Tragedy January 17, 2007
We had a death in the library on Tuesday. Thomas, who’s always sat in the same spot to do his job, gave up the ghost at around 3 in the afternoon. He started working, made a funny noise, and then quit. Fine, but then there was the smell, which patrons noticed and commented on.
Frankly, I don’t have time for this. I’m getting ready for the OLA conference in two weeks, and have a ton of stuff to do. I don’t need to deal with a death and all the accompanying crap that goes along with it. On top of this, how the hell am I supposed to get him out of the library? He’s too big to fit in the dinky little elevator, so we may have to hack him up and take him out piece by piece, and deal with the mess afterwards. Whatever we do, it has to be done soon - I’m getting sick of looking at the corpse.
By the way, I’m talking about one of our microfilm readers. I bet you thought I was talking about one of the patrons!
(Yes, all our computers and microfilm readers have names. We’re quirky that way. There were four microfilm readers - Minnie, Fuji, Thomas and Franklin - of which only two work (Minnie and Franklin). Minnie is hooked up to a computer, Sonia/Sonya, and you can print things on her. Franklin is a year older than me, which is like two hundered in microfilm reader years.
The rest of our computers have similarly clever names - downstairs, we have internet stations with names like Colt, Harrison, Wordsworth, and Skye. The three circ computers in the Adult department are named after the three musketeers, Arthos, Porthos, and Aramis. The computers in the training room are named after the seven dwarves.
One of the major reasons for doing this is to help with identification if there’s a problem; rather than telling IT computer 3423 or the second circ computer on the left isn’t working, we can just tell them that Fiona is being grumpy, and they know exactly which computer to look at.)
LOL I wondered at first what you were talking about!
I can understand naming the computers, when we first set up our network at home years ago we named the computers after the three stooges.
And we wonder why librarians get such a weird reputation. Well, OK, it’s possible some people *other* than us are wondering.
And that’s all I have to say about this subject, typed out oh-so-eloquently on Chelsea, er, my laptop.
That was cute. I envisioned some white haired old man sitting there all corpse-like, and you being a real bitch about it with the “Frankly, I don’t have time for this”.. hahaha.. That was good.
Microfilm readers still exisist? The last time I worked in a library (6 years ago) they were tucked away in a corner where noone knew they existed. I thought by now they were all extinct.
Hee
If a patron really had dropped dead in the middle of the library, I’d be much more sympathetic and understanding!
Krista - they mostly are, but there are still a large number of them. In total, there are 8 in the building, four in my department and four in the genealogy room. The library is a well-known centre for historical research, and a lot of our info is on microfilm, so we need to have them around. And working.
At least you “HAD” a microfilm reader…and by the way, Bubba says, “Hi.” I’ll officiate the funeral if he kicks off while I’m still here.