Friday, August 13, 2010

Miss Information is moving on

It is Miss Information’s last day in her first librarian job. She still doesn’t really feel like a librarian, though. Maybe she never will. School did not really prepare her for the sorts of things she’s had to deal with at this branch. She is going to suggest the faculty add classes on how to dispense quality reference service while your teenage customer is busy adjusting his junk.

Today a woman complained that the light above her head was flickering. Miss Information hates that. Is there anything more annoying? She would have mentioned it to the staff and moved to another table. Not this woman, however. She insisted that Miss Information find someone to fix the light. Now. Right this minute. Sadly, this isn’t possible. Get a light bulb changed on a Friday in August? Please. Miss Information would rather go on an impossible mythological-type quest than even try. She has no idea where the ladder and light bulbs are kept. The branch caretaker has Fridays off, as do most of the employees in the central facilities department. The ones who are working have their hands full with actual problems and aren’t likely to come all the way over here to change one pesky light bulb.

The customer wasn’t pleased but agreed to move to one of the many tables that has decent lighting but said she wanted the bulb fixed by tomorrow. Miss Information suggested that Monday was more likely, but whatever. After 5:30 today, it is no longer her problem.