Tales from the library

[me]

My job entails many different things. One of them is checking the refrigerator the patrons can use in the kitchen that is attached to one of the meeting rooms.  Last year I found this creepiness. 



So I dumped out the ice cube tray to figure out exactly what was in it.
 

the melted version


A co-worker told me there's a game played at baby showers where you try to be the first person to melt the ice, leaving only the baby behind.  It's supposed to be play on the breaking of water.     Makes me wonder what other games they were playing!

Went to a gender reveal party today and they had those. The other games played were how well do you know the mom then one for the dad, the other game was a scrambled word game using baby items. The baby floats after the ice melts.

[AbbyTC]

Went to a gender reveal party today and they had those. The other games played were how well do you know the mom then one for the dad, the other game was a scrambled word game using baby items. The baby floats after the ice melts.

How did you play the game with the babies?  I was told they had to hold the ice cube in their hands until it melted and the first person to free the baby won. 

[me]

How did you play the game with the babies?  I was told they had to hold the ice cube in their hands until it melted and the first person to free the baby won.

We put one in our drinks, which were sodas or water. When the ice cube melts they turn face up and float.

[AbbyTC]

We put one in our drinks, which were sodas or water. When the ice cube melts they turn face up and float.

Interesting.  I hope they turn face up!   

[me]

Interesting.  I hope they turn face up!   

They do.

[AbbyTC]

This story was related to me by a co-worker as it happened on a Saturday.  Along with baby showers, patrons use our meeting rooms for birthdays, too. Meeting rooms are on the lower level along with staff offices in a staff only area.  We have a policy of no open flames, which includes tea lights, birthday candles, regular candles, anything with a flame.  Meeting room policy is reviewed with patrons before they use the room.  Can you see which direction this is going in?     There's always someone who won't follow directions and think they can get away with whatever, especially if it seems like something that is pretty insignificant.  Staff is upstairs along with patrons when the obnoxious fire alarm goes off.  Not knowing if it is a false alarm, patrons are evacuated to the designated safety points outside and the fire station is automatically called.  As staff was clearing the building, a woman from the meeting room says, "I only lit a tea light.  I didn't think the alarm would go off!".  Yep, our fire/smoke alarms are that sensitive.  The firemen came and per protocol they walked through the building and gave the ok to go back in.  The birthday party continued sans tea light.  Moral of the story:  if a place tells you no open flames, they mean no open flames!   

[Palehorse]

This story was related to me by a co-worker as it happened on a Saturday.  Along with baby showers, patrons use our meeting rooms for birthdays, too. Meeting rooms are on the lower level along with staff offices in a staff only area.  We have a policy of no open flames, which includes tea lights, birthday candles, regular candles, anything with a flame.  Meeting room policy is reviewed with patrons before they use the room.  Can you see which direction this is going in?     There's always someone who won't follow directions and think they can get away with whatever, especially if it seems like something that is pretty insignificant.  Staff is upstairs along with patrons when the obnoxious fire alarm goes off.  Not knowing if it is a false alarm, patrons are evacuated to the designated safety points outside and the fire station is automatically called.  As staff was clearing the building, a woman from the meeting room says, "I only lit a tea light.  I didn't think the alarm would go off!".  Yep, our fire/smoke alarms are that sensitive.  The firemen came and per protocol they walked through the building and gave the ok to go back in.  The birthday party continued sans tea light.  Moral of the story:  if a place tells you no open flames, they mean no open flames!   

[AbbyTC]

It seems, at times, stupidity is a commodity we have way too much of.  Today we had Staff Enrichment Day (SED) at our library and all branches were closed. Each library held activities at their own location.  This was a first for us since usually SED is either held at my branch or offsite.  Putting together SED for just our branch is much easier than the whole library system!     Anyway, back to the stupidity.  I put signs up stating we are closed about three weeks ahead of time.  There are signs on the outer doors, bulletin board, elevator, and two posted at the circulation desk and reference island.  There's also a blurb on our website, FB, and Twitter.  I understand some people still won't know we are closed or will forget, which is why we have the signs up on the outer doors.  I heard my co-workers say there were some people standing outside of our one entrance and that they had been there for a while, at least five minutes.  Since they weren't going away, I went to the door and pointed at the closed sign (It said "All libraries are closed for staff enrichment activities on Monday, March 27.") and said, "we're closed".  The one guy looks at me and after I point and say this, asks me, "Are you closed?"!    Took all I had not to unlock the doors and go out and smack him upside his head!     I retained my professional side and reiterated we were closed for the day.  He looked at me in disbelief and finally left.  I don't understand why they can't grasp such a simple concept as being closed. 

[Locutus]

You can't fix stupid. 

[AbbyTC]

Today at opening a gentleman stood at the door and held a fishing pole in one hand, a briefcase in the other, and an SLR camera around his neck.  Instead of coming right in, he asked me if we would hold his fishing pole behind the desk for him.  That was the first time I ever was asked that!  I told him we don't hold things for patrons but he was welcome to take it inside with him. Later I saw him perusing the DVDs with his fishing pole resting on the unit.  He told a co-worker he was going to go fishing after he was done at the library.  My co-worker then asked me if I thought he was carrying some ice in his briefcase to put the fish on.   

[Locutus]

It's always infinitely interesting when you work with the public. 

[AbbyTC]

It's always infinitely interesting when you work with the public. 

That's for sure.  Still doesn't beat the woman who came in in her bathing suit with a towel wrapped around her. 

[AbbyTC]

Every spring it seems we have a war with ants.  It was so bad last year my co-workers would email me ant pictures as a joke.  It has started up again, right on schedule.  We have a cleaning crew that comes in every day after we close.  They have a checklist and check off everything they did.  One of the items is to sweep and mop the meeting room floors and the kitchen next to the meeting room.  Last night they checked the box.  Last night they lied.  Before we opened, my co-worker was setting up the meeting room for a program that was to start an hour after we opened.  She came walking briskly into my office and told me we had an ant problem in the meeting room.  "There's a pile of them on the floor!"  I came down and sure enough, there was a pile of ants in a three inch circle with a path of ants radiating from it to the wall.  I looked closely at the pile and found a what appeared to be a very small french fry.  At least that's my best guess!  I got the mop and bucket of water and gave the ants a death a la water. There have been other sightings of ants in some offices which my manager and I didn't understand why because we were told Terminex had come in and looked over and sprayed.  My manager asked our facilities manager for a copy of the work order (which had to be signed by someone from the library) Terminex filled out and forwarded it to me.  She also asked the building staff if anyone saw Terminex either in or outside of the building.  If they were inside, someone had to have let them in to the office area so we were sure we would get a positive response from someone.  Instead, one staff member told us how he came into his office and found an ant invasion!  He had no food out and had previously cleaned the area from a previous invasion.  I looked at the order and discovered it was signed by someone who wasn't an employee.  (We have 53 people at our branch and I know everyone.) I pointed this out to my manager and she contacted our facilities manager.  Do I need to tell you he was a bit angry? I think Chad, the Terminex guy who supposedly did the inspection is not going to be a happy Terminex employee!  Falsifying a report? Not cool, Chad!

[Palehorse]

Every spring it seems we have a war with ants.  It was so bad last year my co-workers would email me ant pictures as a joke.  It has started up again, right on schedule.  We have a cleaning crew that comes in every day after we close.  They have a checklist and check off everything they did.  One of the items is to sweep and mop the meeting room floors and the kitchen next to the meeting room.  Last night they checked the box.  Last night they lied.  Before we opened, my co-worker was setting up the meeting room for a program that was to start an hour after we opened.  She came walking briskly into my office and told me we had an ant problem in the meeting room.  "There's a pile of them on the floor!"  I came down and sure enough, there was a pile of ants in a three inch circle with a path of ants radiating from it to the wall.  I looked closely at the pile and found a what appeared to be a very small french fry.  At least that's my best guess!  I got the mop and bucket of water and gave the ants a death a la water. There have been other sightings of ants in some offices which my manager and I didn't understand why because we were told Terminex had come in and looked over and sprayed.  My manager asked our facilities manager for a copy of the work order (which had to be signed by someone from the library) Terminex filled out and forwarded it to me.  She also asked the building staff if anyone saw Terminex either in or outside of the building.  If they were inside, someone had to have let them in to the office area so we were sure we would get a positive response from someone.  Instead, one staff member told us how he came into his office and found an ant invasion!  He had no food out and had previously cleaned the area from a previous invasion.  I looked at the order and discovered it was signed by someone who wasn't an employee.  (We have 53 people at our branch and I know everyone.) I pointed this out to my manager and she contacted our facilities manager.  Do I need to tell you he was a bit angry? I think Chad, the Terminex guy who supposedly did the inspection is not going to be a happy Terminex employee!  Falsifying a report? Not cool, Chad!

Bait them with small piles of rice.

Ants eat rice and drag it back to the nest. The next liquid that enters their world will result in death by explosion.

Rice swells when it comes into contact with liquids. They will explode physically and any rice left in the nests will expand and crush them.

[Locutus]

Sounds better than Orkin!