Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Vandalism (Warning: Graphic Content)

Well dear readers, I thought vandalism with human feces was something that was relegated to prison, but today I heard a story that shot that assumption straight to hell.

I have been sick for a week and not checking my work email so when I was at a meeting today I was curious about what incident report a neighboring branch manager was referring to when she was shaking her head at people. Turns out, last week a patron felt it necessary to defecate in the library restroom and then take his waste and write F*** N***** in capital letters on the floor. Clearly, this deranged individual didn't censor his sentiments as I have, but I guess he thought he would make an impression on the branch manager, who is black. I wish I had written her exact words down this morning because she handled it with elegance and a sense of humor when she said, "I've had 51 years of dealing with this skin color, but he wrote with his own feces that he picked out of the toilet. Who's the real winner here?"  I wish that they had DNA tested it though, so we could hold him accountable there would be some consequences for this person and his disgusting hate speech that has no place in this world. This country is facing some scary times because many people think this kind of thing is ok. We need to do everything in our power to lead by example and spread love to combat this vitriolic hate.

For some reason, male public library patrons have a huge problem using the toilet facilities appropriately. Maybe that's the same with male prison library patrons too...I don't know for sure...but it definitely seems to be a public library problem. They like to flush things that don't belong in the toilet and also LOVE putting tons of toilet paper in the bowl and then going...maybe to minimize the splashing? Who knows.  After dealing with my 75th exploding toilet the other day, I told my husband, "I am very mentally stable, but if I ever have a nervous breakdown it will be because of this men's restroom."

Now, there are prison library patrons who smear fecal matter in their cells, but you immediately know who they are and as much as it shouldn't be, that is something that is more "normal" behavior there. Luckily we never had it on library books at my library, although I did hear of one patron who took an urban fiction book and literally blew his nose in the middle and then put it in the book drop. This is when it's really important to remember the #1 Golden Prison Rule: If it's wet, and it's not yours, don't touch it.

So, loyal followers, if you are pursuing a library degree but have not yet had the pleasure of working in a library, just be advised that this is something that you may have to deal with. If you already work in libraries and you think, "Yes, this is something I see on a daily basis" then you have my solidarity and sympathy. Hopefully you feel that the work you do to bring information to the people and serving the undeserved is worth the drama, and if not, then there are many alternative careers you can do with your library degree and experience.

Until next time!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Awesome professional position, apply now!

Good morning dear readers! I wanted to let you know of a great professional prison librarian opportunity in Sterling, CO.

Details can be found here: https://www.libraryjobline.org/job/5877/Librarian-II?ref=page1

Now Colorado is interesting because they used to limit their applicants to residents. But, jobs in small towns like Sterling were going unfilled due to lack of qualified applicants so they changed their rules and now this is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door with one of the best prison library systems in the country.

The starting pay is pretty good, and the benefits are amazing, especially the retirement system. With that salary in a place where cost of living is minimal, you could probably buy a house if you wanted to. Now, there's not much to do out there and it's 2+ hours away from Denver and 3 or more from skiing, but in the prison librarian job market where it's nearly impossible to get a professional position, this is worth it.

Review my interview tips in previous blogs and let me know if you have questions. Good luck!