Some thoughts post-ALA

I met a lot of wonderful people at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim a few weeks ago. I haven't written about my experience yet, because I've been sifting through it in my mind. Attending the conference made me think about why I chose librarianship and what I want to do in the profession. This post is, by no means, a complete account of my thoughts, interests, experiences. Just wanted to get something down.

Intellectual freedom is important to me. I knew this before I attended conference, but now it seems like a crucial issue for me. I am reading ALA's Intellectual Freedom Manual. Privacy, too, is a big issue. I hadn't thought much about it since my intro LIS class, but after attending the OIF presentation/panel discussion about privacy featuring Dan Roth of Wired, Corey Doctorow, Canadian sci fi writer, and Beth Givens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, I now realize that this is an issue that librarians need to read and talk, and educate users about. Further, as a profession, we need to create systems that are private, but which also allow library users (and only library users) to access their own information. Want to know what book you read last year in July? Well, as a librarian I don't (and shouldn't) have access to that information. But as a patron, you should have access to it.

Attending the ALA conference cemented my desire to work with underserved populations. This may mean that I will need to look for public librarian positions instead of academic, but I'm not totally sure. Working in an urban or rural academic library may offer opportunities to work with the poor and working-class, also. I was annoyed that there weren't many sessions at ALA devoted to underserved populations. I managed to attend a few sessions that discussed these, but most sessions seemed to be about Library 2.0 stuff, gaming, or management/administrative issues, etc. I sometimes feel that technology issues have hijacked the profession. That isn't to say that I am against technology, far from it, but I think we need to be aware of the basic aspects of this profession. When approaching technology, shouldn't we be asking, "how can we use this to help our community?"

I attended a session about library user research that discussed millennials (of course) and then had an amazing researcher out of Texas, Lynn Westbrook, who discussed her research with the information needs and use of victims of intimate partner violence. Good stuff! What I really liked about her research was her comment that these women (primarily women) are suddenly forced to deal with large, often conflicting information systems at a time when they are particularly vulnerable. They need to figure out how to navigate the criminal justice system and the social services network (shelters, etc.) and these systems often give conflicting information. For example, if a woman has been abused by her partner, she is encouraged by the police to file a restraining order. Unfortunately, the shelter system knows that doing so often can lead to more violence. As librarians, how can we reach out to these vulnerable segments of our society? How can we find them, get them to trust us, and help them find and use the resources they need? Why aren't librarians working with social service agencies and organizations?

I also attended a great session--but had to leave early to work my Student-to-Staff gig--about ALA's Policy 61--Library Services to the Poor. I definitely want to work with OLOS, and I think that an outreach librarian position would be a great fit for me. Policy 61 has been around for awhile and yet librarians don't talk about it, much less create policies that support it. Are overdue fines really necessary? I understand that there is rampant theft in libraries, and I'm not naive about people gaming the system (using their kids' cards to check out more stuff that is never returned), but should we really fine people who can't afford to pay? Or who can't afford the transportation costs to get to the library on time to return the items?

So this is what I have been thinking about since ALA. Will post more later, probably.

helping

On Saturday I spent about half an hour helping a patron register for a class, explained how to contact her department to ensure that her overrides were in the system so that she could register for two other classes, showed her the ins and outs of Blackboard, gave her the phone number for Computing so she could contact them to get her Blackboard account working, and printed off several screenshots of our class registration procedure to ensure that she could do it at home. I also showed her where the bookstores were located so that she could get her textbooks. She was an older student--by that I mean in her 40s. She's a new student, so she's unfamiliar with our "system". She mentioned that her teen sons are so "fast" with computers, but that it takes time for her. I told her that I understood and explained that the university's system can be clunky and frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you're soon a pro. I later found that she is a Canadian student and that coming over here costs $12 dollars a trip.

I could have just directed her to our computer help desk located in the computer lab behind me, but I felt that wouldn't give her the service she needed. I went with her to the computer lab, sat down with her and explained everything patiently. The patron was genuinely appreciative and I hope that I left an excellent impression of the library. I'm confident that this student will come back to the library with other questions. This is what librarianship is all about. Helping people.

I know that showing someone how to use the computer or explain an extensive process (like registering for classes) can be tiresome, but it's important that librarians be willing to teach others how to do things for themselves. We can't just sit back and say, "Oh, go to the computer lab and the computer help desk folks will help you." Chances are the computer help desk folks won't spend the time to really assist the patron fully. The computer help desk staff is almost entirely composed of undergraduate students who have yet to cultivate a strong customer service philosophy. Our Information desk is staffed by librarians and library school students. We need to show patrons that we are dedicated to helping them--and helping them learn. Librarians are here to help. Sometimes we can't help with everything, but we must try.

Wow, it finally happened....

Today being my last day, I am now officially done with my LIS degree and with my time at the UGL. As far as last days go, this one was boring. The students are gone, the weather has warmed up so many of the homeless guys have found other places to go, most of the librarians were gone all morning. My questions were all directional-where is advising, a pay phone, etc., -but as an oddly fitting end to almost two years of fun, one of my least favorite callers was my last reference question. I put him on hold. For a long time. But at least I didn't do what I REALLY wanted to do and tell him to buy himself a bleepin' atlas and stop calling with his rude attitude. Okay, I am rambling here, and having a hard time concentrating with the constant interruptions I am experiencing here at home, so I will give a few highlights, etc. of my time here. You all will just have to pardon the (lack of) writing style.

Funny conversations: the pros and cons of owning a helper monkey, what we would REALLY like to say to the patrons, the patron who told me he was controlling the casino slot machines with his transistor radio (and was contemplating doing it to our security gates also).

Proudest moments: When I could find the impossible-to-find answer for someone and they were so appreciative. And when people would come back and thank me later for helping them, especially when they got a good grade.

Saddest moment: Helping a father find his son who is in prison and showing him a picture of him, which caused him to burst into tears. I had to leave the desk and have a cry after that one.

Times I've had patrons cry on me: 3

Funniest patrons/coworkers/people around campus: Howard (still miss that guy!), Typing Guy, Hurricane Lady (until she decided I must be as interested in hurricanes as she was), the guy who rides his bike with no hands blowing a whistle

Weirdest things found: clothes, canned food, two tire irons and a hack saw, all under the bottom shelves in the reference section. It was like Public Storage in there!

Scariest moment: being followed around by the paranoid schizophrenic in the evening just before closing. He was arrested the next day when he returned.

Grossest moment: the guy starting to masturbate right in front of me and a coworker. No, he didn't have his pants down, thank God!

A PIC and I were talking today about how nothing surprises us anymore after working here for a while. When I did a practicum in Royal Oak, the people there were talking about how much stuff goes on there, but I left them wide-eyed after telling them about the UGL. It gave me a crash course in human behavior, which was sometimes aggravating, but always interesting. To be honest, I am a little concerned about my future places of employment, and whether they will have enough action for me after working here.

So, all that said, I have left much more unsaid. There is no way to express how much I have learned on this job, or how much my coworkers have meant to me. Many of you have become great friends, and I will miss being able to work with you. Best wishes, peace and happiness to all of you.

Do You Like People?

This is a topic I have been mulling over for a couple months now. We all know the stereotype that says people become librarians because they don't want to talk to anyone and want to hide out with their books. Having actually been in and used a library, I assumed that this was an old or mythical stereotype, since obviously this is a profession that requires constant interaction with actual people. People of all sorts. People with questions, requiring your skills in answering them.

I guess I was incredibly naive. My first day of LIS 7996 (Research), I was talking to a classmate whom I had never met before. One of the first things out of his mouth was, "I would never want to do reference. I hate talking to people and answering their stupid questions." My eyes bugged. When I told him I work at the UGL Info Desk he didn't even look abashed and said, "oh, I feel sorry for you!" He was a walking, talking stereotype. I told him that this is probably the most interesting job I have ever had and that I actually like the people I interact with for the most part (you will see from previous posts that there are, of course, times I want to strangle our beloved patrons!). But since I had that conversation with him, I notice other library employees (here and elsewhere) that don't like our patrons and don't want to interact with people.

There are two levels of patrons at ClubUGL-students and community members. Many library employees tolerate the students because they are our paying customers. We feel noble in our assisting them to find their books, format their papers, so they can graduate and become Productive Members of Society. (However, some of us can't even be bothered with this level of patron and hide behind our busy-ness and "loads of work".)

We feel differently about the community members. We wonder why they are allowed in. We hesitate to assist them and grumble when they ask. We refer to them in disparaging ways and make assumptions about who they are and what they are doing at the CATs. We restrict how they are allowed to use the resources that we provide for their use. It is true they are not our paying customers. Except they could be, someday, if they have some help setting up an email account. Or applying for a job. Or finding a loved one. All of which could inspire them to take a class, or would at least give us a reputation for being helpful. (Plus, many of them pay taxes, so they are paying customers, actually.)

Working in a service profession means that you don't get to pick and choose who you help. You don't get to think you know everything about a person based on which computer they are using. You are in the business of connecting people with information, which you cannot do if you won't try to provide customer service to actual patrons.

Didn't you know that working in a library means working with people?

On a side note, I miss Howard. There are certain people who I have gotten accustomed to being around and he was one of them. He worked here for 12 years, did you know that?