Thursday, December 23, 2010

Happy Holidays!

It's not as quiet in the computer area as I'd expected this week. Students are done, holidays are almost here - I figured we wouldn't see so many visitors. What do I know? All the visitors using guest cards sometimes gives me the opportunity to play Santa: people will want to add money for printing; when I check, we discover money already on the card from a previous user. It's a nice little surprise, and usually very much appreciated. Just one of the more fun aspects of working this desk...

A recent upgrade at the shared catalog level didn't go well, so we've been muddling through while they work to fix the new problems created. I can sympathize, and will continue to expect the worst anytime someone says "upgrade."

This is our final week with Alice, our retiring director. It's been an exciting 13 years! I'm wondering what the next director will bring to the library - we've come to expect a lot but there will always be opportunities for positive changes too.

Marry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Holiday Time

Holidays are always an interesting time in the library, probably a combination of the cold bringing more people in, and holiday stress aggravating whatever problems are already there. We're trying to stay agreeable, but have to sometimes resort to less-than-friendly interaction when some lonely individuals start hanging around for extended periods, trying to get involved in conversations about (occasionally) rather bizarre topics. Working a public desk begins to feel like a sitting duck - no escape!

We're planning a Gadget Fair this weekend, so people can come see some new things they may not be familiar with - Nook, Kindle, Flip Camera, etc. We've also gotten local stores to come in with some gadgets too, like the iPad. We're not going as in-depth as we would for staff training, or even a conference session; just an informal "this is what it looks like and some things you might be able to use it for" gathering.

My favorite thing about the holidays this year? With Christmas Eve and Christmas on Friday and Saturday (and we'll be closed) I get a 4-day weekend! Followed by a 3-day weekend for New Year's. That will seem like quite a vacation!