#library life

[zenwannabe]

a dude came into the library stoned out of his mind and was like, “do I need a library card to look at books?” And I said, “to take books home, yes. To look at them, no” and he looked so relieved. bro was staring at a fish encyclopedia for like an hour and then just left.

[storybookprincess]

working in a library, i encounter a lot of people who are in the process of filling out important forms, sending important faxes, and copying important documents. and the more important these things are, the more stressful, meaning i end up assisting a lot of really stressed people with a lot of really stressful paperwork, and have thus developed the ultimate line to immediately validate and empathize with their situation

“they don’t make it easy, do they?”

i nearly always use this line at some point in the conversation & it works without fail, because there is ALWAYS a they and they are ALWAYS not making it easy. you don’t have to specify who “they” are. you don’t even need to have an approximate idea of their role in this process.

job application? disability paperwork? insurance documents? financial aid paperwork? in any situation, the person visibly relaxes & enthusiastically agrees, because someone understands their plight: they are out there & they are NOT making it easy

[okayto]

Hey, this pride month (or literally any time of year), you wanna know something fairly easy and great you can do?

Contact your local library (or comment on their social media) positively for any pride/LGBTQIA+/queer-related displays or events they have going on.

Seriously.

What I’m seeing and hearing from the (mostly US-based) library workers in my groups and social circles is that the anti-queer (anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-drag queen story time, etc.) comments and complaints that have ramped up in the past year aren’t going away. Even library workers with supportive coworkers/bosses/boards are steeling themselves to deal with an avalanche of garbage, or are second-guessing their displays and events because the amount of vitriol can wear a person down so much. And the ones without supportive people or work environments? It’s worse.

Give the library something else: give them both the ammo (by being one of the numbers they can count worth the positive group) if they need to show their community isn’t wholly negative. Give them the compliment of knowing that their work got appreciated.

A comment like “I love this” or “Wow, that looks great!”

An email about how much you’re excited about X event

A call saying you wanted to let them know you appreciate this thing

Tagging them if you share a picture or positive comment on social media

“Cool shirt/pins/etc!” (Because people are also bring harassed about personally being queer, even if it’s not a library display)

Literally anything that would be positive for them to receive

[libraryogre]

This is peak public librarian.

[librarianpirate]

HOOPLA, OVERDRIVE/LIBBY NOW BANNED FOR THOSE UNDER 18 IN MISSISSIPPI

This country just keeps getting more and more off the rails. I can't even think of any pithy commentary to add - I'm just tired.

[librarianproblems]

When you’re trying to read but your family keeps talking to you

[booksinmythorax]

Parents, I understand that you want to teach your kids to put things in their proper place. I do. That is virtuous and lovely. But at the library, when they touch a book and decide they do not want to check it out, its proper place is on the cart, not back on the shelf.

[thegreatgildy]

Late night library sessions, Bryn Mawr College, 1959.

[lakecountylibrary]

Nothing quite like picking up your holds at the library 🥰

[ID: Librarian at desk: Hello, oh I think your holds are ready

Another librarian hands her a few books

Patron off-screen: Thank you! Oh, I did not want that one.

Librarian: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

Librarian picks up the book and winds up to yeet it into the horizon when the video cuts off abruptly. /ID]

[muspeccoll]

Need to move 1,700 posters, maps, and graphic materials, along with a ton (literally) of cabinets? It's easy! Let us show you how it's done in 5 simple steps.*

*Haha, just kidding. Michaelle (a.k.a. superhero librarian) only makes it look easy. This process took us months of planning and toil, but the outcome is worth it. The poster and map collection is back and better than ever!

[cheshirelibrary]

[a-study-in-dante]

July 25th, 2023 | Days at the library, where usurpers stole my usual seat 🥹

[storybookprincess]

HELP we had a woman in the library just now CLEARLY reading from a list of books being targeted for censorship in public & school libraries (presumably so she can read them & turn around to bitch about how they’re corrupting the children & need to be removed) & me, being an utter shit, checked out looking for alaska & the perks of being a wallflower for her, gave her a big smile and went “oh wow, you have GREAT taste—these were two of my favorites in high school!!!!!!” (which is true) and she looked like she bit into a lemon

listen she didn’t say why she was checking them out so i can only assume it’s due to her love of excellent 90s & 2000s ya fiction 😇😇😇😇

[ithinkilostitalr]

Library Heaven

[libraryogre]

Library Patron: I have two questions.

Me: I will probably have five answers.

I called it. Question about her computer had two answers, question about local radio had three.

[librarianpirate]

Small Gentleman Library Patron: I would like some real Star Wars books, please. Me: Great! Do you want chapter books, easy readers, picture books, something else? SGLP: As long as they're real and full of pictures, that's what I want.