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The Mighty Moltres
Dec 21, 2012

Come! We must fly!


So tell me, librarians, how are you guys keeping busy right now?
I assume not many libraries are open because of the 'vid, so yeah that question I asked.

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vortmax
Sep 24, 2008

In meteorology, vorticity often refers to a measurement of the spin of horizontally flowing air about a vertical axis.
I can't really tell because I'm not a librarian, but my local library is doing curbside drop-off / pick-up (or you can always use the return slot on the side of the building) and really pushing their online services like Overdrive and Hoopla, plus doing lots of Facebook Live events like story time for kids. They're also a wifi hotspot for the city so people can sit in the parking lot and use their internet service.

vortmax fucked around with this message at 22:01 on May 10, 2020

My Lovely Horse
Aug 21, 2010

We reopened weeks ago with a pickup service.

We hand out books in brown paper bags and I'm having to bite my tongue to not make a "discreetly packaged" quip every time.

Captain Mediocre
Oct 14, 2005

Saving lives and money!

The Mighty Moltres posted:

So tell me, librarians, how are you guys keeping busy right now?
I assume not many libraries are open because of the 'vid, so yeah that question I asked.

My local authority has drafted library staff to call vulnerable people at home to distribute food parcels and check in on local residents for covid response efforts. Nice idea right?

I was just on the phone to somebody in a manic episode who attempted to cut his cock and balls off with a kitchen knife. Needless to say I immediately escalated that to emergency services but christ it does make me miss the regular library weirdos.

Inceltown
Aug 6, 2019

Captain Mediocre posted:

My local authority has drafted library staff to call vulnerable people at home to distribute food parcels and check in on local residents for covid response efforts. Nice idea right?

I was just on the phone to somebody in a manic episode who attempted to cut his cock and balls off with a kitchen knife. Needless to say I immediately escalated that to emergency services but christ it does make me miss the regular library weirdos.

loving hell that's a plot twist. Hopefully things settle down for both of you.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



Captain Mediocre posted:

My local authority has drafted library staff to call vulnerable people at home to distribute food parcels and check in on local residents for covid response efforts. Nice idea right?

I was just on the phone to somebody in a manic episode who attempted to cut his cock and balls off with a kitchen knife. Needless to say I immediately escalated that to emergency services but christ it does make me miss the regular library weirdos.

:stare: As OP of this thread I have the right, and am sorely tempted, to say "welp, can't nothing beat that, shutting the thread down."

...I won't, don't worry, because holy poo poo I hadn't really thought of the implications of how many ways this could affect my library peeps. Y'all are gonna have reference calls asking about best ways to inject bleach, and sky-rocketing amounts of homeless people, and whackjobs insisting that your wifi is somehow distributing the virus, and people using you as babysitting services because they have to go back to work but the kids have no school and aaaAAAAAAAA

My heart goes out to you, brethren/sisters. :glomp: Stay strong, be safe, I love you.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



OK, it's hard to believe that after over a decade of working in libraries, this question never occurred to me.

I'm couch-surfing at a friend's house after being evicted (thanks, lovely landlord who can't fathom why a cook can't get a job and pay rent when every restaurant is closed!). Naturally, the former librarian in me has poked around her bookshelf for something cool and new to read, since all my books are now in my storage unit. Today I plowed through "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green (which is an excellent YA read, even if you're 46 years old, btw).

While looking at the cover, it boasts "#1 NYT Bestseller", which so many books do. I have a nebulous grasp on how those claims are kinda sketchy because they're based on pre-sales, not actual people buying it, etc etc, and frankly I've seen it on so many books during my life in the library trenches that it barely registers as meaningful praise.

What I wanna know: has anyone EVER seen "#2 NYT Bestseller" on a cover/review? Like, if I wrote a book and it even made it to #34 or whatever I would still be chuffed as hell and want to brag about it. But you only ever see "#1 NYT Bestseller".

I want to see the exception to this rule, dammit.

mercenarynuker
Sep 10, 2008

I've seen books listed as "A New York Times best seller", which presumably encapsulates #2 to however deep that list goes

PainterofCrap
Oct 17, 2002

hey bebe


mercenarynuker posted:

I've seen books listed as "A New York Times best seller", which presumably encapsulates #2 to however deep that list goes

Seconding this. And the list is deeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



mercenarynuker posted:

I've seen books listed as "A New York Times best seller", which presumably encapsulates #2 to however deep that list goes


PainterofCrap posted:

Seconding this. And the list is deeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.


:ughh: Duh, y'all are both right, I forgot how so many just say that, I swear being quarantined and out of work has turned my brain into so much mush.

Still, now my life's goal is to write my memoirs and get my book jacket changed the second I get to "the #69 NYT Bestseller!"

shame on an IGA
Apr 8, 2005

college basketball has a 5 round 32 team tournament where the prize is being the #69 college basketball team

owlhawk911
Nov 8, 2019

come chill with me, in byob

JacquelineDempsey posted:

:ughh: Duh, y'all are both right, I forgot how so many just say that, I swear being quarantined and out of work has turned my brain into so much mush.

Still, now my life's goal is to write my memoirs and get my book jacket changed the second I get to "the #69 NYT Bestseller!"

the first thing i thought when i saw your other post about it was "lol 69th. 420th". my brain was never not mush

shame on an IGA posted:

college basketball has a 5 round 32 team tournament where the prize is being the #69 college basketball team

amazing

a friendly penguin
Feb 1, 2007

trolling for fish

JacquelineDempsey posted:


I'm couch-surfing at a friend's house after being evicted (thanks, lovely landlord who can't fathom why a cook can't get a job and pay rent when every restaurant is closed!). Naturally, the former librarian in me has poked around her bookshelf for something cool and new to read, since all my books are now in my storage unit. Today I plowed through "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green (which is an excellent YA read, even if you're 46 years old, btw).


Sorry for going off topic, but the librarian in me can't help but try to help. You were evicted? A lot of cities/counties/municipalities passed eviction bans during the current crisis since yeah, it's a pretty lovely situation out there.

Obviously not all did and probably smaller/more rural areas were less likely than larger urban areas but it's worth looking into to see if your landlord broke the law and you can hopefully get a bit of help.

Okay we can now return to talking about decontaminating books and my favorite eye roller right now, how to quarantine books that people have touched when we let them back inside...

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.
Oh gently caress. :( I am suddenly really glad that I'm not working in a university library anymore, despite me previously considering that my ideal place to work. Florida just killed a state agency that's essential to all university libraries, and many public libraries, in the state with no warning. Just 'oh fyi this entire system will be gone at the end of the month, everyone in it is fired.'

A friend who's more familiar with the system just clarified: when this goes down at the end of the month, most libraries in Florida won't even be able to check out books. FLVC is that heavily integrated.

Cythereal fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Jul 1, 2020

Midjack
Dec 24, 2007



Phoenix librarians, this one’s for you:

https://mobile.twitter.com/slittletree/status/1280540852578729984

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

my local library finally reopened interlibrary loans so I am FINALLY back on my bullshit

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

You still have to do curbside pickup though, which is good.

PainterofCrap
Oct 17, 2002

hey bebe


Just don't lose your marbles.

GoingPostal
Jun 1, 2015


I love Derek Smart
U love Derek Smart
If we didn't love Derek Smart, we'd be lame
Well, if they do, there will guides on hand to pick out some top tier replacements!

Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan
Rabid owns. Empire of the Ants owns. Both mainstays of 80’s Cinemax.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



Remulak posted:

Rabid owns. Empire of the Ants owns. Both mainstays of 80’s Cinemax.

I got right baffled there for a minute because I got an advance copy of Empire of the Ants in the mid 90's from a friend who worked for B & N corporate. How could it be on Cinemax in the 80's?!

What Strix is getting is a totally different book than the 70's film (which I had never heard of). It came out in French in 1991, and the English translation came out a few years later.

Here's a blurb:

"Stunning international bestseller in the tradition of Watership Down but with a dark, original twist. Unique, daring, and unforgettable, it tells the story of an ordinary family who accidentally threaten the security of a hidden civilization as intelligent as our own--a colony of ants determined to survive at any cost....

Jonathan Wells and his young family have come to the Paris flat at 3, rue des Sybarites through the bequest of his eccentric late uncle Edmond. Inheriting the dusty apartment, the Wells family are left with only one warning: Never go down into the cellar.

But when the family dog disappears down the basement steps, Jonathan follows--and soon his wife, his son, and various would-be rescuers vanish into its mysterious depths..."

And it alternates between the humans' and the ants' point of view. Really good book, I highly recommend! Hope you enjoy it Strix.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

For further reading:

Sandkings (1979, GRRM) and then watch the Outer Limits 1995 relaunch, episode 1, which is a movie-length TV adaptation.

Remulak
Jun 8, 2001
I can't count to four.
Yams Fan

JacquelineDempsey posted:

I got an advance copy of Empire of the Ants in the mid 90's from a friend who worked for B & N corporate. How could it be on Cinemax in the 80's?!

:thejoke:

Also, I suspect that book isn’t a novelization of the Cronenberg / Marilyn Chambers movie.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



Remulak posted:

:thejoke:

Also, I suspect that book isn’t a novelization of the Cronenberg / Marilyn Chambers movie.

:ughh: I am a doofus and didn't get that you were kidding (in my defense, like I said, never heard of the b-list movie).

Carry on!

Man I wish libraries were open; my city just only went to curbside pick up this Monday. And it's not even so much of the lack of books (though goddamn do I miss that, being unemployed and quarantined), but I have new appreciation for libraries being ersatz homeless shelters, since I've been living out of my car and a storage unit for the last two weeks. While it's been in the 90's every single goddamn day. I'm okay hanging out in the nearby park in the morning, but when the heat index gets to be 98 and my car is 120, I just wanna quietly sit in a nice air-conditioned library and write or plow thru a book or mooch their internet. And maybe poop somewhere that isn't Sheetz (not to knock Sheetz, they do have some tidy ladies' rooms; but if you poop in a library, no one's looking askance if you bring a book in with you (reading helps, okay? don't judge)).

I've just been thinking a lot about how people like The Guy Who Thawed Shrimp in the Library Bathroom are making out right now in this heat. At least I have a car, I saw plenty of folks during my tour of duty with a helluva lot less. :(

My library siblings whose facilities are open: if you see someone hanging out an awful lot, and maybe engaging in weird, but otherwise harmless behavior, cut 'em a little slack? The life you save may be your own, and all that.

JacquelineDempsey fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Jul 10, 2020

DeadFatDuckFat
Oct 29, 2012

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.


I got laid off from the county library on the first. Just accepted a position in the same county doing contact tracing. It pays more than my library assistant job and doesn't require a college degree :stare:. God, my library union was such poo poo

Coheed and Camembert
Feb 11, 2012

JacquelineDempsey posted:

My library siblings whose facilities are open: if you see someone hanging out an awful lot, and maybe engaging in weird, but otherwise harmless behavior, cut 'em a little slack? The life you save may be your own, and all that.

Seconding this. Back when I worked reference desk at a public library, the homeless people (unhoused? I'm not sure of the terminology here) were some of the least rowdy, loud, or problematic patrons. I truly didn't appreciate how much having 4 walls and air conditioning meant during the North Carolina summers until that job.

A lot of them just came in first thing, read some books or magazines, and just chilled all day. One guy came in every morning, logged into the computers, and spent the majority of his days reading NPR and watching C-SPAN.

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007
People experiencing homelessness. I do (did before COVID) a lot of social services stuff for them, and they are my absolute favorite customers after small excited children.

Unless they got trashed before coming in, then I just feel really bad about the whole situation.

Peragus
Sep 13, 2011

At the branch I used to work at, they were 50/50 on being cool. Some would just come in and be chill on the computers and talk to us about movies. Others show up drunk, start fights, or creep at women and in horrifying cases little kids.

But that went for all patrons at that branch. You never knew what type of bullshit would happen that day or if the situation would turn dire enough that we would have to call the cops.

The branch I worked at was pretty poo poo and I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to get out before the pandemic hit. I wouldn't mind volunteering in the future or working for the library system part time if I retire one day, but I couldn't handle doing it full-time anymore.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.
The worst creeps I ever had to deal with were all teenage boys. The problems I've experienced with homeless people were them being drunk and/or refusing to leave at night when we closed.


Peragus posted:

The branch I worked at was pretty poo poo and I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to get out before the pandemic hit. I wouldn't mind volunteering in the future or working for the library system part time if I retire one day, but I couldn't handle doing it full-time anymore.

Same. There's a lot I miss about working in libraries, but my new job (coming up on a full year here) in a general admin/records role suits me well.

Peragus
Sep 13, 2011

Cythereal posted:

The worst creeps I ever had to deal with were all teenage boys. The problems I've experienced with homeless people were them being drunk and/or refusing to leave at night when we closed.


Same. There's a lot I miss about working in libraries, but my new job (coming up on a full year here) in a general admin/records role suits me well.

The teen boys I dealt with were pretty good. The majority of the kids were. They would get rowdy occasionally, but they knew not to start poo poo in the library else they would get banned. So they would set up fights across the street lol.

Yeah, on a good day I really liked helping people especially the kids since the branch was in a low income area and was the only way many patrons were able to use a pc, but ultimately wasn't worth the bad days.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Captain Monkey posted:

People experiencing homelessness.

Yup this is the preferred term now.

To elaborate: "homeless person" defines the person by their homelessness. "Person experiencing homelessness" more strongly implies that they're a person, with other things going on with their lives and history and stuff, to whom homelessness is happening (right now, which isn't or doesn't have to be permanent).

It's more awkward to say and longer to type out and that's unfortunate, but it's a good practice to use the term because the way we describe people has an unconscious biasing effect on everyone, we can't help it.

Cythereal
Nov 8, 2009

I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Peragus posted:

The teen boys I dealt with were pretty good. The majority of the kids were. They would get rowdy occasionally, but they knew not to start poo poo in the library else they would get banned. So they would set up fights across the street lol.

It must have been nice working in a library willing to punish people for anything less than bringing in a gun and shooting people.

JacquelineDempsey
Aug 6, 2008

Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34



Leperflesh posted:

Yup this is the preferred term now.

To elaborate: "homeless person" defines the person by their homelessness. "Person experiencing homelessness" more strongly implies that they're a person, with other things going on with their lives and history and stuff, to whom homelessness is happening (right now, which isn't or doesn't have to be permanent).

It's more awkward to say and longer to type out and that's unfortunate, but it's a good practice to use the term because the way we describe people has an unconscious biasing effect on everyone, we can't help it.

That's good to know; I wasn't aware of that, and I'll endeavor to practice and promote using it.

Totally makes sense and really should have occurred to me. When I was getting my psych degree back in the 90's, there was a similar big push to stop calling people schizophrenics, bipolars, etc, but rather "person with [diagnosis]" for that very same reason. The mental illness isn't the be-all-end-all of what defines the person, it's just one aspect of being a whole human being.

Peragus
Sep 13, 2011

Cythereal posted:

It must have been nice working in a library willing to punish people for anything less than bringing in a gun and shooting people.

Ehh, it varied. With fights, our manager was comfortable with giving out bans. The other rules, not so much. Just a bunch of verbal warnings that did jack poo poo. The kids listened to us a lot more than the adult patrons who were much worse.

Most of the bans were also temp so we would have repeat patrons who would come back in a few days/weeks and do the same thing over again.

MAKE NO BABBYS
Jan 28, 2010

JacquelineDempsey posted:

That's good to know; I wasn't aware of that, and I'll endeavor to practice and promote using it.

Totally makes sense and really should have occurred to me. When I was getting my psych degree back in the 90's, there was a similar big push to stop calling people schizophrenics, bipolars, etc, but rather "person with [diagnosis]" for that very same reason. The mental illness isn't the be-all-end-all of what defines the person, it's just one aspect of being a whole human being.

This may be a regional thing, but here in SF we often call them "houseless people" or (I like to use) "our houseless neighbors" or "houseless members of our community" because they aren't prescriptive and sound positive about the people being part of our social group.

I'm sorry you're having a rough time, JD. You have always seemed like a really cool lady here and in the restaurant industry threads and I hope things get better for you soon. Are you all alone now? I seem to remember you being married. Being houseless right now sounds really scary and I am worried for you.

DeadFatDuckFat
Oct 29, 2012

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.


My (former) library system just announced a second round of layoffs. They laid off about 35 employees last time, including me. Meanwhile, the sheriffs department gets to draw from the county's general fund and will probably get an increase. The county hr team that helped placed me elsewhere said that no other department has laid anyone off. Libraries are the bottom bitch and it sucks.

I brought my Drake
Jul 10, 2014

These high-G injections have some serious side effects after pulling so many jumps.

The libraries around us have either closed or gotten their budgets and staff cut. The place I used to work for, they furloughed all their part-time people. We're open! And masks are encouraged but not required! :v:

I would be happy doing curbside forever.

Is it just me? The building being open means people are going to use our building, no matter how many signs we post saying "find your poo poo and get out" and no matter how much furniture we remove. Our patrons with instable housing, our mentally ill patrons with no place to go, our lonely patrons craving human contact. I wish we could be open to provide our services as well as a clean bathroom and air conditioning. State law forbids us from requiring people to wear masks and distance in our building. I'd feel differently if we could enforce that.

therobit
Aug 19, 2008

I've been tryin' to speak with you for a long time

queserasera posted:

State law forbids us from requiring people to wear masks and distance in our building. I'd feel differently if we could enforce that.

WAT? What kind of lovely hell state do you live in?

synthetik
Feb 28, 2007

I forgive you, Will. Will you forgive me?

Cythereal posted:

Oh gently caress. :( I am suddenly really glad that I'm not working in a university library anymore, despite me previously considering that my ideal place to work. Florida just killed a state agency that's essential to all university libraries, and many public libraries, in the state with no warning. Just 'oh fyi this entire system will be gone at the end of the month, everyone in it is fired.'

A friend who's more familiar with the system just clarified: when this goes down at the end of the month, most libraries in Florida won't even be able to check out books. FLVC is that heavily integrated.

Would you expand on this? I can’t find any type of write up or news about it. I have a fried. that works at Embry Riddle as the head (?) librarian and I haven’t been able to get in touch with him for a bit.

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Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

DeadFatDuckFat posted:

My (former) library system just announced a second round of layoffs. They laid off about 35 employees last time, including me. Meanwhile, the sheriffs department gets to draw from the county's general fund and will probably get an increase. The county hr team that helped placed me elsewhere said that no other department has laid anyone off. Libraries are the bottom bitch and it sucks.

In my city, the police budget just increased by 85% of the library’s total budget.

In the middle of the BLM protests. With protesters outside chanting.

Also they shot down the milquetoast ‘oversight’ bills intended to ask the cops to please stop shooting up innocent people. And maybe quit turning off your cameras to do various drug related crimes.

Also the library employees have to do 10+ furlough days this fiscal year.

Also we’re answering hundreds of COVID test site call center calls with 45m of training. While maintaining our usual chat/phone reference schedule and doing RAs.

Also, we’re now producing videos at an insane pace (over 6 a week, including coming up with content, writing scripts, filming, editing, and sound mixing) to help generate content.

Also, the only one doing any of the video work (the central one) is having to ship out to do curbside so the branches can shelve.


We’ve been in a goddamned pandemic for like 3 months. Central’s shelves look pristine. What do you have left to shelve you jerks? There’s only so many new books you get a day.

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