Things we learned at work, vol. 13
Jun. 30th, 2009 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silveradeptIt's been a while since I did these. Not because I haven't been learning, but because it's taking more and more to shock me, I think....
1) Old technology will do just as well for tasks as new. And often for a far superior price. Now if I could just get the thing to do Wi-Fi...and apparently, if I want to spend some money at it, I can. (Or, I could spend a bit more money and get something with the wireless built in once the old tech starts failing.)
2) I still love telling stories in front of audiences.
3) As far as I know, there is no database resource that lets you easily compare the specifics of tax law between the various states. A book, sure.
4) Young men still think it acceptable to show their underwear. Unlike before, however, it was actually under the clothing.
5) Our library has a knack for acronyms. ELVIS used to do the calling, but he has left the building. His replacement? HAL.
5b) HAL apparently elides some of his pronunciations, such that patrons can mistake him for saying "This is Hell calling."
5c) You can imagine the hilarity that ensues from taking that idea out to its logical conclusion. "Pay your fines or FACE THE WRATH OF SATAN!"
6) There are twitterbots for a lot of things. I accidentally discovered one called RedactBot, which apparently listens for and then retweets anything with a [redacted] in it, whether serious or humorous usage. May end up following it just to see what happens.
7) I now understand intimately what other librarians are complaining about when they talk about how surly people can get when they don't have the free Internet terminals working. And I see why they think of them as Entitlement Echidnas.
8) Ideas take a very long time to bring all the way to fruition, especially when they involve several levels of management approval along the way.
9) There are still people who have not been brought forward into the realm of the newer, friendlier, conversation-is-allowed library. This is depressing, because it tells me how long it has been since that person set foot in a library.
10)There is nowhere that is safe from someone wanting you to covert to their religion. I do believe that one was my first offical, while-at-work one. And from a Catholic, no less.
11) A good sell is better than a great idea. Always.
11b) As a corollary to this, never expect anything you read in the media to be completely truthful.
11c) Especially when there's a chance to scare someone into thinking their children are in danger.
12) Our copier coin box has a SEP field around it.
13) A fortune card is an acceptable bookmark.
14) I'm already 10-15 years too old to be good at video games.
1) Old technology will do just as well for tasks as new. And often for a far superior price. Now if I could just get the thing to do Wi-Fi...and apparently, if I want to spend some money at it, I can. (Or, I could spend a bit more money and get something with the wireless built in once the old tech starts failing.)
2) I still love telling stories in front of audiences.
3) As far as I know, there is no database resource that lets you easily compare the specifics of tax law between the various states. A book, sure.
4) Young men still think it acceptable to show their underwear. Unlike before, however, it was actually under the clothing.
5) Our library has a knack for acronyms. ELVIS used to do the calling, but he has left the building. His replacement? HAL.
5b) HAL apparently elides some of his pronunciations, such that patrons can mistake him for saying "This is Hell calling."
5c) You can imagine the hilarity that ensues from taking that idea out to its logical conclusion. "Pay your fines or FACE THE WRATH OF SATAN!"
6) There are twitterbots for a lot of things. I accidentally discovered one called RedactBot, which apparently listens for and then retweets anything with a [redacted] in it, whether serious or humorous usage. May end up following it just to see what happens.
7) I now understand intimately what other librarians are complaining about when they talk about how surly people can get when they don't have the free Internet terminals working. And I see why they think of them as Entitlement Echidnas.
8) Ideas take a very long time to bring all the way to fruition, especially when they involve several levels of management approval along the way.
9) There are still people who have not been brought forward into the realm of the newer, friendlier, conversation-is-allowed library. This is depressing, because it tells me how long it has been since that person set foot in a library.
10)There is nowhere that is safe from someone wanting you to covert to their religion. I do believe that one was my first offical, while-at-work one. And from a Catholic, no less.
11) A good sell is better than a great idea. Always.
11b) As a corollary to this, never expect anything you read in the media to be completely truthful.
11c) Especially when there's a chance to scare someone into thinking their children are in danger.
12) Our copier coin box has a SEP field around it.
13) A fortune card is an acceptable bookmark.
14) I'm already 10-15 years too old to be good at video games.
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Date: 2009-06-30 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2009-06-30 11:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 04:31 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2009-07-01 04:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 10:11 am (UTC)Not necessarily. Could just be that they expect to be able to concentrate in a library. I do. Surely not all of your library is meant to be as noisy as a crowded restaurant? Surely there are at least quiet zones?
no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 04:58 pm (UTC)