Hey Friends!
This week, I thought I’d dive back into the bottomless pit of, “did you learn that in library school?”. If you’ve missed any previous posts on the series, be sure to check them out:
- Part One: The Basics We Don’t Learn
- Part Two: Customer Service
- Part Three: Legal and Practical Sides
- Part Four: Resumes and Coworkers
- Part Five: How to Be a Manager
Only this time around, I’d shake things up and asked YOU the librarians for input. I reached out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to ask: What’s the one thing you’ve learned working in a library you didn’t think you’d learn?
Boy, did y’alls answer range. You did not disappoint! Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Forged in the fires of the front desk
Some of you went for the more technical route:
Don’t be afraid to use the Delete button.
-Elke
Avoid teen projects involving glitter if you want to stay on good terms with the custodial staff.
-Susan
Old people: Don’t know how to print, but do know how to use a stapler. College students: vice versa.
-Janis
How to pull paper out of a copier without getting covered in toner.
-Susan
A few responses were a bit more library related:
Reading is hard. Particularly signage or directions.
-Andrea
We hate fines more than you do.
-Nicole
That even with a careful, precise system for keeping track of books, you will still have a surprising amount of books inexplicably go missing.
-Caroline
How to smile, nod, and say “I don’t think that’s an actual thing, but I’ll look.”
-Howie
What the teacher ACTUALLY assigned and what you are TOLD that the teacher assigned, are rarely the same.
-Janice
Some of you went straight into the gross stuff:
The bathroom will *always* smell.
-Jamie
If it looks like poop, it probably is!
-Brandi
If it’s wet and not yours, don’t touch it.
-Shannon
Do not reach into anything you can’t see into.
-Jennifer
People can make a bathroom out of any piece of furniture.
-Ryan
Some of y’all were just random and made me wonder:
How to spell “Stiefvater.”
-Nic
Toddlers are stronger than you think.
-Susan
When you say “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”, and they proceed to tell you the three ways to skin a cat.
-Iliea
Don’t use powdered spill cleaner (the stuff that soaks up biohazards!), on carpets. Ever. Just use paper towels to soak up the liquid, and wipe with lots of cleaner.
-Katie
How to type without a keyboard. Desperate times, man.
-Marion
Learning which schools give you the best swag for showing up on Career Day.
-Murphy
A few responses were a bit more philosophical:
A little kindness goes a long way.
-Hillary
Most of the things I screw up, I can fix. But only if I remember to slow down for a minute, take a deep breath, and think.
-Nicole
ALWAYS ask. Doesn’t matter what it is.
-Lindsey
Compassion and respect are the keys to authentic connection.
-Sara
And finally, my personal favorite:
The hidden first question in any patron interaction is, “Is this person’s need informational or emotional?” Knowing the answer will save you a ton of grief.
-Karl
Which ones did you like? Which ones didn’t you like? Let me know in the comment below! If you’d like to have your name featured, be sure to follow on social media!
Until next time,
Justin Brash, Brash Librarian
Justin Brasher, The Brash Librarian 