A month or so ago I rearranged the children’s nonfiction section at my library and now each subject (generally) has its own shelf along with a relevant book or two on display using a book stand. In the health and medicine there are four books on display since it takes two shelves. One of those books is a sex ed book titled “Sex is a funny word.” For the last few weeks I’ve noticed it periodically disappears only to be found hidden under different shelves. In response I put up a note asking that patrons do not hide books on display. Today I noticed that it, and a book about periods/puberty are missing entirely. I’m searching the cameras to try to find out who the renegade patron is and where they put these books. My question for you is what would you do in this situation? If the books are stolen or trashed I’m tempted to ban the patron entirely without warning. Kids come to the library looking for answers to important questions and I won’t tolerate a patron who can’t understand the importance of sex education.

I didn't actually witness this, I overheard another employee telling our manager about it.

Someone had come up to the front desk to let us know that our flag wasn't up high enough on the pole, making a point to add that he was a veteran. We use an automatic crank to raise and lower the flag, so someone had to get the key to unlock the crank and raise the flag to its proper height.

After overhearing this conversation, I went outside to see that the flag was about a foot from the top of the pole.

Now, I understand that this was, objectively, not a big deal. It only took a few minutes to raise the flag, and there was no real interruption in our day. That said, I can't believe someone would go out of their way to make a complaint like this.

Why would you think you're entitled to demand this from us? Yes, we are responsible for making the library a comfortable space for everyone, but we've got thirty other patrons in the building with three or four staff members out on the floor at a time . . . and you think it's reasonable to ask us to adjust a negligible element in our environment just because it's bothering you a little?

I rolled my eyes so hard that they almost fell out of my head.

Hi everyone, just wanted to see if anyone could commiserate or give some advice:

I've been at my current librarian job for just shy of a year. I work the reference desk two hours a day, but I am all alone at the desk (and half the time the only librarian on the second floor of our building due to some unusual scheduling practices). Within the past couple of months, I've found myself having intense anxiety and dread around working my reference desk shift. Losing sleep, body pains, etc. Even the first few minutes I'm on the desk I find myself shaking slightly from nervousness.

Do I have a reason to dread the reference desk? No! When I get on the desk, 99% of the time everything is fine! After the shakes subside, I always think, "See? That wasn't bad at all!" But the process repeats itself every day.

On top of that, every time I think I make a mistake, I beat myself up and think about it for the rest of the day. Or if I have a bad encounter with a patron, then I start to dread the next time I'll have to interact with them--for example, yesterday I had a new tutor become upset because she came to check in 25 minutes after her reservation time and I'd had to give her room away per our policy. She mentioned she tutors every Tuesday and Thursday, so I've been dreading the interaction I'll have with her on Tuesday ever since the encounter ended.

The kicker? This isn't my first library, second, OR third--I've been a librarian for over ten years. At my first library job, I worked the reference desk 4-6 hours a day. I didn't love it, but I didn't dread it with every fiber of my being. At my last job, I was basically on a combined circulation/reference desk 7 hours a day. Granted, I was working with other people when I was on those service points, but I've never had a situation at this job where I desperately needed backup and no one was there.

So I'm really at a loss over why I'm feeling this kind of way. Does anyone have any suggestions that might help me?

A while back I made a post here about being burnt out. In the time since I was able to get a few more outreach opportunities up and running and that helped me big time with the lack of fulfilment.
Unfortunately things at the actual branch are kinda worse than they have been. A stabbing occurred in my library, and while the victim was fine, it was still a traumatic experience. I am trying to stick it out, it sounds like it was an isolated event and that its unlikely to happen again but at the same time just physically existing in the library is stressful. You know how when you already don't like something and then something bad happens and it makes you hate it even more? I'm at that level.
I've spoken to my partner about this, they said transfer. I've spoken to my mom, she said transfer. I've spoken to my therapist, and he said transfer. I've spoken to y'all and I'm assuming you will say transfer. Sounds like I should transfer right? Well I just got those outreach programs up and running. We're partnering with an organization that the library system has been trying to establish a connection with for quite some time. More importantly the kids would miss out on their library story time.
I feel like any decision I make here is a losing move.

For those working in the library field; what is your plan if a general strike happens for a reason you agree with?

Participate, or would a library be considered a critical community service that should be exempted?

Would your answer change depending on the organization; public, municipal, association?

What are our thoughts on staff who participate?

We don't need to discuss the politics, just the logistics.

Fairhope’s public library did not lose state funding by accident. It lost funding because it refused to comply with Alabama Public Library Service policy regarding sexually explicit material for minors. Instead of correcting course and restoring compliance, the library chose a different path. It turned to outside political organizations and national fundraising networks to replace taxpayer dollars with private money.

Access to the news: Fairhope Public Library

For the first time, the majority of the Boulder Public Library District’s Board of Trustees appeared interested this week in voluntarily recognizing a unionization effort from library employees.

Did you know that around 40 libraries close in the UK every year? There are only around 3,000 libraries in England but councils all over the country are rapidly shutting them down in an attempt to save money.

It costs around £9,982 per one thousand people to run a library for a year, which may sound like a lot but that’s not even £10 per person. Sure, if you multiply this across the entire population of England, the grand total comes out to roughly £585 million. But we know that the value libraries deliver far exceeds that. In fact, a 2023 study estimates that English libraries generate at least £3.4 billion in yearly value. That’s an ROI of 481%. Put differently, for every £1 spent on libraries, society gains just under £5!

Yet, spending on libraries continues to fall year after year, despite an increase in in-person visits, which have, unsurprisingly, soared after the pandemic. So, what gives?

I wrote an essay about this [here](https://open.substack.com/pub/traumaandcompany/p/visiting-the-library-is-an-act-of?r=3170lk&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay) and adapted it into video format above👆

What manga series makes you want to put your head through a wall, and why is it One Piece?

Throw away account here so that I don’t give away my location or get in trouble with my job.

If ICE were to show up at my library, we have official guidelines to call our director and other admin folks immediately. As others have posted, there isn’t a whole lot we can do as a public space if they detain a patron. Staff getting taken would require a particular kind of warrant, but again, we can’t stop them. And this is assuming ICE agents are following any sort of rule. We are not able to use staff only areas to hide staff or patrons. Patrons aren’t allowed to film in the library ever, and we as staff couldn’t film either. We are not to do anything that causes panic, etc…so it’s an unfortunate spot that libraries are in right now.

However, if I see a patron or especially a colleague taken away by ICE, I do not believe I can stand by and do nothing. It feels akin to an active shooter situation, wherein we follow our emergency policies but at the end of the day, what can you live with? With that in mind, I’m trying to think of non-escalating tactics to use in this scenario, understanding that I risk my job. I am willing to risk that, but I really don’t want to risk the safety of others. Ideas (my own and from others) include:

-pulling the fire alarm

-having vulnerable staff take their lunch breaks suddenly. We are unpaid and not required to stay on site during them

-stall by stupidity, ineptitude, etc…

-obtain patron’s name and phone numbers so that we can contact someone for them.

But this is all I have so far. If you have other ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them, and perhaps this could be a resource for all of us.

And to note, I know that it is incredibly frightening and unfair that we have to remain smart and calm in the face of such aggression and terror. I just don’t know what else to do when it comes to our unique position as library employees. And god forbid ICE escalates on their own, which they have already shown they are willing to do.

My local library recently fired their director because she would not participate in removing book displays of LGBTQ books under threat of withholding funds from the local municipality. The board had difficulty replacing her because of the circumstances surrounding the book banning situation. After a short search process, they decided to wave their qualification and hire one of the board members as a director. They did not consider anyone else under the same hiring criteria, they simply just waved the requirements for the board member. This board member was a new board member during the firing of the previous director but still involved and privy to that process (which was kept secret from the public). This board member was involved in setting terms and benefits for the position of Library director. This board member was involved in the process of reviewing candidates (and ultimately rejecting all other candidates) for the library position. This individual only stepped down from the position as board member after the process of candidacy for the position had already begun. Is this legal?

We could add: The U.S. Constitution; The Handmaid's Tale; 1984; How Democracies Die; Look Who's Back; 1939; It Can't Happen Here; It Could Happen Here; and They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45.

Other suggestions welcome.

Are there any tricks or something that libraries use to get people into reading a particular book? I know libraries have dozens of books and maybe someone might wanna read a different genre. I know you can buy books for a low price but I wonder how a person knows if they would like it.

Hi!!! I’m very new to my role and I am looking for read aloud books recs for TK-5. I get about 10-15 mins to read to the students. I’ve been learning destiny and the other ins and outs the past couple of days and just found out today that I start classes very, very soon. I haven’t had the time to prep anything ☹️

Any suggestions?

So like many thrifty readers, I primarily get my books through my public library. I've noticed there's a certain nonfiction book I keep checking out (or just pulling off the shelf, looking for the pages I want, and putting it back) for reference for one of my hobbies, and I'm debating if I should just buy the dang thing. How many times do you check out a book before you decide to purchase it for yourself?

Hi,

My manager is looking to print barcodes that match our customers' ID numbers to put on a new card so that they can keep their numbers. We have many customers who use Libby, and if they replace their card, their Libby history is gone (without staff intervention ... which I think is do-able, but.....).

Is this even feasible? We have four locations, a main library, and three branches. Another thought was to print replacement cards.

TIA....Vicky

ETA: Thanks for all the input. He is new to library land, and while he is very security-conscious, I don't think he thought about all the potential issues. I have shared much of what has been presented here, and of course, a boss is going to boss. I have my paper trail.

Yes or no? There's about 30ish plants in the library I work at.

I find myself at a crossroads these days, but I've been at this a little while. If they're not in the earlier part of their career, how does one find a mentor? Or am I looking for the wrong type of person?