General Conference head-to-head with Sister Bolton! Can they stump me? Did they even bother to take notes? That was probably the main message of the day...Listen to conference and TAKE NOTES!!! Yes, I beat them, 9 to 6, but I felt that wasn't really bad. I think we went around the room 3-4 times. The most points any one student got was two and, as it was, we had to have a tie-breaker. I gave the winner a $10 Sonic Gift Card. I know, generous, but I really wanted to get them invested in Conference. As it is, this week for Devotionals they're supposed to talk about their conference experiences. Already, the first one of the week was pretty powerful. They're listening, and not just with their ears! I really love Conference, but I also really love to see the power of it in the lives of my students.
Work was interesting today, mainly because the front desk's full-time staff member is on vacation this week. It was pretty much the Head Librarian and myself alone up there until the Dude got in at noon. Students are really busy working on school projects here in the afternoon, but have so little skills in research and report-writing. They also have no idea how to find information in a library, either. One school assignment has been about the current candidates for President. Books on them are in the biography section. Magazines with articles about them are on the magazine shelves. Yeah.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Another student testified of conference today. She said she used to get bored or want to sleep (Sunday afternoon is the worst for me!), but this time, she didn't. She felt everything was wonderful. Sometimes, it's just "waking up" to the fact that Conference is not only important, but relevant.
I made my boss really laugh today. I put on the bar code labels (for scanning out books) and stamp the juvenile fiction and non fiction for the cataloguers. It's something to do when it's quiet at the desk. Well, I was doing a bunch of non fiction and saw one particular book. I took it to the Head Librarian and said, "I think this book needs to be in the fiction section." What was it? A book about weather forecasting, which we all know - at least in Oklahoma - is about as accurate as palm-reading. She about died. She thinks I'm funny, to begin with.
I couldn't help it last week. There were these books to teach kids manners using pirates. Pirates? "Pirates are polite." "Pirates wash their hands." Etc. I got to the point where I was muttering, "Axe murderers say please and thank you." (I should very much enjoy that kind of twisted parody, by the way.) Kids probably take no notice, but I sometimes wonder about the people who write this stuff. Libraries aren't about literature...they're about books. And, yes, gentle reader, there's a difference.
One of our cataloguers is an archivist. I would define it as "liking old stuff," but it is more like, she really enjoys geneology and takes care of all the historical documents in the library for our town and county. She joined me on speaker-phone with my dad, asking him if he'd come do a geneology workshop at the library one evening while he was visiting. Knowing how geneology is a current passion with him, it was no surprise to have him except. The cataloguer was delighted, too. She had a flier printed up for the event within half an hour of speaking with him.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
A bunch of neighborhood cats just stared at me as I walked to my car this morning. Not even scared of me. I think I should be insulted. They fear Ken and Analiese because they chase them off. I am a bit too cynical for that. I'm more the "Why bother?" kind, because those mangy things will only be back to poop in my yard and have kittens in my garage.
Chuckie the Church bunny was out this morning. I'd been concerned about him lately, because the Ghost Cat had been haunting the church the last couple of weeks. (YES...I do talk this way about these things, not just write them for your amusement!) Ghost Cat, by the way, is white (duh) and seems to be everywhere in town. I've seen it hang out at the church (my students can vouch for it's existance), and yet later be seen by the library on the other side of town. It is quite mysterious (and annoying - hey, it's a cat!), hence it's moniker.
I don't know about my students, but I had fun in Seminary today. I had them unscrambling a timeline of events of a story in the life of Christ. They were at the board, all crowded around. Since their faces don't show, I'll show my picture!
Work was hard today. I went in three hours earlier and they were tough hours. At one point, I was by myself at the front desk and, of course, that's when things went nuts. Everyone wanted to use the computer. Everyone wanted to use the printer...and buy paper for it. Everyone wanted a library card for their kid. Everyone wanted to know what they owed so they could pay it and check out movies. Everyone wanted to know how to figure out stuff on a website. And everyone kept calling. I could not find the Dude anywhere; he was lost somewhere in the aisles. I got it all sorted, but not until I'd had an anxiety attack (for serious), had to turn the printer off and on, and begged the patience of many a patron. Actually, they were all very nice about it - that was my saving grace.
The evening was somewhat quieter, though the computer area was still humming along. I even got to go out and do a little bookshelf sorting myself. Only problem is someone was sitting out there, with a laptop and a baby on her lap, whilst she (the mother, not the baby) kept snorting deeply and loudly, coughing, sneezing, hacking. I SO wanted to tell her to go to the restroom and blow her nose (I would do it, if she was my kid! I hate repeated sniffling, even in myself!) and wonder if I ought to start taking vitamin C, echinacea and/or zinc. And wear gloves. And a face mask. And invest in more hand gel and Lysol. Because we're talking health hazard here and I really don't have time to catch people's germs. Stay home, in bed, drink lots of fluids...your library will thank you! Just like we tell people no liquids, food, or loud noises in the library, can we tell them, no viruses?
Thursday, October 6, 2016
There is something inherently wrong with mosquitos and October. Really!?!
Do I seem a little cranky? I'm trying hard not to be. I'm just tired.
Another three extra hours at the library today. The building was full of wires and cables extending from the ceiling when I got there. Tech people were working on installing some more wifi spots, apparently since ten-thirty this morning. They were everywhere, in the back, on the floor, and in a conference room. They were supposed to be done by 2:00 p.m. because we had another group scheduled in that conference room. Well, they left that ROOM by a little after two (after a little persuasion), but didn't get finished in the library until 7:30. We had to do a complete shutdown of all our computer systems (front, back, etc.) which kicked several patrons off of the internet for about half an hour.
We were shorter staffed as well in the evening. Just me, the Dude, the tech gal who had to wait until the wifi guys left. Our other cataloguer went home sick. Luckily, it was pretty quiet. I've got a good handle on things, I think.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Usually Fridays are my days off. But with the one full-time gal on vacation, they asked me to come in today. The head librarian is off, too, getting ready for a family estate sale tomorrow. A long, full day. And consequences from the day before and the wifi stuff.
Printers didn't want to talk to computers. I don't know why. I tried all the standard un-techie things, like turning things on and off, checking queques on the computer, etc. Tech gal had been working on all this stuff today, but left early because she was here late yesterday. When a guy had printer problems at 5:30, I just told him he was out of luck until she came back to work. It was only half an hour until closing, and I hadn't the heart to call her back in.
On top of that, we were watching a storm rolling in. We scan the weather channel regularly online to track weather and see what we're going to do. We had quite the lightning show (not that we could see much from our vantage at the desk), but no power flickers. Still, we turned off half of our equipment in anticipation. I was startled at one point when the emergency radio went off, giving a rather loud National Weather Service warning. After listening to it all the way through once, my next job was to figure out how to make it quit! I don't know how, but I did. At least it didn't involve plugging and unplugging!
I went home and collapsed. Yes, it's Friday, but tomorrow is work and I need some sleep!
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Printer problems escalate.... Sorry, tech gal! I had to call her in. Too many people use our printer. Yesterday I thought maybe I could wait until next week to worry about it, but it was soon apparent that wouldn't work. And tech gal sounded so tired on the phone - I felt bad! She ended up having to come in through the administrator log in on all of the guest computers and reconfigure them for the printer again.
One of the things I like about my job is getting to work with all kinds of people. Yesterday, I had so much fun with two animated seniors who joked about their lack of technological skills. Today, I enjoyed chatting with a gentleman who was looking at our geneology and history records for our county - he's compiling lists of Civil War veterans buried around here. But I usually can find someone to talk to about something; I really like exchanging "book reviews" with patrons.
Today, as well, I was able to assist my old Hallmark boss with research for her daughter's school project. She doesn't live in this area (but was probably working here) and came over with her daughter. The first thing she said was, "I was hoping you'd be here. I knew you'd help me!" It happens often enough, that I have to do some research online myself in order to help patrons, and this was no exception.
It was just three people today, usually it's four. Our regular full-timer on Saturday is down in Texas at the OU-Texas U football game. Her son goes to OU, they're from OK, and they're big Sooner fans! The head librarian is having the estate sale today and the other gal is still on vacation. So it was the Dude, another cataloguer, and myself. We did it. handling lunch breaks and everything. Even with the unusual inquiries we had today, like how to print copies off of the microfiche. I hardly remember how to even use a microfiche - we're talking college days here! Between the three of us, we managed it!
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Truly a day of rest. Truly needed! I think I finally got up at around 8:30, only because I needed a shower before going to church. No worries about anything else, because today's fast Sunday, what with last week being General Conference.
I took some of the Geneology workshop fliers to church. Hopefully some ward members will come. I asked the missionaries, too, to spread the word, as they meet people. I don't know if they can go and assist in any way, but we'll see.
I asked a family in our ward about their son, who is currently serving a mission in South Carolina. The southern east coast is being hammered by the hurricanes (Matthew & Nicole). When we had heard yesterday that it was heading to South Carolina, he was the first person we thought of (he's a friend of Jonathan's!). He's okay. He's currently serving 122 miles off the coast. It doesn't mean he's unaffected, however. He and his companion are most likely hosting other missionaries who have been evacuated. And he'll probably be involved in clean up. But at least he's fine. That's a relief.
Jonathan had three friends come over this afternoon. They came to play Risk (which is funny to listen in on), but they've been watching "Studio C" and laughing up a storm. They're a good group. I got hugs from the girls. I like them.
Sigh. I feel so free. Tired, but free, like I could sleep the sleep of the innocent. No worries...for at least a few hours!
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