I had a volunteer shift at the public library on Saturday. It was a rather quiet and boring day so when librarian “Mike” came by and said that he had forgotten my name I thought maybe he was going to stop to chat for a minute. I should have known better because last time librarian Mike spoke to me it was to scold me for answering a reference question and I wasn’t even answering a reference question! But that didn’t matter, “volunteers are not to answer reference questions” is all he could say over and over as I stood at the catalog computer explaining to a patron–who had asked me–that the “in transit” location listing on the book he had wanted to check out meant that someone else had already requested it and it wasn’t available. If librarian Mike weren’t busy chanting behind my back, he also would have heard me tell the patron that the librarian at the information desk could help him find another copy of the book. I’m sure I really made librarian Mike mad by ignoring him completely the entire time.
So why then did I think when librarian Mike approached me on Saturday that he was going to be nice and chat? Maybe it was because all I was doing was sitting at the welcome desk, smiling and saying good morning to people as they came into the library. There was absolutely nothing he could chant at me about.
After the exchange of “sorry I forgot your name” pleasantries, librarian Mike got down to the business of why he came over. It wasn’t to chat. “Don’t you have a name badge or something?” he asked. No, no name badges, I said. We’ve just got these, and I jiggled the lanyard around my neck that had a big button pin attached at the bottom that said “volunteer” on it. They used to be bigger badges I explained but with the library merger they took away our big badges and gave us these pins. ‘I see,” said librarian Mike as I continued to smile at him not yet realizing where this conversation was going. “Well,” he said, “would you please pin that to your shirt?” Huh? “It’s hard to see and we want patrons to know you are a volunteer,” he continued, “we don’t want them to think you are a librarian.” Uh, sure, I said.
I looked at the pin. I looked at my shirt. I imagined the hole the pin would put in my shirt. I thought, he’s not my supervisor and I don’t work here. I’m not going to ruin my shirt for this jerk. I kept smiling away at librarian Mike and made like I was taking the pin off the lanyard and going to put it on my shirt in order to get him to go away. He walked off to the reference desk on the other side of the library. I left the pin on the lanyard hanging around my neck and wondered if I was the only volunteer he picked on or if he was an equal opportunity bully. Good thing there was only half an hour left of my shift because I spent it grumpy, feeling insulted and belittled and stewing over librarian Mike.
Thing is, I never pretend I am a librarian. I make it a point to tell patrons I am a volunteer when they ask me things I am not supposed to help them with, like reference questions, because I don’t want them to think I am lazy and don’t want to help them. Librarian Mike doesn’t know I am in library school but maybe he senses it; senses that I am comfortable and confident and that someday I am going to be an awesome librarian, the kind of librarian he can only dream of being. I will also be nice to volunteers.
Oh my, what a jerk! I’d be stewing about that conversation too. How very insecure he must be to feel threatened because of some questions you might answer! And a policy that only makes it harder for the patrons to figure out what to do doesn’t make sense — or at least super-strict enforcement of that policy doesn’t make sense. You will be an awesome librarian very soon, so Mike had better figure out how to deal with that!
Librarian Mike is a very little man…
I wonder if he was reading Unshelved last week.
I agree, “Mike” is a very, very little man. Why do some people feel the need to steal or detract from other people’s happiness? Must be jealousy or stupidity. Either way, you’re going to be a far better librarian than he seems to be. You’re already a better person.
Obviously he’s destined to be a manager.
How about hiking up the lanyard with a knot at the back? That might save your shirt and could possibly, if there’s a miracle, be good enough for Mike.
It sounds like librarian Mike has a combination of little man syndrome and manopause!!!
Ahem. What’s the name of this library? I have a complaint to make, after I visit and hunt down Mike and make him be a jerk to me.
This isn’t a set-up.
I hate bullies. And that’s what Mike is.
That Mike is petty and obviously unhappy. That’s why he’s picking on volunteers deliberately, on things that don’t matter.
He’s also probably not doing his job, because if he was busy doing his job, he would be too busy to pick on a volunteer about answering a question or how she wears her pin.
It must have taken a lot of self-control dealing with this self-important little worm. I might have just unload and ask him to stick his nose up where the sun don’t shine – where it belongs.
Just think good thoughts. One day you will be a librarian. One day, you might even be his BOSS!
Librarian Mike is clearly overcompensating for serious deficiencies in the virility department, I would imagine. He is probably also overcompensating for the fact he has no life. He is not worth a half of your little finger and is to be deeply, deeply pitied at having failed so miserably in his project to become a decent human being.
How I wish I were nearer! I could think of all kinds of evil ways to waste a Proper Librarian’s time and I would take great pleasure in winding him up.
Oh, I’m sorry, what’s his name again? Why some people might want to bully volunteers is beyond my comprehension!
I think you should pin a volunteer badge to Librarian Mike. hehe
You would think that ‘Mike’ would be grateful to have volunteers around the library! People who give up their own spare time to take the load off and give good customer service. And he should respect you, not only because you’re an efficient and enthusiastic worker, but because that is the professional thing to do. It is such a shame that his inferiority complex is damaging his professionalism.
Power to the volunteers! You should stage a coup d’etat!
No one likes to pin badges to their shirt because they’re never the same again and you can always see the hole.
Mean, mean clothes hating man.
Grrrr . . . people who seek control for the same of control peeve me. I’m with Eva on this one.
I wouldn’t exactly call telling somewhat what “in transit” means answering a reference question, anymore than telling someone where the bathroom is. Anyone who uses the library on a regular basis could answer those sorts of questions. Good grief! What an insecure man. Yes, I’m sure you will make a much, much better librarian. Oh, and BTW: big difference between big city libraries and tiny libraries in tiny villages. The volunteers at our library are indistinguishable from the librarians.
Mike sounds like a real a**hole. I wonder if he’s afraid that volunteers devalue his job? If his boss sees you doing a great job for free…maybe the boss will want to fire Mike and hire you for half his salary?
You all are so nice! But then no surprise there
Dorothy, yeah, insecure and bad policy. What a combination. The union is very active at my library and policies often come from them. I’m not against unions, just against stupidity.
Sam, I was thinking the same thing.
Mella, ha! yes, he must be a reader of Unshelved!
Inkslinger, you’re so sweet. There’s always someone who likes to rain on a parade.
Sylvia, LOL! Definitely management material. I’ll have to see if I can shorten the lanyard next time I am there. You always have good ideas!
Sheryl, you are quite possibly right.
Brandon, heh, he’s probably very nice to even the worst patrons and then takes his frustrations out on the volunteers.
Dark Orpheus, I don’t know about self-control. I’m one of those quiet, stubborn people. I think I may have been a mule in a past life
I did have the pleasure of imagining being his boss one day though.
Litlove, how you made me smile
It’s obvious that status and appearances are important to him. I find people like that rather ridiculous and infuriating but I’ve never been able to figure out a way to effectively deal with them because I find it so baffling when it is directed at me.
Smithereens, I was marveling over the same thing. Thank goodness the majority of the librarians are very nice.
Eva, you are devious
Victoria, you’re so nice. The nonprofit I work at couldn’t function without our volunteers. I am always nice to them and tell them how appreciated they are. Granted, volunteers at my library are not as integral to its functioning as where I work, but our presence does allow the librarians to do their jobs better. Maybe not a coup, but a walk out is in order so Mike and the few others like him can see what having no volunteers means.
Jodie, thanks for the laugh! Maybe I should have taken off my shirt and attached the pin to my bra strap
Andi, they are annoying aren’t they? Little tyrants.
Emily, obviously he is worried I do a better job than he does. Big difference between small town and big city. I was hoping for a more small town experience when I volunteered. What I got is not bad, just not what I had imagined.
Wil, I think the salary is part of it. With all the budget cuts libraries face, there is a worry that if volunteers can do what library staff do for free, then why hire library staff. I think it is a silly fear but it is there nonetheless and it makes people like librarian Mike rather mean.
You know, I work in a public library and volunteers are like gold. When someone offers to spend their own personal time to come and help out, we treat them like kings and queens. We are so appreciative of their time and efforts. Mike should be ashamed of himself for treating a volunteer with anything other than respect and kindness and you can print this out and leave it on his desk…anonymously of course!
ditto on Mike’s jerkiness/psych issues. Geeze: a volunteer; double Geeze: a volunteer who is in library school. Trust me, in the Upper Peninsula you would be appreciated, perhaps even beatified…
I hate that stuff! I agree with what everyone has said; it just sticks in your throat… why are some people so intent upon making other people unhappy? Clearly he is having some kind of issue of his own, but that doesn’t make it feel any better to get picked on like that. The worst kind of jerk: when someone is in the position to be awesome (i.e.: 1. is a librarian, which automatically puts you in an awesome position, and 2. is dealing with a volunteer in a library, which is also awesome) and then purposefully is an asshat.
Yikes, I’m so sorry to hear that you have to volunteer with a jerk. It’s so much worse, I think, compared to when you’re being paid to.
Maybe you could drop some laxative in his coffee or something…
(Just kidding! Sort of.)
Little, little man indeed. Wow, and we wonder why volunteerism is down. Way to go Mikey. Who knew it was possible to out-shrute Dwight Shrute?
On that note, however, maybe you and some fellow volunteers can turn this around and have some fun with the little man–at his expense–a la Jim and Pam of The Office. Would love to read the postings about that!
Ugh! It’s sad how common stuff like that is … it’s usually the insecure, incompetent people picking on the bright, friendly, nice and super-qualified people!
Great idea about the “Jim and Pam” gags!
De, can I come volunteer at your library?
Walt, hmm, the UP, huh? I used to work with someone from the UP. She was a little weird, but nice. Perhaps a move is in my future
Daphne, thankfully he is the only one who has ever given me much of a problem. The other librarians are great, especially the kids librarian.
Imani, you made me laugh! The library already has too many “accidents” but it’s tempting…
Rizwan, that would be very fun. The volunteer coordinator has probably thought of that already though since the volunteers all work solo and never in pairs
Louisa, it is frustrating and the gags are tempting. I’m afraid I am too much of a chicken though.
Louisa,
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honestly. doesn’t he have anything better to do? geez…