Unwanted Lessons Learned in Librarianship

While visiting friends in Georgia for the 4th of July, I decided to spend an afternoon at the Decatur Public Library, the main library in the Dekalb County Library System. I was staying a mere 1.2 miles away – so I decided I’d hoof it with my laptop in tow. I stopped off at the Raging Burrito for a bite and ran into an old classmate from Georgia State – then headed up the street to the five-story library.

I set up camp on the Adult Nonfiction floor – and checked Netstumbler for a Network — and came across only a very strong encrypted signal. I asked the man at the reference desk (not sure if he was a librarian or not – but I sure hope so) whether or not they had wifi. He responded in the negative with a lil info about Starbucks having one and maybe that’s what I was picking up. I thanked him and went back to my window seat.

Then all hell broke loose.

It started with thunder. Intermittent at first. Then the sky went pitch black. I MEAN DARKNESS. The wind began whipping trees sideways and branches were flying around. WALLS OF WATER. I was stranded.

I approached the desk again, observing as I did that the gentleman was in the process of reading some website flashing a Minority Report Banner. Definitely not busy.

Me: “Excuse me. Do you know how big this storm is?”
Him: “No.”
Me: (Puzzled) Well, do you know if it was supposed to rain today?”
Him: (Somewhat annoyed, perhaps?) “I don’t really keep up with the weather.”
Me: Blink. Blink. (pick up jaw from floor)
Him: You can go down to the 2nd floor and use our internet terminals if you need to.
Me: Blink Blink. Uhhh. Ok. 2nd floor. Right. Thanks.

So I go down to the second floor – and remember that signing onto the terminal in Dekalb requires a library card — which in my case is tucked underneath the glass cover on my desk for fond remembrances and posterity. Signing on requires that I go to the desk and get a desk pass – which I do – and then sign on – for all of two minutes — to check the weather…

Lesson learned — or better said — lesson known but reinforced:
If you can help the patron — help the patron. You are the conduit between the patron and the information they desire. My request — or at least my hint of a request — was not something outrageous – and not something I should’ve been sent to a different floor to accomplish on my own. A minute long request wound up taking nearly 20 minutes…

It may be a tad bit spoiled of me — but I’ll remember this experience, and employ it – if ever I am to be employed…

BTW — Storm passed about an hour later. Several trees were down and the houses at the head of the street where I was staying were completely without power — a tree having crashed down on Coventry Street – knocking out the street light on Scott as well…