Tales from the commute: "Stop, stop, stop!"
08-23-11, 09:30 AM
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Tales from the commute: "Stop, stop, stop!"
The patron's name and address come up on the screen when checking-out at the library. For the first few months after I switched branches a couple of years ago, I paid a lot of attention to it so I could learn the regulars names and get a feel for their distribution in the neighborhood.
A group of pre-teen boys all had the same address on a street I used for my commute home. I told them I went by their house nearly every day. “Just look for a guy on a bike with flashing lights.”
Of course they didn't believe me that first, a white guy would be on their street, second, that he'd be on a bicycle, and third, that it would be at night.
Since then, nearly every night when I make the turn to their street, shouts of “Hey library guy!” come from the porch. I yell back and wave. It's like having my own cheering section on the Tour or something. I miss it when they're not there.
Ordinarily I use a longer route to work, but yesterday afternoon I was running late and took that route instead. As I came past their house, there they were on the porch. “Hey library guy, stop, stop, stop!”
This was different.
So I drop anchor and circle back on the sidewalk to their house. Thinking there's some sort of emergency, I asked, "What's the matter?"
"Can you take our movies back?"
Yes, we're a full-service library. I waited while they found all the DVDs--one proved to be elusive--and had the boys stuff them in my panniers. Then I rode the rest of the way to work.
A group of pre-teen boys all had the same address on a street I used for my commute home. I told them I went by their house nearly every day. “Just look for a guy on a bike with flashing lights.”
Of course they didn't believe me that first, a white guy would be on their street, second, that he'd be on a bicycle, and third, that it would be at night.
Since then, nearly every night when I make the turn to their street, shouts of “Hey library guy!” come from the porch. I yell back and wave. It's like having my own cheering section on the Tour or something. I miss it when they're not there.
Ordinarily I use a longer route to work, but yesterday afternoon I was running late and took that route instead. As I came past their house, there they were on the porch. “Hey library guy, stop, stop, stop!”
This was different.
So I drop anchor and circle back on the sidewalk to their house. Thinking there's some sort of emergency, I asked, "What's the matter?"
"Can you take our movies back?"
Yes, we're a full-service library. I waited while they found all the DVDs--one proved to be elusive--and had the boys stuff them in my panniers. Then I rode the rest of the way to work.
Last edited by tsl; 08-23-11 at 10:02 AM.
08-23-11, 09:37 AM
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That's a great story. 
08-23-11, 09:47 AM
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Now that is what I call a full service library ... O no, wait .. Librarian 
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08-23-11, 10:00 AM
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Great story.
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08-23-11, 01:35 PM
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If you delivered the movies, too, you'd be like Netflix on a bike.
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08-23-11, 01:57 PM
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Do you do deliveries, too? My local branch never has any of the books I want. 
08-23-11, 03:43 PM
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Maybe in the future only deliver actual books. Although at least you got them in the library. The next step is to get them reading. Kids don't seem to do enough of that these days. <shakes fist and gets out hose>
08-23-11, 06:07 PM
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"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
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"When I hear another express an opinion, which is not mine, I say to myself, He has a right to his opinion, as I to mine; why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixot to bring all men by force of argument, to one opinion? If a fact be misstated, it is probable he is gratified by a belief of it, and I have no right to deprive him of the gratification."
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08-23-11, 07:07 PM
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As a fellow public librarian, I love this story. What does that make you, a bookcylce or bookbike?
08-23-11, 07:37 PM
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08-23-11, 11:37 PM
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This was a cool thing to do.
That being said, I would be careful about what you accept for return from them. I could see some of our patrons (Richardson Tx) forgetting one of their DVDs or CDs and insisting that they "...gave everything to the Bikeguy...he must have lost one...I'm not paying for a replacement....", etc.
Sorry, maybe it's just been a rough summer in circ for us down south....
That being said, I would be careful about what you accept for return from them. I could see some of our patrons (Richardson Tx) forgetting one of their DVDs or CDs and insisting that they "...gave everything to the Bikeguy...he must have lost one...I'm not paying for a replacement....", etc.
Sorry, maybe it's just been a rough summer in circ for us down south....
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08-24-11, 05:49 AM
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This was a cool thing to do.
That being said, I would be careful about what you accept for return from them. I could see some of our patrons (Richardson Tx) forgetting one of their DVDs or CDs and insisting that they "...gave everything to the Bikeguy...he must have lost one...I'm not paying for a replacement....", etc.
Sorry, maybe it's just been a rough summer in circ for us down south....
That being said, I would be careful about what you accept for return from them. I could see some of our patrons (Richardson Tx) forgetting one of their DVDs or CDs and insisting that they "...gave everything to the Bikeguy...he must have lost one...I'm not paying for a replacement....", etc.
Sorry, maybe it's just been a rough summer in circ for us down south....
08-24-11, 07:49 AM
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Verifying that discs are in cases is easy...I have more of a problem with them forgetting one entire item. I get calls constantly from patrons swearing they "dropped it in the night deposit" and having it mysteriously appear several days or weeks after the fact on the belt. Though sometimes it disappears completely.
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Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock
Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock
08-24-11, 08:56 AM
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08-24-11, 10:46 AM
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Jeeze! It must be nice. Our limit is 100 items out per card. (Multiple cards per family. Yikes)
Our numbers look great, but we're buried most of the time. (We, in Circ, have been lobbying for lower limits) Hopefully, it'll change for the better when we get our RFID system installed.
Our numbers look great, but we're buried most of the time. (We, in Circ, have been lobbying for lower limits) Hopefully, it'll change for the better when we get our RFID system installed.
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Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock
Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock
08-24-11, 10:47 AM
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I flinch a little when I see patrons approaching the desk with rolling luggage.
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Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock
Hey, I'm just this GUY...you know?
>>>Team Critical Mess<<< (You mean it's not SUPPOSE to hurt?)
My nice new Nashbar Touring Build AKA "The Flying Avocadooooooooo!"
1998(?) Trek 700 Multitrack
1995 Trek 1220 AKA "Jimi"
Older Non-suspension Specialized Hardrock