"read my mind" (longish)

[depechemodefan]

Woman calls the library.
SC=Woman
me=

Me: This is (spiel)
SC: I don't have the Cliff Notes, I need a summery for To Kill a Mockingbird. Do you have a summary of it?
Me: do you want to come in for a book?
SC: Isn't this the Reference desk? Don't people call in to have their questions answered?
Me: This is telephone reference. Though when people call asking for things, it's usually to find out if we have a book.
SC: I need a summary of the book!
Me: ok, one moment (I go to Wikipedia). Ok, *reads wikipedia entry, even with the n word in it. spends 3-4 min reading it*
SC: Ok, I didn't need you to read me the summary. What I wanted to know was what the story about.
Me: (ok, I'm being difficult) I read the summary because you asked for the summary.
SC: What I need is the what the story is about, like is it about friendship.
Me: Oh, you could have interrupted me if I was not giving you what you want.
SC: *laughing* oh, I was enjoying your summary. Ok, thanks, bye.

[Becks]

There are so many things wrong with that woman.

[Evil Queen]

By the end of the conversation, I think the rest of her happy pills kicked in.

[Lachrymose]

You should have given her this as a summary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KevzcHUUKAY

[jedimaster91]

Dangit. You've ruined the book for me.

[bloodrose]

I've called the reference desk for random info before, but not for a book summary. That's what the internet is for.

[depechemodefan]

I've called the reference desk for random info before, but not for a book summary. That's what the internet is for.

I had to leave out stuff since I was on the phones and people kept on calling, the nerve! But I asked her if she had the internet I could suggest a site, but she told me she didn't. Also, reading the summary, I was thinking to leave out the n-word, but I already started to read the sentence and just stopping and trying to get around it would have been awkward.

Also, I mentioned criticisms that she might want to pick up.

[Sparky]

I've called the reference desk for random info before, but not for a book summary. That's what the internet is for.

Actually, I think that's what doing your OWN homework is supposed to be for, but that would involve reading the book, wouldn't it?

[depechemodefan]

Also, she was mentioning something about summeries for 3-4 year olds. I was attempting to open the door for someone so I kind of didn't catch what she said, but then she thanked me, said "bye" and hung up. I hate to think she was a teacher, but it sounded like she was trying to explain the book to some really young kids, or else she had a project to do where her audiance was 3-4 year olds.

[Bliss]

Well depeche, first let me take the chance to use this opportunity to tell you I am so glad there are depeche mode fans out there

Anyhow, I need to tell you, that it constantly amazes me how you, who works on a place of knowledge and study, continually seem to get the stupidest of all customers around here....

Maybe it's the contrast? or maybe the library to them is kind of a bight light to a moth? they go "Oh shiny!" and bump against it repeatedly?

[bloodrose]

But I asked her if she had the internet I could suggest a site, but she told me she didn't.

OMG. I couldn't live without my internets.

Actually, I think that's what doing your OWN homework is supposed to be for, but that would involve reading the book, wouldn't it?

Well, there's that, too.

Anyhow, I need to tell you, that it constantly amazes me how you, who works on a place of knowledge and study, continually seem to get the stupidest of all customers around here....

Maybe, they're all like "I gots to get me my learn on" and head to the library expecting someone or something to give them knowledge with minimal work on their part.

[Snowbird]

Anyhow, I need to tell you, that it constantly amazes me how you, who works on a place of knowledge and study, continually seem to get the stupidest of all customers around here....

I don't know. At least they're smart enough to know to go to the library for reference needs rather than, say, the closest bookstore. I can't begin to count how many people mistook my store for a library and the sales people for librarians. "I need to know like what this historical person did at this important juncture of time, and like, I need you to like tell me which books that's in! Now! No I don't want to like* buy it, I just need the info!"

I have lots of respect for the library folks. Oh, the crazies you get!

*I can't stand when people overuse 'like'. Like totally, fer sure! Blargh!

[depechemodefan]

Well depeche, first let me take the chance to use this opportunity to tell you I am so glad there are depeche mode fans out there

Anyhow, I need to tell you, that it constantly amazes me how you, who works on a place of knowledge and study, continually seem to get the stupidest of all customers around here....

Maybe it's the contrast? or maybe the library to them is kind of a bight light to a moth? they go "Oh shiny!" and bump against it repeatedly?

Yeah, DM makes me happy (ironically enough).
Yeah, the failures of life like making the library home. Granted, the people I encounter are people who can't do anything for themselves. A lot of people come into the library and never bother a librarian because they can figure out things on their own. Or else, they can ask "where is the catalog, how do I use it?" and once we show them they never bother us again.
But I am so used to people not being able to communicate.

Like yesterday, I had an hour from hell. One guy comes up and asked "How can I access TOEFL on CD?" I was thinking he meant "where are the TOEFL CDs," So I told him they were on the first floor. He then says, "No you don't understand me, I have the CD-Rom." So finally I get it, tell him that we have computers that you can insert the rom in them. He then says that there is no place to insert the CD. So I show him. All the computers have a flat-screen monitor, and attached behind them is connected the CPU (though I think it's a WiseDum terminal). It was "Oh, I see now."

Then a guy comes in asking where the almanacs are. Now those things are reference books, so I tell them they are in reference. Of course, he says, "you're not paying attention. I want one to check out." So somewhere in the "Where are the almanacs" is "one to check out." ugh. Also, there are diff. almanacs, like Sports almanacs, that can be kept in a diff. area. But I hate asking patrons the specify, because then they want me to tell them where everything is. I decided to give him a call no. and let him look for it, if it exsisted on the circulating shelft, and he looks at the piece of paper with the call # and asks "what's this?".

Oh, and this guy was kind of odd. He would ask a question, then as I'm answering it he rephrase the answer, but before I finish giving the answer. Anyway, he asked for some books on law, and I pointed them out but he wanted to know the actual laws. I show him one of the books, and told him "Use this call no. and go to the Reference section. There are books with this call no. that will be more specific." Of course, he doesn't write down the number so I imagine he will get up there and forget.

Oh, and earlier in the day, this woman came up to me and asked for a source that would give her prices of real estate in certain years. I suggested that she look at the newpaper archieves, or else go to the building across the way, which has a lot of info. on our city. She said she went there already and they gave her a title to a periodical, and they told her to ask us to get it for her, since it was in storage. Then she gives me the slip of paper with the info.
How hard was it for her to just say "Can you get this for me, I was told that it would have what I want,"? Why reask the question if she had the answer already? Did she like me digging into my own brain trying to figure out what we could use? Or did she expect me to just crap out the answer so she didn't have to take the few movements to hand me the piece of paper.
Then when I told her it would take 20min to retrieve it, she said she couldn't wait. Huh, considering she was planning to spend time looking at the info, now she has no time to wait for it. Oh, she wants to check it out. No, it's not a bestseller or a literary criticism, which cost very little to us, it's reference material, which cost a lot, so it's not leaving the library.

[RetailWorkhorse]

SC: I don't have the Cliff Notes, I need a summery for To Kill a Mockingbird. Do you have a summary of it?

Cliff Notes...for To Kill A Mockingbird....

That is so wrong on so many levels.