#tumblarian

[commonplacebook-1816]

If I had another life I would want to spend it all on some unstinting happiness. I would be a fox, or a tree full of waving branches. I wouldn't mind being a rose in a field full of roses.

"Roses, Late Summer" by Mary Oliver

[librarianpirate]

I love it when I can sneak some nonfiction into a storytime! Hello, sunshine!

[justthoughts03]

Pain shrinks time horizons; in extreme crises or stress thinking of the next hour is too much for the mind and body. We concentrate on the next minute going well.

[libraryschoolstudies]

The library that I work at is going down hill. Management has decided that "patrons" can do whatever they want with no consequences. I'm sorry but my job is not to teach grown adults how the alphabet works or deep clean the whole department because they let their children ground food in the carpet and completely rearrange the shelves. I had a kid using the shelving as monkey bars and was yelled at for telling the kid to get down.

I had a 16 year old come in wanting a library card but couldn't fill out the application because he didn't know how to spell his own name or knew where he lived and this in considered normal.

I'm sorry but the people that come in are acting dumber than dirt. I'd have more success and a more intelligent conversation talking to the wall.

[lakecountylibrary]

We don’t have a uniform, why do you ask?

Inspired by our friends at Rapid City Public Library (link goes to TikTok). Music only - sound not needed.

[Video Description: A librarian with glasses wearing a polo shirt and shelving books answers an unheard question from someone offscreen. His words are inaudible but the caption reads "The librarian wearing the cardigan and glasses will be able to help you." Video cuts to an information desk where four librarians wearing cardigans and glasses are working. They all turn and wave as four more librarians wearing cardigans and glasses pop out from behind the desk and wave. The librarian from the beginning walks on screen and puts on his own cardigan. And waves.]

Music credit: George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

[californiastatelibrary]

[landsccape]

[karapaints]

I was trying to explain tumblr to a very offline person, and the analogy I came up with was:

Tumblr feels like the first time your parents let you peruse the public library on your own.

Yes, you kind of know what you like, but who knew there were so many books about (insert childhood obsession here). And who knew there were so many things adjacent to that?!

So yeah, tumblr is a place of discovery & wonder & tiny moments of delight.

[okayto]

Student worker at closing during finals week: We’re definitely getting a lot of people in who you can tell have never come into the library before.

[commonplacebook-1816]

Goodreads recommends therapy.

[wearelibrarian]

So, I'm a LIS student, recently started an internship at a local public library and was told that they're moving me from the technical area (classifying and describing books) to reference temporarily (because we're short-staffed due to summer holidays).

I'm really nervous about dealing with people, helping them find whatever they want and giving them recs if asked. I'm shy and awkward and haven't been reading much lately, so I just wanted to know if you have any advice for me?

Hi!

Want to know a secret?

In my first library desk job, back at my undergrad, I… didn’t do very well interacting with patrons when I first started. My boss shifted me to behind the scenes stuff for an entire semester before giving me a second chance at the desk, didn’t tell me the full reason behind the shift until much later. That’s a story for another day, and one better suited for my main rather than Librarian.

What makes one succeed at a reference and/or circulation desk isn’t reading all the books - I tried that, it didn’t help. It’s being able to meet people where they are.

A reference interview is a conversation. It’s about listening to what someone is asking, giving follow up questions to get a better picture, and exploring for an answer together. Patron wants horror recommendations? Pull up the library catalog, show them how to search by subject, how to filter searches. If your library has access to readers advisory databases (my university does but we also have a strong library science program), plug in some books the patron liked in the past and see what it suggests. Some patron questions won’t even be directly related to the library’s collection - I’ve been asked for directions too many times to count, and it’s never bad to memorize the location of the closest bathroom to your desk.

Remember… your job is to help. You won’t have every answer, but you can at least provide a nudge in the right direction. There’s nothing wrong with taking down someone’s contact information to reach out to them later if it’s a question which requires you to dig, or to ask a supervisor for help, or to refer a patron to another organization.

(Hey, tumblarians, I know a LOT of you follow me. Anyone able to give more advice to anon?)

[lookingforabook]

One of the librarians has been sneakily removing books from the snowman to make it slowly melt over the last couple months, and he’s finally gone. I only got a couple pictures of the process, but the later stages are hilarious

[justthoughts03]

Nothing will feel the same as the first hit

and you've been wasting all this time trying to find that feeling again

when now you are starting to learn that nothing will compare to it.

And instead of walking away...

You seek

and you seek

and you seek

to the point of insanity.

Walk away.

You know there is nothing left here.

[vans-drop]

I be saying "it is what it is" and then have a panic attack

[lakecountylibrary]

Just the essentials!

Music credit: "Cinema Blockbuster Trailer 7" by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/329-cinema-blockbuster-trailer-7 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license (CC BY 4.0)

[Video Description: A 26 second video. Orchestral, cinematic music plays. Text reads The library is on fire! Grab the most important things!

A librarian at her computer spins around in her chair in slow motion, a look of horror on her face. Video cuts between various librarians frantically rescuing items. Each scene is labeled with the item:

The South Shore Posters: A librarian completely obscured by a framed South Shore Line poster she is carrying backs out of a room.

The hand chair: A librarian hauls away a large red plastic chair shaped like a hand.

Patron holds: A librarian shovels patron holds off the holds shelf onto a cart.

Benny the library skeleton: A librarian princess-carrying a large skeleton dressed in an oversized t-shirt frantically looks around for an exit before dashing away

The cardigan pile: A librarian almost completely obscured by the pile of cardigans in her arms runs toward the camera.

3D printer: A librarian dashes up to a large 3D printer and attempts to lift it off the table

Cecily the giraffe: A librarian pats a life size baby giraffe statue and then grabs it by the leg and begins slowwwly scooting backward to slide it across the carpet

The library tree: A librarian grips an enormous planter out of which springs an entire tree and pulls with all her might. It doesn't move.

James Patterson books? : The librarian carrying Benny sprints into frame between shelves loaded with endless Patterson books. Record scratch. The sound of a clock ticking as he considers the books for maybe two seconds.

Text changes to "Not enough hands". The dramatic music resumes as he sprints off frame with Benny.

End card with the library logo. The words 'Not actually on fire. Everything is fine.' are typed across the screen. End description]