annundriel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
annundriel) wrote2008-08-11 10:06 pm
annundriel) wrote2008-08-11 10:06 pm
Entry tags:
Just Another Monday at the Library
"Library" is a really funny word if you think about it too hard.
One thing that I dislike is irresponsibility. When I make an appointment, I do my best to keep it. When I schedule work, I do my best to be there. And when I'm there, I do my best to complete the job at hand. Most of the time anyway; we all have our off days.
Today was hectic at the library. They've been working to upgrade the circulation system since last Thursday, meaning that nothing can be checked in (boxes of returned items piling up) and all check-out is done by hand (off-line circulation being unreliable, imo). I was asked to sub, which I didn't mind because I've dealt with the system being down before and, really, if I can deal with finals week in a university library I should be able to deal with books and DVDs piling up.
That wasn't so bad. (I was three sentences past the beginning of this paragraph before I realized I'd written "That was so bad" while thinking "wasn't." Heh.) Especially since Shannon told me to keep trying the circulation system until it let me in. When it popped up with a box asking me if I wanted to upgrade, I said, "Sure! Bring it on!" And all seemed to be well.
No, what really pissed me off, and I'm willing to admit I was probably overreacting, was when the other sub who was supposed to come work four hours with me called and said, "Shannon said she'd leave a note if she wanted me to come in. Did she leave a note?"
"Well, no. Not really. But she did say she had a project you could help with. They want to incorporate the non-cataloged paperback juvenile fiction with the cataloged hardcovers..."
"Oh, yeah, we've talked about that. But that's not really important."
That really annoyed me. Because, what? It needs to be done but you're feeling lazy so I'm going to be the one that does it?
She then asked if the computers were still down and I said it was kind of iffy at the moment, though they seemed to be fine. She said, "Well, I don't want to show up if there's nothing there for me to do."
So I told her, "If you have other things you have to do today, you go ahead and do them. I can take care of this on my own."
She said some more things after that, and I just repeated that a few times. At one point she kind of laughed after I said it. I think she caught my fed-up tone. You know the one. Everyone has one. The one where you're not openly angry, but it's clear that you think time's being wasted and so you're being sort of...professionally nice. If that makes sense.
I feel a little bad about it now. Mostly I feel bad that I feel like I should feel bad. How's that for convoluted?
She did tell me that I could call later in the afternoon if I needed help. I could have used helped later (I could have used help then), but there's too much going on to go looking for a phone number and I like working alone. Plus, this particular person has a really grating voice. And personality. The first time she called this morning, after I hung up all I could think was, "I'm going to have to listen to that for four hours." But then, of course, she didn't come in.
And then there was the part of me that didn't want to call because I wanted to prove I could handle the big scary day all by myself. So take THAT.
I did have a slight moment of panic, though. I called the tech people because transit slips weren't printing when I scanned material that was supposed to be sent elsewhere. When they called back and I said I was using the system, she said, "You're using it? Did we walk you through the upgrade already? If we didn't, then everything you're doing isn't being recorded." I was like, "It asked me to upgrade, I clicked 'okay.' I thought it was all right."
When I called her back after dealing with patrons, she apologized for panicking and said that I was fine. When I told Mom this, Mom asked, "So you did something that they didn't think you were capable of?"
Sure. What I'm thinking is that I'm one of the younger people working there, ready and unafraid to click the upgrade option when a computer presents it. Not that the older employees aren't, but they're the ones that are benefiting from the tech/web related information sessions while I'm sitting there semi-bored because I'm already familiar with it.
So that ended well. I didn't screw anything up. And by closing there were many things to shelve, but it was all generally tidy and not completely chaotic. Which is a win in my book. Even if I am generally frustrated by some of the people involved.
I am going to use my "people:idiots" tag and not feel like a horrible person.
One thing that I dislike is irresponsibility. When I make an appointment, I do my best to keep it. When I schedule work, I do my best to be there. And when I'm there, I do my best to complete the job at hand. Most of the time anyway; we all have our off days.
Today was hectic at the library. They've been working to upgrade the circulation system since last Thursday, meaning that nothing can be checked in (boxes of returned items piling up) and all check-out is done by hand (off-line circulation being unreliable, imo). I was asked to sub, which I didn't mind because I've dealt with the system being down before and, really, if I can deal with finals week in a university library I should be able to deal with books and DVDs piling up.
That wasn't so bad. (I was three sentences past the beginning of this paragraph before I realized I'd written "That was so bad" while thinking "wasn't." Heh.) Especially since Shannon told me to keep trying the circulation system until it let me in. When it popped up with a box asking me if I wanted to upgrade, I said, "Sure! Bring it on!" And all seemed to be well.
No, what really pissed me off, and I'm willing to admit I was probably overreacting, was when the other sub who was supposed to come work four hours with me called and said, "Shannon said she'd leave a note if she wanted me to come in. Did she leave a note?"
"Well, no. Not really. But she did say she had a project you could help with. They want to incorporate the non-cataloged paperback juvenile fiction with the cataloged hardcovers..."
"Oh, yeah, we've talked about that. But that's not really important."
That really annoyed me. Because, what? It needs to be done but you're feeling lazy so I'm going to be the one that does it?
She then asked if the computers were still down and I said it was kind of iffy at the moment, though they seemed to be fine. She said, "Well, I don't want to show up if there's nothing there for me to do."
So I told her, "If you have other things you have to do today, you go ahead and do them. I can take care of this on my own."
She said some more things after that, and I just repeated that a few times. At one point she kind of laughed after I said it. I think she caught my fed-up tone. You know the one. Everyone has one. The one where you're not openly angry, but it's clear that you think time's being wasted and so you're being sort of...professionally nice. If that makes sense.
I feel a little bad about it now. Mostly I feel bad that I feel like I should feel bad. How's that for convoluted?
She did tell me that I could call later in the afternoon if I needed help. I could have used helped later (I could have used help then), but there's too much going on to go looking for a phone number and I like working alone. Plus, this particular person has a really grating voice. And personality. The first time she called this morning, after I hung up all I could think was, "I'm going to have to listen to that for four hours." But then, of course, she didn't come in.
And then there was the part of me that didn't want to call because I wanted to prove I could handle the big scary day all by myself. So take THAT.
I did have a slight moment of panic, though. I called the tech people because transit slips weren't printing when I scanned material that was supposed to be sent elsewhere. When they called back and I said I was using the system, she said, "You're using it? Did we walk you through the upgrade already? If we didn't, then everything you're doing isn't being recorded." I was like, "It asked me to upgrade, I clicked 'okay.' I thought it was all right."
When I called her back after dealing with patrons, she apologized for panicking and said that I was fine. When I told Mom this, Mom asked, "So you did something that they didn't think you were capable of?"
Sure. What I'm thinking is that I'm one of the younger people working there, ready and unafraid to click the upgrade option when a computer presents it. Not that the older employees aren't, but they're the ones that are benefiting from the tech/web related information sessions while I'm sitting there semi-bored because I'm already familiar with it.
So that ended well. I didn't screw anything up. And by closing there were many things to shelve, but it was all generally tidy and not completely chaotic. Which is a win in my book. Even if I am generally frustrated by some of the people involved.
I am going to use my "people:idiots" tag and not feel like a horrible person.
no subject
they were making fun of me at work today because i said that "i hate humans."
i was being honest.
no subject
Humans are pretty unimpressive sometimes. I'd go farther than that, but I know a few who are pretty amazing. So I have some small hope for humanity yet.