WELCOME! This blog is dedicated to our public libraries...many of which I visit on a regular basis around my extended community, near and far. Most of the times I am pleased with our libraries and the staff...when things are working well, and the atmosphere is pleasant, our public libraries are great places to study, learn, browse, read newspapers & magazines, go online, and much more. When things are working right, the library staff & management deserve our applause, and have earned their paycheck. However, at times, as with all institutions, sometimes things become dysfunctional for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is due to poor management; other times it is due to simply poor personnel . Sometimes if you have "one bad apple" it can ruin the whole batch (at least temporarily). Other times there are certain "patrons" who degrade the atmosphere at certain libraries. I often use computers at public libraries whereby the patrons are all lined up next to eachother like dominoes, clicking away on their computers. Some patrons are doing school work, others are blogging, others are checking their e-mail or bank accounts online; still others are amusing themselves with online games or hollywood videos. You name it, almost anything & everything can be found online these days. And anytime you have people stacked so close together there arises the tendency for "friction." Somebody may sit down next to you who hasn't bathed in a while and don't always smell so good; or their hands may be filthy and they use the keyboard...which you happen upon afterwards. Other times the person next to you may be neurotic. I happen to go to one library where the same lady, an african-American middle-aged woman, is there EVERY SINGLE DAY. No, I don't mean most days, or almost every day. I mean absolutely EVERY single day and ALWAYS on the same computer. She has become very possessive of the computer area. I mention her skin color only because this particular library happens to be in a predominantly white area and so she comes in with an "attitude" ...even the first time I encountered her I could feel the "anger" emanating from her. She had already set up a "battle" between herself and all the "whites" around her. We were/are the "enemy." This morning, after not having come to this library in about a month, I arrived knowing, without a doubt, that she would be here. First, I saw her car in the same spot...always the same spot...another sign of neurotic tendencies. Then there she was on the same computer. I sat down as far away as possible, and realized it was quite warm in the room and that the fan was aimed directly at her, not rotating...so I walked over to turn on the rotation button, and she immediately jumped up and objected to me doing anything to the fan angle or rotation. It was unbelievable. She really has come to think of this as "her" room, so to speak. And I have no doubt that she is ready to "play the race card" if anybody objects to her possessiveness. If I go complain she will probably try to turn it into an anti-black matter rather than a matter of her "hogging" some of the library assets. That's one example. And the list goes on. Thus, if you can't "win" at least you can blog about it and hopefully get some of your matters off your chest...maybe some of you are praying people out there...this may seem like small potatoes compared to all the big issues we have in this world, but if you don't mind, add public library harmony to your list of prayers from time-to-time. I will be posting here from time-to-time to report on the "good, the bad, and the ugly." God bless you all.
