The trinkle down effect
76534329@N00 ℈-"panel_a"
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A humongous stack of books arrived the other day. My job is link these new items with their corresponding bibliographic record on the computer system. In other words, slap a barcode on them so as to keep an accurate record of what it is we have in the collection of books, videos, CDs, mags, etc.
There are two computers for office related tasks allocated in the 'staff only' part of the building. Occasionally I find that they are occupied. I guess the majority of time that these 'puters in particular are in use is when a page is taking a break. We all love surfing the net.
Because I don't want to be the one to ask that they stop momentarily so I can do something work related, I seek out another computer station in another part of the building. It's a slight inconvenience, but within reason IMO since I don't usually have loads of stuff that need to be worked on the way I do now. However, now I'm trying to hash thru the hundreds of items that were recently unloaded on me (what fun!); so when I see an opportunity to link barcodes to their bib records, I do them in stacks of maybe about twenty.That means all the other minute details that are entailed in the preparation of materials for the loaning process is placed on hold. Rather, they sit on my desk as I get to them when I get to them. Geez, processing isn't the only thing I do at work, you know.
It's in this way that I can do my job without having to molest any of the 'puter users every time I finish labeling, logging, stamping and dating a single book. Think of Ford model T processing plant. First the frames were made, then the moters were mounted. Each stage of the process had it's own line-up, and that's how I'm attempting to approach this flood of work. Unfortunately, when I create a barcode, the whole city becomes aware of it and anybody at all is able to call us to request the item, or place the hold request themselves using the system's home page. So one day, a superior is going thru the process of searching for items on a list of titles to be delivered elsewhere. This is called the inter-transit loans.
Suddenly I find myself being given suggestions to not process any barcodes unless I have ample time to finish processing them. Bullocks. There's a line from a movie, The life aquatic with Steve Zissou that comes to mind.
NED PLIMPTON
I don't know, it's not my job
I could be wrong about the title of the movie, but it was definitely Owen Wilson's line as I envision his face whenever this quote comes to mind.
SLAVE DRIVER
Excuse me, Slavezombie, where's this book?
SLAVEZOMBIE
I don't know, it's not my job.
And on another occasion
ANOTHER SLAVE DRIVER
Excuse me, Slavezombie, when are you going to finish processing this book?
SLAVEZOMBIE
I don't know, it's not my job.