“I wouldn’t have thought libraries were a stressful place to work…”

…said my dealer doctor before handing over that magical bit of paper that provides (at a small price) access to seratonin/endorphin-enhancing pharmaceuticals.

So, here’s a small example of what we altruistic (ahem) library staff have to deal with.

This evening, three well-known (to us) young (mid-teen, perhaps) lads came in.  That’s fine.  So far, so good.  Apart from breaking the relative peace of the building they were doing no harm.

They went and sat by one of the radiators, tucked away in a corner.  They were a bit loud, but not enough that anyone had cause to complain, so I left them to it.  I was busy with some highly important library-detective work.

One of the lads beckoned me over to ask where the ‘Where’s Wally’ books were.  I showed him.  All is well, still.

Ten minutes passes.

One of the young lads decides it’s time to run around throwing teddy bears.

Obviously.

So, T, a young lad himself (but a ‘nice’ young lad), who is one of our Casual staff, asked them to pack it in.

I went over and looked at them, and said that if they continue to mess about, they’ll be back out in the cold.

The one lad looked at his mate and said “that’s a bit cuntish, innit?”

So I said “OK, now you can leave.”

To much protestation from all.

I went on to say that “you can’t talk to people like that” and “I’m not arguing with you – out!”

I didn’t shout.  My voice may have been slightly raised.

But, oh, the injustice.

“I never said anything – it was ‘im!”

“Well, you should choose your friends more wisely.  If you stay, he’ll just come back.  Off you go.”

And that was that.

I wonder if I was a bit harsh.

I mean, I swear.  In fact, what I wanted to say was ‘You don’t FUCKING talk to people like that, you little shit!  Do you understand? Now fuck off back to the gutter’. But of course, I didn’t.

Perhaps this is just their way of speaking.  I mean, earlier in the day there were a couple of girls who can’t have been older than 15/16 who were talking about ‘fucking this’ and ‘fucking that’.  Not even trying to curb their language while I, or anyone else, was in earshot. And it was just natural conversation – I don’t think they were trying to appear more adult or cooler or anything like that.

And it’s just words, I know, it’s all the evolving language that is English.  Personally, I don’t care what sort of language people use amongst themselves.  But surely in a place of work there has to be certain rules – especially when that place of work is a public library.

The other thing is, he was probably just saying it to get a rise out of me.  And I guess he did.  I validated his presence by acknowledging him.  Maybe that is how it works in his house.  Perhaps he is only acknowledged when he plays up.  And that makes me sad.  But that doesn’t mean I have to put up with him calling me ‘cuntish’, to my face, in my place of work, does it?

Twat.

A Borrowed Library Rant

So there is this website I dip into from time to time.

I’m not signed up to it or anything, although the summer holidays and all they bring with them into my place of work has made me consider it.

It’s called ‘The Society for Librarians* Who Say “Motherfucker”‘

Here is a snippet of what one might find on said site.  This one comes from pcdoc:

Dear Patron:
yes, we do have a lot of internet computers and yes, many of them are in use right now. Some people may be looking for jobs, some doing research, some working on their resume and yes, we do extend time.
However
It’s 82 degrees outside, nice and sunny, not too humid, pleasant breeze blowing.
Your 8 year old is bored to tears and you are still on the computer, after 3 hours.
Are you working on a resume?
Doing research?
Job hunting?
No.
You’re watching cartoons.
For 3 fucking hours

It’s a relief to see that some library customer habits are the same the world over.

Even if it is fucking annoying.

@sophums twaddle

I should be using the powers of this caffeine/fluoxetine boost for good, not evil.

I should be harnessing the energy and directing it into the writing of all things good.

Like essays and business plans and novels and such like.

Instead I have been Twittering everyone to death.

And rediscovering Freecell.

I mean, really?

I’m also wasting time re-reading ‘Twilight’ at the moment.

I have been re-sucked in to a non-existent world of vampires that are all about not eating people.

And then, I go and watch an episode of Angel and find that the majority of vampires are actual arseholes who are all about eating people.

And then I start reading the fifth book in the ‘House of Night’ series, ‘Hunted’, which is about a whole school of fledgling vampires in a world where Jake Gyllenhall is a bloodsucker, but it’s ok, because they don’t kill people.  Unless they are power-hungry vampires of the highest order and then they just go a little bit psycho and try to destroy the world.

Am I a mental?

Yes, I know, books are supposed to be, in part, about escapism and stuff, but I’m 30 for fuck’s sake.

And the aforementioned book in P C and Kristen Cast’s ‘House of Night’ series, only arrived so soon because the teenager who had reserved it before me didn’t come in and pick it up.

Yes – teenager.

All of these vampy things are for teenagers.

I have so many books that I haven’t read that are for proper grown-up people, but I decide to revisit a series that I only finished reading maybe a month ago, and continue with another series that I started as soon as I’d finished the first series because I needed a vampire fix.

And just writing  this rubbish about both series makes me desperate to get back to them.

Oh my God.

It’s like the writers have turned me.

Their writing is of the vampiric nature and now I have a sort of bloodlust for their words.

Hmmm.

In that case none of this is my fault and I shall continue reading below my age/intellect (yeah, right) safe in the knowledge that someone else is too blame.

Excellent.

*snuggles up with book/s and episode of Angel all lined up*