wildlife and expired life @ the library

Okay, I'm going to ask: What's with the fruit flies swarming the Info Desk? They tend to congregrate near the 2nd in Command computer station. I have found no food source that would explain their existence. Do they aspire to be reference librarians?

While shelving the reference books last night I came across someone's lunch meat on a physician's manual. I'm sorry, but there is no reality, alternate or otherwise, where lunch meat in, on, or around the reference books is acceptable. Please take your lunch meat with you when you leave. Dead cow, even in delicately thin slices, does not complement the reference collection. Thank you.

we need crayons @ the UGL

Crayola image borrowed from Crayola website.

I spent 3 hours yesterday morning attempting to appease the creative impulses of a six year-old. Her mother sat nearby at a computer and almost completely ignored her. Lori, over at Access Services (aka Checkout) helped me out with some coloring pages she had created for her Programming for Youth Services class, but that great idea went awry when I realized we had no crayons. Little Artistic Genius decided to cut out the pictures instead using the scissors chained to the table behind me. Big Mess ensued.

Sigh!

I will admit right now that I'm not a huge fan of kidlets, although I do have an amazing amount of patience due to a stint working at a group home for the developmentally disabled. There is no way that I could ever be a Children's Librarian, and I am really grateful that others, like Lori, aspire to such a noble profession. I couldn't do it. Lori said I did a really good job with the above-mentioned ankle-biter, though. She said,"You can't tell that you really don't like children." :)

Some things to keep in mind re: children at the UGL.
1. Do not allow little ones to treat the information desk like playground equipment. I know it's fun to hang from the (very high) desk, but it could put your eye out. So just don't, okay.
2. Give them recycled paper to draw on and (hopefully, if we get some crayons) color.
3. Inform parent (if said parent can be found) that she/he must watch their children. I'm not a nanny.
4. Artistic vision should be encouraged but not when it involves using all the staples in both staplers and/or all the tape in the tape dispenser.
5. When offered a handmade "crown" by above mentioned Little Artistic Genius put it on and wear it proudly. Tell the kid it's the Information Crown and that you are the Queen of Information.