Losers

[depechemodefan]

First loser:
Ok, I'm bit of a hardnose. People shouldn't be sleeping in the library. Or else we would be full of the homeless people who were kicked out of the shelters...ok, we are full of the homeless people kicked out of the shelters (the shelters kick them out at 7am), but they would be asleep if they could in here.

Anyway, a guy has his head down on the table, his outstretched hand is holding a cellphone on the table but his head is position in a way that I know he isn't looking at anything. I go upto him:

Me: Sir, Sir...
CS: *rousing himself up* huh? *raises head*
Me: You can't have your head down in the library.
CS: I ain't got my head down.
Me: Ok, just don't have your head down.
CS: *mumbles some shit which I can't understand but it's obvious that he's upset with me. I then can hear him say* I don't have my head down! I work at 511 **** (which is a building that has a lot of City depts) and you can't talk to me like that!

I just love people pulling this out of their butt, "I work for the city, but in some position that makes more than you!" when they look like street people.

He still saying stuff and I'm far away. Then he goes to a co-worker and complains about me to her and asks for my name and he's going to talk to his manager about me, uh-huh

Second Loser
Let me say that we have phones that do call out, I just don't like anyone using them because the "emergency" is usually just "what you making for dinner?" or "Ok, tell me directions to get to the McD's you at." Or business calls, which is lame, you should have your own phone. I let kids make calls because they're dumb and only if they are calling for a ride. Not just to get on the horn with their friends.

Guy comes in, and mumbles in a way in which I don't understand him at first.
Loser: My friend lives in the apt.s behind the library (our library doesn't have any apts behind it, in front of it, atop of it, etc) and I need to call her.
Me: There's payphones...
Loser: *tossing head* ah man, payphones! Don't you have phones I can use?
Me: (I honestly thought he also mumbled that she worked here) She work here?
Loser: Nah, she don't work here. I got to call her to let her know I'm here.
Me: There are payphones...

Ok, idiot goes to security. I go and comeback and I see another librarian let him use our phone. Ugh. Either get a cell phone or use a payphone or get better directions. If the city wanted you to use a phone for free they would have the phone companies give you free services. Granted, this is really hardnose of me but co-workers call on the phone to ask us to look for a book or check if it's on the hold shelf or something that involves getting a customer of their back. Nope, let's tie it up with an idiot who is spending 10 min. not just telling his friend he's at the library, but also just shooting the breeze.

[rerant]

I can completely see your point on this.
A library is a place to read, to research, and to work quietly. NOT a place to rest your weary head.

Now I can see if someone is researching something or studying hard for a test or exam and they doze off, but going there strictly to catch a few ZZZ's is unacceptable.

As for the phone it is an employee use phone meant for, oh shit, get this, EMPLOYEES, and patrons who need it in an emergency.
A kid who needs a ride? Yeah ok it's not life or death but that's a perfectly justifiable reason to let someone use the phone.
An adult needing to get a hold of someone? Not so much.
Only when something is an emergency should an exception be made.
Now if I got a text message from someone saying, "You need to call me NOW!" and I knew I had no money on my phone I would hope the library would understand that to be an emergency.

(I would also hope that no one I know would ever send me into near cardiac arrest over something that wasn't a legitimate emergency.)

[reimero]

Man, that brings back memories. The library at which I used to work was very close to the local homeless shelter, so we were essentially the daytime hangout for many homeless. It was an ongoing battle against people sleeping and/or urinating in the chairs (seriously) or otherwise harassing other patrons.

So glad I'm not there any more.

[blas]

Such is why I avoid the public library at all costs.

[chainedbarista]

i like libraries, but much like bookstores and the few other refuges i once had, they're overrun by idiots.

i agree on both points; it's not a nap time spot, nor is it a free call center, you have your own bed, use it and the same with your phone.

no phone? get one; our taxes aren't there to cover your chat bills, you cheap bastards.

[aurelemsrealm]

I live a few blocks from the local library. It's at the top of a hill, and my street is near the bottom. I can see the roof of the library building from my front door. The point is that I spend quite a bit of time there when I want to get out of the house. However, I'm doing things you'd normally do at the library, like reading books or magazines for fun, or studying a subject that has gotten my curiosity. The Salvation Army's homeless shelter as well as a few other shelters are within walking distance, too. Unfortunately, so are several of the well known drug neighborhoods. I'm at the library enough to see some rather strange characters who regularly hang out around the library because it's within walking distance for them. I'm just glad that I now have internet access at home because some people will practically try to hover over people at the computers if the computers are tied up.

[depechemodefan]

Ah, the library as a pick-up point. This was on our blog (that in theory only the librarians can see):

Security Issue

I was approached by a customer on the 3rd floor about a man who is making sexual advances to other customers in the men's bathrooms. The man is wearing a bright green nylon hooded jacket with black and white writing all over it; he is African American, 20s-30s, and about 5'10"ish.

I have alerted Security and turned in an incident report. If you see him, please call Security immediately x-xxxx.

Everyone stay safe.

M
at 12:37 PM

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

My library is always full of the homeless ... and lots of SPs (sucky patrons). As head of the Circulation Department, it's my job to deal with the SPs, but at least we have a security guard to deal with the homeless. Well, not that THEY do a good job of that, since our security contract goes to the lowest bidder and to work for this security company, you just have to be breathing and be able to make an "x" on the job app.

[protege]

We don't get any of that where I live...which is out in the 'burbs. There simply aren't any "homeless" people around...mainly because they'd have to take the bus to get there.

[Arshtat]

It's sad to think about these people having no place to go and not being able to do anything with their lives (or perhaps at this point, not caring). I really have to wonder, though - what was that guy doing with a cell phone, if he was homeless? How is he paying the bill? Maybe I'm just putting too much thought into it.

[depechemodefan]

but at least we have a security guard to deal with the homeless. Well, not that THEY do a good job of that, since our security contract goes to the lowest bidder and to work for this security company, you just have to be breathing and be able to make an "x" on the job app.

Same here. I remembered when this building was still open before renovations, that the guards would not tell people they have to leave. We close at 9pm. It's 9:01. All the guards would do is walk the floors, ignoring customers.

Now the head of security here looks like he knows his job, but he's in the army reserves and he's gone a lot. *sigh*

[edit]

It's sad to think about these people having no place to go and not being able to do anything with their lives (or perhaps at this point, not caring). I really have to wonder, though - what was that guy doing with a cell phone, if he was homeless? How is he paying the bill? Maybe I'm just putting too much thought into it.

I guess paying for a cell phone is cheaper then paying for rent. I have a pay as you go plan where I pay $27.06 for 3 months of airtime. I hardly use my cell phone, though. And I implied he was homeless because he said he worked for the City but he looked homeless. I meant that he was dressed in a way that any employee of the City who worked in the building he said he worked in wouldn't dress the way he did. In other words, I think he lied about working for the City, since the first thing a City worker would do is pull out a badge just to wave it in my face*. So he probably wasn't homeless, just he dressed really poor.

*today we had a fire drill and the customers weren't allowed in the building. A saw a guy in shorts using the catalog and I know he doesn't work for us, esp. since he's in shorts. I told him customers weren't allowed in now and he pulls out his badge, that shows he's a City worker. Considering he wasn't working, he's not an employee of the library, and he's acting like a customer (looking up books) he is a customer and shouldn't have been allowed in. I get sick of City employees showing their badge to get in the library and act like a customer and take up our time when we are suppose to spend time opening up.