Tuesday, April 11, 2006

liberry

Interviewer: “Private life then, just to flesh out David Brent the man. Is there a better half?”
David Brent: “David quipped: why buy a book when you can join the library?”

The Office
Series 2, Episode 6

I love David's sexing up of libraries, even if it refers to his promiscuity. They need it. I am beginning to feel as if when you work in a library you start to see it as the center of life, and at times it's hard to understand why people don't think the library is as important as you think it is. Kind of like a cult, or a TV series. My library needs to be expanded desperately, and we've been waiting patiently behind other projects in town. There are others on staff who have been participating in the process for over 10 years, but it's been 4 years so far for me and it is a struggle. Sort of like my response to my knitting.

I used to go to my high school library as a way of getting out of study hall. It was an impetus to getting good grades. The alternative for me was a form of sexual harassment by the way of some sweaty guy leaning over his desk towards me and asking how far up my leg did I shave. The study hall was like a pen of animals, and I would do anything to get out. My academic success was merely based on survival.

My favorite part of the job is the interaction with people, although at times that is also what I dislike the most. It is very draining to me. Today was stellar. I felt rejuvenated after being off for 2 days. I also got my haircut this morning before work. I look more Joan Jett than Ramona Quimby. I feel badass. I also splurged and bought some fishnets at CVS since they were only $1.97. I won't go on about my pantyhose conspiracy, but at least fishnets already have holes in them and aren't created by me as I am putting them on.

This by far is the best job I have had, and I have had a few library jobs in the past 9 years. The worst library job I ever had? Hands down, my 30 days at the British Library. It was like Fawlty Towers meets the Library of Congress, and I loathed it. Kings Cross is a very gritty place. I often arrived for work very early and would go to McDonalds and sit and watch the junkies and hookers. Employees of the BL were divided between the librarians and the support staff, and the division was deep. My supervisor had ragged nails from biting her fingers too much. She wore several layers of clothes and smelled like stale laundry. I felt so bad for her. The man who trained me, her counterpart, had fluffs of hair growing from his ears and nose. He wore velcro shoes and was the first snob I ever encountered in the UK. He was a member of the Order of Malta and could have been a serial killer for all I knew. I ditched the job by having my boyfriend call and tell them I had moved back to the US suddenly and would not be coming back. I hated it that bad.

What was your worst job?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah! What a great description of our study hall time - I was right back there again. And it was still horrible! Funny coincidence this - Paul's been doing a blog since the end of last year (paulsaxton.blogspot) of his writing and I've been thinking of joining the community. Yours is very entertaining, engaging and marvellously written. Look for an email from me in your inbox!

CBK said...

Is that Sarah from Maine/England? We met once, Shannon, a long time ago.

And I agree, this blog is great.

CBK said...

I meant Shannon. I'm an idiot!