Comments on: The People Business

By: rcn

rcn — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:46:40 +0000

A library staff member should have the same quality needed by anyone else in this crazy world: resilience. One of the best ways to be resilient is to maintain a good sense of humor amidst challenges and strife – admittedly sometimes easier said than done!

rcn in San Francisco Bay Area

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:29:27 +0000

To add a touch:

I’ve heard tales of being told to never look you’re not doing anything or that you are bored. Some people take offense that they are paying your salary while you just stare into space, waiting for someone to help. It’s a strange double edged sword, I think.

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:36:49 +0000

Hmmm… there really is a lot to be said for sexy glasses. Not my original answer, but I may have to rethink.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:15:11 +0000

I tried to reply to #andypoll but experienced some kind of hashtag fail.

By: Jenny S.

Jenny S. — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:56:07 +0000

The reason I’m staring at a computer screen when I’m at the reference desk is because it’s the only time I have to do my other work. The number of librarians here has significantly decreased over the past several years, which means a lot more time at the reference desk for the rest of us. When we’re not at the desk, we’re usually teaching library instruction classes. That leaves precious little time for things like collection development, answering work-related emails, and the million other things we have to do around here. (I’m on my lunch break right now, by the way. Fifteen minutes, if I’m lucky.)

As for approachability: In the old days, when we had the luxury of having two librarians at the reference desk during peak hours, patrons would invariably approach the librarian who was already helping someone else, rather than the librarian who was free. When the unoccupied librarian (sitting behind the desk wearing a name tag) asked the patron if they needed assistance, many patrons would say, “Oh, I didn’t realize you worked here.” Compare this with Andy’s tale, and it can be difficult to tell if looking busy is a good thing or a bad thing.

By: Oleg K.

Oleg K. — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:51:48 +0000

The ability and desire to say yes in as many ways and as often as possible.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:49:00 +0000

I heard this tale from a librarian friends at a college library.

When she was at the reference desk, she was not asked a question as much as when she was just sitting at the desk compared to when she was getting up or just leaving the desk. For whatever reason, the students felt that they would be interrupting her when she was behind the desk, but didn’t have an issue approaching her when she left it.

I’m not sure of an answer: a way to look approachable and yet be able to have the computer there for easy reference.

By: Tweets that mention The People Business « Agnostic, Maybe -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention The People Business « Agnostic, Maybe -- Topsy.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:05:34 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andy Woodworth, Bobbi Newman. Bobbi Newman said: The People Business http://bit.ly/9qNQjH [...]

By: Will Manley

Will Manley — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:59:57 +0000

Now that I am retired and am a semi full time library patron, I abhor walking into a library where all the public services people are staring at computer screens and not looking at the public (and by the way this is the norm everywhere I go). So what do I value most in a librarian? I value the librarian who puts people over computers! How can you help people if you are staring at a computer?

By: Sue's sister

Sue's sister — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:46:23 +0000

Affection for the human race in all its infinite variety.