Live from the Reference Desk

It's 11:30 a.m. and the CRC library is in full swing.  I just helped a student print her transcript from the e-services computer and am watching another student do so.  Two students in front of me are looking up reserve textbook call numbers in the e-catalog computers.  A young man in a pristine North Face jacket just punched a key on a computer--trying to use it?  But walked away when the sign-on screen came up.  Evidently he isn't a student here but was trying to mooch on the account of someone who left without logging out.  I've helped 8 students look up the call numbers for textbooks so far.  No interesting research questions today, alas.

Just a typical day at the reference desk.  Sigh.

Picture = 1,000 Words

The big assignment that sent many of Friday's students into the CRC library was one related to art.  The students were to find a few pictures of paintings by either the artists listed in the assignment (the usual suspects--Picasso, Miro, Van Gogh, et al.) or an artist of their choice.  Using the style of the artist, the students are to draw a cartoon.

Talk about teachable moments!  As the students filtered in, I went through how to look up books using the online catalog, then explained how to find which books were available at the CRC library, and finally how to find these available books on the shelf.  Since these were art books, some of them were kept with the glut of circulating books on the second floor (actually the half floor upstairs in CRC's case) and some of them were shelved with the oversized books on the main floor of the library.

The big gap in the collection came when one student wanted a book about Scottish artist Jack Vettriano.  We couldn't find

Frustration's Cure: A Reference Librarian

This scenario has played and replayed at both libraries where I work:

A student came up to me, frustrated that his database search wasn't working out well.

"I need to find some information about some companies for my business class," he told me.
"What sort of information?"
"Well, like how much money they make and stuff."
"Where have you looked so far?"
"Ebsco, you know, Academic Search Premier.  And we've found a lot of articles, just not what we need."
"Okay, I have another suggestion for you."
Big sigh on his part.  I could almost read "What now?" flashed above his head.

Why work in a library? Isn't it boring?

Today the answer came to me--literally.  A huge black guy came charging up to the reference desk today.  He was scowling and looked more like he wanted to beat me up than talk to me.

"I need to read The Color Purple," he barked at me.

I typed the title into the online catalog, coming up with a number of hits.

"This one is an electronic book.  You can read it online from any computer that's got Internet hookup.  This one's on the shelf and hasn't been checked out," I told him, pointing at my screen.

"I'll take the real book," he said, still glowering.

I wrote down the call number and explained how to read it and where he could find it on the shelves.

A while later, I was standing by the reference desk, having helped another student at her computer.  Suddenly, I felt someone behind me put his arms around me.

It was the Alice Walker reader.

"I found it!" he said hugging me.  "Thank you so much!"

He was smiling--and quite handsome now with the ugly expression wiped off his face.

"Enjoy the book," I answered, giving him a quick hug back.

"Oh, I will!  Thank you!"

And that's why I want to work in a library.  Yes, it's boring.  But when it's not, it's wonderful.

CRC vs. SCC

Yesterday was my first stint as an adjunct reference librarian at Consumnes River College, another of the four colleges in the Los Rios Community College District.  After teaching at Sacramento City College for around twenty years, I was eager to see what another of the Los Rios schools was like.

Surprisingly, it was a wonderful experience, and I think this semester there will be wonderful.  I'm surprised because I thought I'd be a fish out of water--unable to cope with the questions or students since I don't really have a grasp on where everything is on campus, what each group does, and where to refer students.  In fact, CRC is very similar to SCC in student population and beginning of semester questions asked.