, like the flowers that bloom there... fragile.

          Comment


          • #6
            You should have helped them find books on Yahoo/Facebook/whatever THATs the role of a librarian... to help people find information, not to actually know everything!
            There's no such thing as a stupid question... just stupid people.

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            • #7
              I've never used Yahoo, and I didn't see a logout button.
              You have to hover your mouse over your username. Then you get a small section that shows the choices of "Account settings" and "sign out".

              but i agree it's not your job to teach people how to use websites like yahoo or fb or whatever… the only website you're responsible for knowing is your own library website system etc. cos hey not everyone uses those other sites anyway. I know people who don't use Facebook.

              "I forgot to return them. Wave my fines."


              When I have fines, I return my books and say "I'm late on these. Could you tell me what my fine is please?" and then I pay it.
              Last edited by PepperElf; 03-19-2013, 05:18 PM.

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              • #8
                For the Yahoo account the upper right hand corner has a sign in button. If you're already signed in it should say sign out.

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                • #9
                  Quoth It's me View Post
                  You should have helped them find books on Yahoo/Facebook/whatever THATs the role of a librarian... to help people find information, not to actually know everything!
                  A lot of the librarians were surprised when I started college to become an accountant instead of a librarian. I just don't have a knack for these things, especially when I'm doing one thing and a patron comes up and asks me to do another right away. I shift gears like a bad clutch. Private accountant or tax prep is much more my speed. It's weird; you can come up to me with all your small business files and I'll hammer it out with you and see how much money you get/owe, but ask me to log out of an online service I've never used and I'll just stare at the screen all "duhhhhh I dunno ."

                  When I first started here (like in 2004) me and the other hourly employees weren't actually supposed to answer questions. We were hired to shelve books an that's it- it was much more efficient to have the shelvers shelve and the librarians talk with patrons. Now, though, the lines's much more blurry; we can be approved to work the desk, and we are encouraged to help as best we can, but it's all up to our own abilities no extra training was given except for the desk. And the second part wasn't actually an official change in rules, more of a shift in attitude. And I do NOT do well with vague suggestions. I'm very literal and exact in all manner of things.


                  And of course, as soon as the problem was resolved, my brain is all, "Well, aren't you a piece of work? All you had to do was xxx xxx xx---"
                  "Shut up brain, that's just over and done with. I need to put this shelf in order before I can put this book away, somebody trashed it."
                  "Okay. But you need to know for next time--"
                  "Yeah, but next time is in the future. This project is NOW. Can we concentrate?"
                  "I'm just sayin' is all..."
                  Each one of us has a special place just like the Evergreen Forest. Enchanting, sparkling, and perfect. And, like the flowers that bloom there... fragile.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth Brojekk View Post
                    For the Yahoo account the upper right hand corner has a sign in button. If you're already signed in it should say sign out.
                    kinda. the upper right is where your username is - but when you hover the mouse there you get the option to sign out or access your account info

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                    • #11
                      RE: The Yahoo thing.

                      Note also that when you sign in there is a check box that is unchecked by default asking if you want the computer to remember your password.

                      So basically the only reason that patrons Yahoo account was coming up by default is because he clicked the box asking the computer to store his password on that computer when he signed in. If he had not checked that box he would have been automatically signed out as soon as he closed the window.
                      You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth PepperElf View Post
                        When I have fines, I return my books and say "I'm late on these. Could you tell me what my fine is please?" and then I pay it.
                        That's because you're a decent, intelligent person who can process things like "consciousness", "thought", and "maybe I should go to the bathroom instead of just pooping right here in my pants." If we could upload your brain into most SCs, the site would cease to exist!
                        "That's too bad. Hospitals aren't fun to fight through."
                        "What IS fun to fight through?"
                        "Gardens. Electronics shops. Antique stores, but only if they're classy."

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