A Civil World. Off-topic discussions on a variety of topics. > Time For a Coffee Break!
Not Going To Happen 'Cause I'm Not Harry Potter (Impossible Patron Requests)
mmswm:
--- Quote from: heartmug on January 22, 2013, 12:17:57 PM ---
--- Quote from: mmswm on January 22, 2013, 12:13:14 PM ---
--- Quote from: Mediancat on January 22, 2013, 11:37:01 AM ---Cami: I've gotten an audible eyeroll, though, when I say, "Hold on while I get the pen," when what I mean is, "Hold on a second until I pick it up." I understand getting annoyed if the person takes more than a couple of seconds, but in most cases I'm not actually holding the pen in my hand while I make the call.
Rob
--- End quote ---
And then there's the pen curse I'm afflicted with. You see, I can go through all the trouble of finding a pen and making sure it works, but for whatever reason, as soon as the person starts to give me the needed information, the pen stops working or explodes in spectacular fashion. This happens with frightening regularity.
--- End quote ---
That used to happen to me a lot so much so when my kids were little I would have a crayon near the phone to write down messages with.
--- End quote ---
I should do this. I still have one kid little enough to have crayons around.
Yarnspinner:
It happened again.
I've written about the patrons who want their own gmail/yahoo/aol accounts. But they want US to sign them up, create their user ID and passwords and then, the next time they come in, they will ask us to log them in because they, of course, don't have to remember their ID and password; WE'LL remember it for them.
Today brought a new wrinkle to the proceedings. A man was in with two women, one in her thirties the other in her twenties. Neither one spoke English or anything close to it. He wanted ME to sit down and create emails for them and explain to them how it was done.
Sorry, I can speak some French and Spanish and even a little Japanese, but I do not know nor will I likely ever know how to speak Pakistani. He, of course, KNEW how to create the accounts, but was quite up front about not feeling like it. Even though he speaks the language.
One of my (much younger and more patient) coworkers took over trying to show them what to do. It has been two hours and they still don't have even their passwords created. Younger and more patient coworker is looking waaaaay older and has become a lot snappier in the last two hours as well.
Yarnspinner:
And another one today....
Dear Sir,
However much you may wish it, the book you requested about Calypso Music and insisted it would be found in the 500s (natural sciences) is NOT about calypso music but about "the" Calypso--Jacques Cousteau's vessel. My advice would be NOT to listen to "some guy who told you this is the book about music" and maybe listen to the librarian who can actually find what you are looking for.
Unfortunately, I guess he thought I was being mean or condescending when I explained WHY a book about Jacques Cousteau was NOT going to be about calypso music. He said he would be back when "the guy" was here.
This is frustrating because it means one of my own coworkers told him the wrong book to request.
Elisabunny:
--- Quote from: Yarnspinner on February 07, 2013, 02:36:39 PM ---And another one today....
Dear Sir,
However much you may wish it, the book you requested about Calypso Music and insisted it would be found in the 500s (natural sciences) is NOT about calypso music but about "the" Calypso--Jacques Cousteau's vessel. My advice would be NOT to listen to "some guy who told you this is the book about music" and maybe listen to the librarian who can actually find what you are looking for.
Unfortunately, I guess he thought I was being mean or condescending when I explained WHY a book about Jacques Cousteau was NOT going to be about calypso music. He said he would be back when "the guy" was here.
This is frustrating because it means one of my own coworkers told him the wrong book to request.
--- End quote ---
And no, the song about the Calypso does not count as Calypso Music.
PeterM:
Our librarian encountered what I can only hope was a once in a career request yesterday.
She was asked to provide a book that proves the world is round. Seems the patron thought the Shuttle disaster was a cover-up to keep the mission from discovering it's really flat. Why the patron waited ten (or twenty-seven?) years to look into this, or what she thought all the other hundred-plus shuttle missions were up to, were not part of the reference interview. Pity.
Needless to say, this was not actually an impossible request, but it also wasn't as simple as you might think. Leaving aside the patron's skepticism, my library doesn't stock Basic Knowledge For Basic Nitwits. The vast majority of books assume a certain minimum level of knowledge. The librarian managed to satisfy the patron, though, at least for the moment.
Seriously, though, a Flat-Earther. In Oregon. In 2013. I am simultaneously proud and ashamed to be an American.
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