Librarians everywhere hate me

[tracilicious]

Because not only do I return books extremely late and accrue massive fines, I also send them on wild goose chases to find author's that don't exist.

Friday night, via YM, I mentioned to Not Afraid that I recently finished Time Traveler's Wife By Audrey Niffeneger (recommended to me by EH1812, and it's a super book). I've only read non-fiction since then, but told NA that I'm ready to start another novel. She so graciously points me towards a Japanese author that she and Euro have enjoyed. The amazon review looked just my kind of interesting, but I've bought way too many books on amazon lately, and I just wasn't sure my marriage could survive another. Thankfully I had a library trip planned for the weekend anyways. The next day I called the library, and yes, they had several books by that author in stock. Woo-hoo!

Excited about a new book prospect (these things really are like relationships, you know), I dropped off Michael, Indi and the baby in the kids section. He really is the best husband Have I mentioned that? And head over to the H's. It occurs to me that I can't remember if it's Harukami or Hurakami. No bother, I'll just check both. What? It isn't in either place? But the librarian told me they had several in stock. Ok, I'll check the computer.

Nothing here either? I must be searching wrong. I'll just ask the librarian at the help desk. That's what they're for, right?

Excuse me. I'm looking for an author. I called yesterday and was told you carry his books, but I can't seem to find any in adult fiction. It's Harukami. H-a-r-u-k-a-m-i. No? Try H-u-r-a-k-a-m-i. I might be transversing the letters. Not that either? I'm positive it's one of those. I was told just yesterday that you had it.

So she (the she in question was a very manish looking lady with a manish haircut and man clothes, there's nothing wrong with being a butch lesbian librarian, I'm just adding that for the sake of description) sighs and starts to look on Amazon. Isn't it funny that libraries search Amazon for books? I think so.

She puts in every possible combination of Harukami. Now, several times by now I had said, "Thank you!" with the intent of walking away as to not waste all her time. Yet she kept intently searching, as if it was a personal battle (and to be honest I was convinced she just wasn't a very good searcher and I was going to continue the quest on my own). Every once in a while she would pause to give me that superior look that only librarians and school nurses can muster. (And no offense to my LoT librarian friends, I'm sure you would never give anyone that look. )

The title had a bird in it...Bird on a String! Yes, that's it. Do you have that? No? No, it's definitely not Bird on a Wire. Are you sure it's not there? He's apparently a very well known Japanese author...Do you have google? Maybe we should try google. I don't want to monopolize all your time, I'll just go look on the shelves again...Oh, ok, we can keep searching.

I consider myself to be somewhat of a master googler. I can find just about anything with the help of my good friend google. About our fifth phrase search I see a name. I just can't believe it. I'm not that stupid. There's no possible way I'm that stupid.

Murakami! There it is! It was an M! I can't believe it. I'm sorry. I would have sworn on my life it was an H! Guess I should write it down next time. heh heh.

So she's laughing, and it's not a good natured laugh. It was an "I'm gonna tell all my librarians friends about what an idiot you are as soon as you walk away from this desk" kind of laugh. I'm laughing, because although extremely embarrassed, I can laugh at myself for being an idiot. After all, I should have written it down. She checks the library catalog for the new, correct author and sees a long list of books.

Wind Up Bird Chronicles! Yes that's it! How could I have forgotten that. Librarians everywhere hate me!

She laughingly declares, "Yes we do!"

As I walk away to find my books I see her turn to her librarian friend to recount her "dumb patron of the library" tale.

So there you have it. Librarians everywhere hate me. It's been confirmed.

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm sure CP doesn't hate you.

Maybe librarians like you even more for giving them something to do AND raising money for the library w/ your late fees.



Just a thought.

(btw - I was just thinking. It's been a loooong time since I've been to the library.)

[€uroMeinke]

But you are soon to be initiated into the secret society of Murakami lovers, which gives instant cache among the hiden intelligensia of the service industry.

Whe we were last in Chicago, in an upscale chocolate shop we noticed the sales girls had a dog-eared copy of the Wind up Bird Chronicle behind thge register. A casual remark about how delightful we found the book and we found ourselves, discussing the Murikami ouvre, all the while surrounded by exotic chocolates.

Someday, this librarian will realize the profound moment that passed between you and will momentarily blush in shame the very moment you taste a "Black Perl" truffle, dark chocoalte with black seasame seeds and a hint of wasabi.

Balance will once again be restored.

[wendybeth]

Lol! Now all we need is for CP to come back from Paris and tell us that that she heard the funniest Dumb Patron story while visiting the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.......

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

But you are soon to be initiated into the secret society of Murakami lovers, which gives instant cache among the hiden intelligensia of the service industry.

Whe we were last in Chicago, in an upscale chocolate shop we noticed the sales girls had a dog-eared copy of the Wind up Bird Chronicle behind thge register. A casual remark about how delightful we found the book and we found ourselves, discussing the Murikami ouvre, all the while surrounded by exotic chocolates.

Someday, this librarian will realize the profound moment that passed between you and will momentarily blush in shame the very moment you taste a "Black Perl" truffle, dark chocoalte with black seasame seeds and a hint of wasabi.

Balance will once again be restored.

Thanks, that's a comforting thought. The hidden intelligensia of the service community is my favorite kind. The most intelligent people I've known have worked at the lowest ranking jobs. It seems as though the bookstore, coffee shop, chocolate shop, etc. employees have read the best books, have their finger on the pulse of the underground art and music communities, etc. I know that when I was making near minimum wage at a used bookstore I was more intellectually stimulated than at any higher paying job. Plus, when you're poor you can be smart and thumb your nose at the opulent middle class.

Chronicles of a Wind Up Bird, and most of his other titles were at another branch, so I ended up with Kafka on the Shore. I've only read the first chapter and so far I'm clueless as to what it's about. I've avoided reading the jacket description so I can read it as though I'm walking through a maze. I don't know where it ends and I have no idea how I'm going to get there. That's something I find I can do only with new-to-me author's who use obscure titles. It's like an adventure.

I'm not sure the librarian will ever feel that twinge of shame, but I'm all for the exotic chocolate.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I'm sure CP doesn't hate you.

Maybe librarians like you even more for giving them something to do AND raising money for the library w/ your late fees.

Err...I might have failed to mention that I have unpaid library fines and this was a completely new library.

I was regretting that CP wasn't here to read this and now that I've admitted that I'm glad!

[Not Afraid]

Ahhhhhh but LibraryVixen will cw checking in soon.....

[libraryvixen]

All librarians do not hate you! I know I don't!

In my experience answering reference questions, I use Amazon to see if the book is in print or not. It's the fastest way I can get an answer. Also, it's good that you had a lot of information to give the librarian. It's helpful, even if it's not accurate. Sometimes it's that little somehting that might jog our brains. Google is nice because of the spell check feature (perfect for little ole me). We'd rather have a lot of information rather than the information of "It's blue, and it's (uses hands to illustrate) this big. Oh Oh.. and I think my friend's mother's daughter's hairdresser checked it out 10 years ago". Vague is bad.

I do have to say, that the questions I normally snork and giggle at are the ones where people are rude and stupid. Let's take the discussion where the man at the desk INSISTS that the author of Moby Dick is Charles Dickens. When I tell him it's Melville, he says I'm looking up the "Wrong Moby Dick". Those are the questions I share with the staff!

Also... I have fines on my card. I have over $10 in fines on my library card. Now, I forget like the mortals to turn my books in on time. So, don't feel bad. I have a kid who likes to put books here and there. I also like to get books and then leave them on a pile next to my bed, forget to read them, THEN forget to turn them in on time.

I still love you!

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by libraryvixen

All librarians do not hate you! I know I don't!

In my experience answering reference questions, I use Amazon to see if the book is in print or not. It's the fastest way I can get an answer. Also, it's good that you had a lot of information to give the librarian. It's helpful, even if it's not accurate. Sometimes it's that little somehting that might jog our brains. Google is nice because of the spell check feature (perfect for little ole me). We'd rather have a lot of information rather than the information of "It's blue, and it's (uses hands to illustrate) this big. Oh Oh.. and I think my friend's mother's daughter's hairdresser checked it out 10 years ago". Vague is bad.

I do have to say, that the questions I normally snork and giggle at are the ones where people are rude and stupid. Let's take the discussion where the man at the desk INSISTS that the author of Moby Dick is Charles Dickens. When I tell him it's Melville, he says I'm looking up the "Wrong Moby Dick". Those are the questions I share with the staff!

Also... I have fines on my card. I have over $10 in fines on my library card. Now, I forget like the mortals to turn my books in on time. So, don't feel bad. I have a kid who likes to put books here and there. I also like to get books and then leave them on a pile next to my bed, forget to read them, THEN forget to turn them in on time.

I still love you!

Thanks! I knew a wrong author wouldn't make you hate me! She was nice enough, it was just funny that she got so exasperated because I kept trying to leave. At one point I even said, "I don't want to monopolize all your time, I'll go look on the shelves some more." But this lady just would not let me leave. Plus, I think I made her day by giving her that special feeling of superiority.

At the bookstore, I admit, I laughed in secret at the customers that would ask the difference between fiction and non-fiction. I mean come on, how can you not know that? I also got the questions where people would say, "It's an orange book about a person that was in the war." Or whatever they were looking for. Did they really think I could find that?

And lady, ten dollars is nothing as far as fines go. Trust me. Nothing.

[libraryvixen]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

And lady, ten dollars is nothing as far as fines go. Trust me. Nothing.

Uhh... that's what is is right NOW. That's not what it was before... It was pretty high. Let's say... oh... high thirties.