Have you ever worked in a Library?

[laine]

I haven't worked in one but a career test in school told me that would be a good career for me.

xx

[Cherubic]

I worked in the London Borough of Lewisham Library Service from last October to this March. I got the job by going into a temping agency and bullshitting that I was good with computers. Also I took the first horrible job they gave me (in a water cooler company) and went in every day despite it being the most awful work imaginable, so perhaps they thought I was reliable. A girl I worked with there went in and asked if she could work in the library. They told her know because she didn't have a science degree and I did.

In conclusion I have no idea how they decide who gets the jobs.

[charliepops]

I have always had a romantic notion about working in a library. Being relatively young and reasonably attractive, I would be good at flirting with the old ladies, plus I have an obsessive knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System.

I hope in my older days I will live out my fantasy and become one of those distinguished, handsome, avuncular types with a tartan tanktop and glasses on strings. The kind of guy I have awkwardly inappropriate fantasies about.

[Bungle]

We use the Library of Congress system for most books, so your Dewey knowledge would be next to useless I'm afraid.

Old ladies love a relatively young gay, this is definitely true.

[pensarefriends]

I work in a University library as an information assistant. It is the cushiest job in the world, no lie. I derive lots of fun watching students struggle to get in the doors (revolving doors that only start to revolve when you walk in to them... that fucks with their heads).

[audrey notwhatsheusedtobe]

I have worked in the horrendously depressing further education equivalent: a "learning centre". It's typically where a college library used to be, but contains about 2 books and 3000 computers, at which the unemployable sit looking at internet porn and instant messaging the person next to them.

I tried to instill more of a studious atmosphere by occassionally wearing a twinset. The only high point was when the occasional hottie Spanish student would pop in and I could pester him for about 10 minutes asking if he was logged on OK. Tip: being really patronising is not endearing to hot foreign men.

[thelovelykate]

audreyhorne said:

I have worked in the horrendously depressing further education equivalent: a "learning centre". It's typically where a college library used to be, but contains about 2 books and 3000 computers, at which the unemployable sit looking at internet porn and instant messaging the person next to them.

That sounds a bit like the bit of the library where I work. I predominantly work in 'the Business Library' section. We have lots of business books and bizarre media directories but mainly we are the home of all of the public access PCs. I am quite lucky in that I seem to have a constant stream of lovely old people and foreign people who need help with scanning and e-mail.

They can't access porn in my library but we did once have to throw someone out for having a wank at his PC.

[[james]]

thelovelykate said:

They can't access porn in my library but we did once have to throw someone out for having a wank at his PC.

He must have had a very impressive stock portfolio.

We used to treat anyone who wanted a print-out with utter disdain. I have no idea why.

[thelovelykate]

In the style of a shop assistant I get quite vexed with people who try and pay for 10 pence worth of printing with a note. To show them my rage I generally huff at them in a really put out way and if I don't have enough change in my till I tell them (really crossly) that they might as well just take it. Really bizarrely this sort of arsey behavior seems to impress a lot of them because the next time they are in they usually pay (with change!).

[Cherubic]

We used to have a girl who'd come in and make collages of semi naked pictures of Daniel Craig to print out and presumably girl wank over in the comfort of her own home and then come in a couple of days later and do exactly the same thing. Months this went on for.

Occasionally to break up the monotony of her life she'd write the words 'Michael Jackson' in pink three-D bubble letters and print that out instead.

[Nick]

[So far,] The only job I've ever been interviewed for that I didn't get was to work in a library.

Well, fuck you, librarians. I went to work at Homebase instead. Paint mixing, woodcutting and stacking paving slabs; that was REAL man's work.

Of course, I worked on the checkouts, mostly.

[polyannapolyfilla]

nick said:

[So far,] The only job I've ever been interviewed for that I didn't get was to work in a library.

You are clearly living a mirror image of my world - the library was pretty much the only place that I have been interviewed for (on three seperate occasions - I am a perpetual library-bouncer-backer) and actually got the job each time.

Even the job I have now I got because it was through someone at my library. Now much of my work revolves around an image library. Putting stuff into order is clearly where my life skill lies. Its rubbish though - Unlike proper libraries, you can't sneak off into the stock room and read transparencies and hi-res image files all afternoon.

[elmsyrup]

cherubic said:

We used to have a girl who'd come in and make collages of semi naked pictures of Daniel Craig to print out and presumably girl wank over in the comfort of her own home and then come in a couple of days later and do exactly the same thing. Months this went on for.

Occasionally to break up the monotony of her life she'd write the words 'Michael Jackson' in pink three-D bubble letters and print that out instead.

That's really funny actually.

[fused]

I did my work experience at school in a library if that counts. I really enjoyed it. Got to be around books and computers all the time, and in my break I sometimes went to the CD listening area. The very frequent tea breaks were great as well, and I got on very well with the staff there.

[groopie]

nick said:

Well, fuck you, librarians. I went to work at Homebase instead. Paint mixing, woodcutting and stacking paving slabs; that was REAL man's work.

Of course, I worked on the checkouts, mostly.

Ooh, I used to work in Homebase. I worked my way up from checkouts to the glamour of the information desk.

[adamof]

cherubic said:

everyone treats you as if you invented the computer because you're young

Haha! That's so true!

I work in a really quiet library, which is incredibly boring - especially as the fascist IT department blocked all internet access from the counter PCs (except for the council intranet (urgh)).

[Cherubic]

All the internet? But what do you do if someone comes in and asks about a book. Or needs directions to somewhere obscure? Or wants the address of a holding company in the Isle of Man?

Harrow really haven't thought this through?

[adamof]

Ah, you see the computer at the librarian's desk has internet access - obviously because they can be trusted not to waste company time!!

[Bungle]

None of our library working LCers happen to have jobs at the BL, do they?

[frogsley]

Apr 11, 2008 13:32:46 GMT Bungle said:

None of our library working LCers happen to have jobs at the BL, do they?

I have a friend who worked there part time and is applying for a position there full time, if that counts.

I am posting this while working. In a Library. And being Homosexual.

I feel like I'm living the lowculture dream. Shame the dream isn't better paid, mind.

[jetsetwilly]

Apr 14, 2008 15:31:15 GMT frogsley said:

I am posting this while working. In a Library. And being Homosexual.

That sounds like you're rutting on the periodicals even as you type.

[frogsley]

Apr 14, 2008 15:41:51 GMT jetsetwilly said:

That sounds like you're rutting on the periodicals even as you type.

Once you go black Journal of Environmental and Planning Law, you never go back.