Best of Old Time Radio
Sooo, I've been workin' at the library, all the live-long dayyy....
It's been an interesting job, if a little dull. The other eight temps have been paired up and distributed to different departments throughout the library (I work at one of the city's larger reading havens, in the Diva District of Manhattan), and being odd number nine, I have a somewhat different work assignment. In the mornings, I work in the sub-cellar Interlibrary Loan Office, deleting tapes (either books on tape or Old Time Radio tapes) from the system and packing them in boxes. It's tedious and about as mentally engaging as working on a conveyor belt, but it gives me time to drum up story ideas. Today was different, though. I've packed up all the old timey book tapes, so instead I spent the morning putting stickers on the Books on Tape that we aren't getting rid of. Little white, round stickers on the spines with a bit of tape to hold 'em in place. I usually have a surprising amount of stamina considering the nature of the job and the time I get up in the morning (two things I'm not terribly used to), but today, my stamina nearly failed me. Thank and praise God, I pulled through, with the help of a couple of bathroom breaks (anything to get my blood circulating again), and when lunchtime rolled around, I was free.
The subcellar isn't bad, just a little dull, and quiet enough to hear the angels dancing on the head of a pin.
After lunch, I was off to my other department, the Young Adult Library, for the rest of the afternoon. The YA library is on the mezzanine, three flights up the stairs from the subcellar (the staff elevator's been "being fixed" since last Friday), and it's a very different environment. Somewhat. The backroom is very quiet, compared to the music, noise and chatter on the other side of the door, but the atmosphere is better. More talkative full-time workers (lots of library talk - the books they've read for the library, an upcoming list of teen books that must be assembled for 2008, the Diva District branch's imminent closure and staff reassignments, etc), more activity in general, a good variety of young adult novels (I'll go over the genres and things another time), and a list of goals left in a library book by a girl known only as J.L.I. Before I send the list here, I'll share J's goals with you faithful readers.
1. Fix tan
2. Learn/speak Spanish
3. Go to a concert
4. Go on hugest rollercoaster in the world.
5. Learn to play the piano.
6. Go on hugest cruise in the world
7. Move to and live in another state (in US)
8. Go to France, speak like ze French, eat a crossant
9. Learn how to surf (in Hawaii)
10. Own a farm (in PR)
Live long and prosper, J. And don't forget to visit your Friendly Neighborhood Library.
Aside from work stuff, there isn't a lot to report on. I hung out with Kat tonight, went art gallery-hopping (where I gradually got very tipsy from the free wine and beer), and grabbed a bit of dinner afterwards. It's always a good time hanging out with Kat, and we balance each other out pretty well; she knows lots of things to do in and around the city, and my knowledge of getting around could rival a tour guide's (I'll have to remember that when this library assignment ends).
As always, I've got more to say, but no more time to say it (in five hours, I'm going to have to drag my carcass out of bed, dress it, resurrect it with coffee, and stuff it into an overcrowded rolling sardine can.
In the meantime, my friends; dream big, and take your bookmarks out of your library books unless you want shady back room guys like me to find them and possibly laugh.
It's been an interesting job, if a little dull. The other eight temps have been paired up and distributed to different departments throughout the library (I work at one of the city's larger reading havens, in the Diva District of Manhattan), and being odd number nine, I have a somewhat different work assignment. In the mornings, I work in the sub-cellar Interlibrary Loan Office, deleting tapes (either books on tape or Old Time Radio tapes) from the system and packing them in boxes. It's tedious and about as mentally engaging as working on a conveyor belt, but it gives me time to drum up story ideas. Today was different, though. I've packed up all the old timey book tapes, so instead I spent the morning putting stickers on the Books on Tape that we aren't getting rid of. Little white, round stickers on the spines with a bit of tape to hold 'em in place. I usually have a surprising amount of stamina considering the nature of the job and the time I get up in the morning (two things I'm not terribly used to), but today, my stamina nearly failed me. Thank and praise God, I pulled through, with the help of a couple of bathroom breaks (anything to get my blood circulating again), and when lunchtime rolled around, I was free.
The subcellar isn't bad, just a little dull, and quiet enough to hear the angels dancing on the head of a pin.
After lunch, I was off to my other department, the Young Adult Library, for the rest of the afternoon. The YA library is on the mezzanine, three flights up the stairs from the subcellar (the staff elevator's been "being fixed" since last Friday), and it's a very different environment. Somewhat. The backroom is very quiet, compared to the music, noise and chatter on the other side of the door, but the atmosphere is better. More talkative full-time workers (lots of library talk - the books they've read for the library, an upcoming list of teen books that must be assembled for 2008, the Diva District branch's imminent closure and staff reassignments, etc), more activity in general, a good variety of young adult novels (I'll go over the genres and things another time), and a list of goals left in a library book by a girl known only as J.L.I. Before I send the list here, I'll share J's goals with you faithful readers.
1. Fix tan
2. Learn/speak Spanish
3. Go to a concert
4. Go on hugest rollercoaster in the world.
5. Learn to play the piano.
6. Go on hugest cruise in the world
7. Move to and live in another state (in US)
8. Go to France, speak like ze French, eat a crossant
9. Learn how to surf (in Hawaii)
10. Own a farm (in PR)
Live long and prosper, J. And don't forget to visit your Friendly Neighborhood Library.
Aside from work stuff, there isn't a lot to report on. I hung out with Kat tonight, went art gallery-hopping (where I gradually got very tipsy from the free wine and beer), and grabbed a bit of dinner afterwards. It's always a good time hanging out with Kat, and we balance each other out pretty well; she knows lots of things to do in and around the city, and my knowledge of getting around could rival a tour guide's (I'll have to remember that when this library assignment ends).
As always, I've got more to say, but no more time to say it (in five hours, I'm going to have to drag my carcass out of bed, dress it, resurrect it with coffee, and stuff it into an overcrowded rolling sardine can.
In the meantime, my friends; dream big, and take your bookmarks out of your library books unless you want shady back room guys like me to find them and possibly laugh.