to a few customers from today's shift..

[KellyHabersham]

*just a few incidents from work today which I just needed to get off my chest*


1. To a mom - please do not leave your kids unattended in the library while you're browsing the Internet on our public computers. Because it's rather annoying when I'm trying to get a cart shelved, and keep getting interrupted because your kids don't understand what "you need to sign up with a library card to use the computers" means. (the kids weren't purposely being sucky, but it was definitely getting on my nerves after awhile because they kept asking questions about using computers)

2. To a semi-regular male customer - it's great that you like to come in and browse the graphic novels/manga section, but please STOP leaving the books in huge stacks on the shelves. You were able to put them back before, so I'm not seeing the need to start leaving extra messes for staff to clean up. (Especially since you don't leave until close to our closing time)

[bainsidhe]

Interesting, I've actually been chewed out for trying to put books back on the shelf after I've thumbed through them. Some people have trouble with Dewey Decimal, you see. I'd just mention to him that it be a"real help" *smile smile* if he could put books back once he was through. Some people just need to be nudged.

[Sleepwalker]

I only put a book back if I remember exactly where it came from. Otherwise, I figure I am just messing the shelves up even more.

[NateTheChops]

I do know what you mean though. The same thing used to happen when I was at Rank Aid. I would hand a customer a product, they would look at it, and place it on an empty space miles from where I had pulled it off. One woman repeated the process so many times, it was a wonder I remained employed there for several months after.

[KellyHabersham]

I do know what you mean though. The same thing used to happen when I was at Rank Aid. I would hand a customer a product, they would look at it, and place it on an empty space miles from where I had pulled it off. One woman repeated the process so many times, it was a wonder I remained employed there for several months after.

I think what bugs me about this guy is that he DOES know where these books go, but apparently decided it's easier to just stack them up on the shelves. (saying this because he's been coming into the library for awhile, and only recently started leaving a mess behind)

[Kogarashi]

I never can tell what the procedure for putting books back is at any library I go to. I honestly truly loved the library at the university I attended, because every row had a differently-colored shelf at one end with a label saying "return books here." Made things quite simple there, and the librarians didn't have to get annoyed at people goofing up the Library of Congress system (no Dewey Decimal there). Our current local library has (or at least used to have) signs in the children's section saying to just leave unwanted books on the tables and the librarians would reshelve them, though at least there the books are done alphabetically rather than by Dewey Decimal/LoC.

I do remember one trick from grade school, though, that was quite useful at the school library. They didn't want to have to reshelve every book, so when I was in elementary school and we were first introduced to the library, they told us to pull out the book next to the one we were taking off the shelf, so we could remember where to put it back.

[chainedbarista]

2. To a semi-regular male customer lazy rat bastard

fixed it for you; i agree, if you know where it goes, PUT IT BACK. don't be a lazy turd. no one is your mommy and here to pick up after you exclusively; when you're finished, place it back neatly where you found it.

i do that, if i can get the books to keep the space open; pop it back in when i'm done and all is good.

[houdini]

I do remember one trick from grade school, though, that was quite useful at the school library. They didn't want to have to reshelve every book, so when I was in elementary school and we were first introduced to the library, they told us to pull out the book next to the one we were taking off the shelf, so we could remember where to put it back.

That works until you get your local friendly librarian tidying the shelves... (no sarcasm intended, I am a librarian).

I agree that I would rather have books left out than mis-shelved, but if you know where they go, PUT THEM BACK ya lazy blighter. I haven't yet had a student leaving a pile but some do leave them randomly scattered...

[LadyAndreca]

Our elementary school had gotten hold of some paint sticks and painted them bright colors as 'shelf markers'. When you took a book out, you put your stick there, so you could put the book back when you were done.

[sevendaysky]

Every primary school I attended used laminated paper bookmarks. They were long enough that they would stick out from the other books, and you knew where to put the books back. This was helpful, especially during the times when you were supposed to only take out a book during Library time and then put it back right before it was time to leave.

You could also leave it out, but you knew the librarian would give you That Look. Most people just used the laminated paper bookmarks. They were kept in small baskets all over the libraries.

[KellyHabersham]

That works until you get your local friendly librarian tidying the shelves... (no sarcasm intended, I am a librarian).

I agree that I would rather have books left out than mis-shelved, but if you know where they go, PUT THEM BACK ya lazy blighter. I haven't yet had a student leaving a pile but some do leave them randomly scattered...

Me, I'd rather deal with the mis-shelved books, because it's easier to put the shelf back in order, and at least I know that the customer is finished with the item(s). (hasn't happened as much lately, but sometimes customers will leave their books on a table/and unattended for long periods of time, and then fuss if staff picks them up)

[Seshat]

I like libraries with reshelving tables, shelves or carts. If I know exactly where the book goes (and am having a healthy day), I can put it back properly. If not, I can at least put it back in a place which signals that yes, I'm done with the book & please reshelve it.

[KellyHabersham]

I like libraries with reshelving tables, shelves or carts. If I know exactly where the book goes (and am having a healthy day), I can put it back properly. If not, I can at least put it back in a place which signals that yes, I'm done with the book & please reshelve it.

We have a basket designated for that purpose, but customers aren't too good about using it - and I have to admit that part of my gripe is that we don't have enough staff to keep up with "recovery" throughout the day, so there's unfortunately a bigger mess for whomever is scheduled for that at closing. (which is usually me on the days I work)

As for the customer I mentioned, his latest thing is to leave the graphic novels in the Spanish magazine section.........where they obviously do NOT go. And where this gets frustrating is that I don't think he actually realizes he's making extra work for staff, and since he hangs out in the library most of the day, it accumulates if one isn't constantly picking up after him.

[Jester]

I do not understand the Dewey Decimal system at all. Never have.

I also do not have any problem putting a book back precisely where it came from. Never have.

Why?

Simple. When I am done with the book, if I am not checking it out, I look at the number on the spine of the book, find the shelves that correspond to that number, put the book back in the place between the books with the higher and lower numbers (or corresponding place in the alphabet), usually where there is a space from when I took the book in the first place. Voila! No muss, no fuss. No need to understand the system, either, as long as you can figure out that a 7 is higher than a 3, and so on.

[mharbourgirl]

I do not understand the Dewey Decimal system at all. Never have.

I also do not have any problem putting a book back precisely where it came from. Never have.

Why?

Simple. When I am done with the book, if I am not checking it out, I look at the number on the spine of the book, find the shelves that correspond to that number, put the book back in the place between the books with the higher and lower numbers (or corresponding place in the alphabet), usually where there is a space from when I took the book in the first place. Voila! No muss, no fuss. No need to understand the system, either, as long as you can figure out that a 7 is higher than a 3, and so on.

That's what makes the Dewey system so awesome. It makes sense even to people who haven't spent several hundred hours studying it.

Cataloging was my favourite part of library school. I took extra courses just in that. Yeah, I'm weird, this is not news.