[Publib] What would you tell a student?

[Brzozowski, Bonnie]

Terry, Your post made me laugh out loud because it is so true.  In my
experiences in a busy, downtown library, there is no limit to the number
and types of things that will get peed on.  Elevators and dark corners
of the library will be peed in (many times), chairs will be peed on, and
even books will be peed on.  We actually had a guy dump a few gallon
jugs of urine onto a large number of books in our nonfiction section and
this happened within a month of my starting here in my first
professional librarian position.  I definitely never envisioned myself
pulling books soaked in urine off the shelves with my co-workers - our
gloves turning a sickly yellow in the process.  Luckily, most of us can
laugh about it now.

Bonnie Brzozowski
Reference Librarian

Faulk Central Library
Austin Public Library System
800 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 974-7360
http://www.cityofaustin.org/library


From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of terry.lawler at phoenix.gov
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:26 AM
To: Lisa Richland
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Publib] What would you tell a student?
"You don't need to be able to fix stuff..."

 

I'm going to have to disagree with that one:)  You WILL need to be able
to
fix all kinds of things that you never, ever in your whole life thought
you'd have to fix.  Here's a list of some stuff I've fixed in a library:

 

Listening stations (3 of them!)

Chairs

Tables

Doors (sliding glass AND hardwood!)

A toilet

A desk

Various toys

 

And I work for a big system with lots of people.  I can't imagine what
little libraries have to put up with.

 

And, just for fun, here's some stuff I've had to clean up in the library
too:

Poo on the floor

Poo on the wall (yes.  that's right, i said poo on the wall)

Pee

Grafitti

Blood

Spit

Sunflower seeds (same as spit but with chunks!)

Ice Cream

Snow Cone

Cheetos (grrrrrr, I HATE CHEETOS DUST)

Snot.

 

So, future librarians, wash your hands a lot and hope for a job in a
library
that has a cleaning crew that works the whole day and not just part of
it;)