definitely NOT MY rampage

here's a (NOT) lovely little rant that has been making the rounds on many of the library listservs that i am on (it was apparently originally posted on craigslist):

I HATE YOU LIBRARY PATRONS!
Date:2005-09-14, 10:47AM CDT
When I became a librarian I was woefully under prepared for the mess that awaited me beyond the library door I've been a library patron, but the libraries that I frequent are quiet, studious places filled with lovely library patrons who read books and do research on the computers. The library that I work at on the other hand is a mish mash of the ignorant, the indigent, the clueless, the rude, and my personal favorite, the aromatic.

Please find somewhere else to find your miserable time. I'm sick to death of dealing with you. Why is it that no one understands that the library is not a homeless shelter, free baby sitting service, social service agency, video arcade, peep show, or an other of the 999 other inappropriate uses that you have for it?

To the smelly homeless guy that is always asleep by the magazines: For the last time, no you cannot sleep in the library. It's a rule that we had to make to keep people like you from sleeping all day in the library. I feel bad for your situation, really I do, but I also know that you can get free meals, a place to sleep and a shower if you just stop at the shelter that is 3 blocks away from our front door.

To the guy who asked me if we could keep his extra malt liquor in the staff fridge: No, in fact if you bring it in her I'm going to call the cops. Not because I'm a tight assed bitch, because that's the rules dude. It's called public intoxication and it's illegal.

To the girls who smoke pot in the bathrooms: Yes it was me who called the cops. No that doesn't make me racist and no you can't come back. I don't care that it's going to rain. When you get arrested in my bathroom you can't come back, even if it means you get wet.

To the parents of the children who are running around screaming: You make me want to run around and scream my head off too, but I don't, I control myself, why can't you control your offspring? When I was a Children's Librarian we called it using your inside voice. Try it.

To the parents who tell your miserable offspring to come to the library after school because you choose not to find a babysitter/daycare: We are not a free babysitting service. Yes, we have nice books and computers for the kiddies to use but you need to come along with them. Otherwise I will get their information from their library card and call social services. It's not my job to watch your brats.

To the 99.9% of computer users who don't have the faintest idea how to use the Internet: I'm happy to help you get started, but I won't help you beyond that. We have a lovely (and free) series of classes to teach you, but I have others to help and I can't hold you hand all day long so that you sell your shit on EBay. I also can't help you file your divorce even though the courthouse told you that I would. I'm not a lawyer, I'm a librarian, so I can't help you out.

To the man who just told me that Wisconsin sure isn't like Illinois: no shit Sherlock. We like it that way. If you and your trophy wife hadn't allowed your spoiled brat of a daughter to be drinking at Country Thunder you wouldn't have to pay that $400 ticket that she got. Yep, underage drinking is illegal in Wisconsin, and nope, I'm not going to agree that it sucks. I've worked both here and in Illinois, and even though patrons here get under my skin I'll take them any day over the soccer moms in Lincolnshire. Suck it up, pay the ticket, don't let your daughter drink until she is 21 and get out of my state.

To the people who want me to hold their hand and show them exactly where the book they want is: Don't look at the piece of paper I've written the call number down for you like it's Sanskrit. Can you count? Then you can use the Dewey Decimal System. At least try to find the book because there are 15 other waiting for me to solve their problems for them too. I know that they teach this stuff in elementary school, so try to figure it out on your own. But since I like you because you are actually looking for a book, if you really can't find it come and ask me nice and I'll help you.

To the people who want me to fix the computer so that you can spend 15 hours a day chatting, playing solitaire, looking for your one true love, etc. online: Don't get me wrong, I like the Internet. I just don't like it when you are sitting around doing nothing library related every single hour we are open. That means people who have an actual research need can't get to the computers, so no, I'm not going to help you solve why it's hung up. Don't you have something else to do with your time--like work maybe? I know for a fact that the McDonald's up the street is hiring, maybe you should apply. By the way, I know how to fix the problem, I'm just not going to help you because I hate you, so I will always turn it off and make sure you have lost everything that you have done so far. Consider yourself warned. Lots of people hate Bill Gates; I hate him for his philanthropy. I wish I could throw the patron computer out the door and drive over them with a dump truck.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian

97473665
"I'm a librarian, so I can't help you."

¿¿¿that is just the teensiest bit frightening is it not???

now i can't help but wonder if this is for real--is it meant to be sarcastic (if so the sarcasm's lost--even on ME)? Funny (needs an injection of humour? Is this even a real librarian? I must admit to having a few of these feelings but never to quite this extent--was this a REALLY BAD day? Had this person never met anyone from the human race before he/she/it decided to take a job in the PUBLIC SERVICE sector? I have certainly had my days, and i make my jokes, but i did know what i was getting into before i got into it--there is a point when people begin to ask a little too much but helping them up until that point is all a part of our job and if you are not enjoying it you really should leave. Seriously, I believe we librarians need to stop pontificating on what is NOT our job and get back to NON-JUDGMENTALLY helping the public (and of course venting on our personal blogs because it does begin to get to you after a while...so one must rampage but ever so pleasantly...)