Adventures at the Library

Here I am, taking a long little break from homework to give you guys some insider scoop on the library! How exciting! No, actually, I can't give away too much. I don't think I feel too stressed yet with all the work I have. At least, I hope not. o_o;

Today is my fourth day at work, making it 7.5 hours. *smiles* At first, I really wondered whether the job was worth all the trouble that I went through to get it (that definitely caused me alot of stress!) I spent two weeks with trips to and from the Federal Credit Union, pulled strings to get an account at the American Savings Bank (my mother's friend works there, thank goodness), visited the Satellite City Hall twice to get my state ID (they were closed on my first trip there so I only got to pick up an application form), and filled out fifteen forms.

But I think this job is good for me. It's probably going to be the easiest and least strenuous jobs that exist out there. My supervisor, Kristine*, is one of the most eccentric people I've met, but she's very kind.

* name change

I got hired to be a student helper at the Social Science & Philosophy section. It consists a small staff of only five people. I've spent the past few days under "training" but I can't wait until I'm done with it so that I could actually help out with some real work. Kristine constantly tells me how her supervisor has really high standards and expectations. Hearing this makes me want to show her that I can do a better job than any other previous student helpers they've had. I want to exceed her expectations.

Most people find having a job at the library boring, even my friends who work there. Maybe I'll get bored later on, but I've done this for three years in Middle School (I was one of the nerdy cool kids in the Library Club) and it wasn't bad.

Yesterday, I had a tour around the third floor (staff only) of the library and was introduced to many people. I got to peak across the hallway to the busy director's office. Kristine showed me the "most important room" - the lunch room. It was connected to a spacious kitchen. There were three refrigerators, three microwaves, a stereo, and a toaster. She tells me this like I'm expected to remember the number of appliances the lunch room contained. The quirky thing about the lunch room were the puzzles. There were hundreds of boxes of puzzles...!

"To keep sanity," Kristine tells me.

There was even something called a "cot room" in which there were two beds for workers who weren't feeling well, are tired, or haven't had enough sleep. o_o;

"You can practically live here!" Kristine jokes.

Throughout the tour, Kristine kept warning me of safety precautions. In fact, she is so paranoid that I find this her caution to be peculiar. Maybe something has happened to her in the past that caused her to be this way. While we were on our way to a staff-only elevator, she tells me to make sure the door latch is shut behind me. Her eyes widen as she exclaims, "Who knows when a drug addict may slip in!" She goes on to explain that if they find the door to the staff room open, they might sneak in and try to find anything they could use to sell so they can buy more drugs. Kristine looked dead serious, but I can't help finding the scene comical. I can't imagine what a bunch of old, dusty, about-to-be-discarded books and ballpoint pens might be worth. She also tells me, "When you see a strange man in the elevator that just gives your skin the tingles, you trust your instincts and don't go in the elevator with him!"

I hope none of the things she is telling me will make me into a paranoid freak (I'm paranoid enough already!)

She continues talking about meeitng strange, scary, and dangerous men as we walk down another bare hallway to another room. A man walked by in the middle of her rants. Kristine looks up and exclaims, "Oh, Charles! Let me introduce you to our new student helper."

Charles smiles and says, "You're telling her that I'm scary and to stay away, huh?"

Kristine replies, "Oh, goodness, no! I was just telling her..." She explains what she has been telling me for the past half hour while Charles nods his head in swift motions. "Oh, Charles! I wasn't talking about you!"

I don't remember this episode as well anymore so the description is not very good, but it was extremely funny and we all had a good laugh out of it.

Today I learned that there was more to being a student helper than just shelving books and keeping the place neat and tidy. They have other little tasks to do behind the staff room door. I've even learned of things that "are not to be revealed to the public." (Like top secret entrances to the library before it opens to the public!) *smiles*

P.S. Did I ever mention that in my time spent at the library, I've come across many interesting book titles? Here are a few:

- "A Manual for the Police Officer: How to Handle Abnormal People" (spotted on first day)
- "Spies and Provocateurs: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Persons Conducting Espionage and Covert Action"
- "Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters"
- "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History"

I make it a game to spot one everyday! It'll be something I can look forward to keep myself amused.