Librarians can be so lazy

Matt Holck · 26-09-2009 11:05pm #1

they get workers to shelf books for them
so much so
that they won't allow the shelfers to familiarize themselves with the material
thereby limiting the number of people able to help the patrons with questions
(especially recommendations)

when the write performance reviews,
they simply look at old reviews and regurgitate that.

jumpguy · 26-09-2009 11:24pm

I thought I was in After Hours for a second and was just about to post a nasty comment that would hurt your feelings.

Deki · 26-09-2009 11:24pm

is this a personal thing Matt? Are you a shelfer?

Matt Holck · 26-09-2009 11:37pm

let's say
I've had a friend who has shelved for books for 10 years.
She is never allowed to work more than 19 hours a week so she can't get benefits.

Every year they give her a bad performance review even though she shelves and organizes the books faithfully

Deki · 26-09-2009 11:42pm

But they keep her on- doesn't seem fair. I'd have a hard time doing that though, Just like cleaning closets have to stop and look at everything, i'd hasve to look at the books at least.

Matt Holck · 26-09-2009 11:46pm

She's not supposed to read the books
because they say that
It is not in her job description to know the books only to shelf them.

They used to harass her constantly for reading
and it became a ringer in her performance reviews
Now, it is repeated as a problem every time a review is written up regardless of the current reality.

Perhaps, librarians must be critical in reviews so study old reviews to fill in that requirement.

Deki · 26-09-2009 11:55pm

I think you had it right the first time -they are lazy- easier to rehash an old review than bother to pay attention. isn't there a way to protest a review or does that put you further in dutch with them?

Matt Holck · 27-09-2009 12:01am

I don't know what you mean by Dutch
But I assume it is not a good thing.
In these trouble times,
many fear loosing their jobs if they stand up for themselves.

They insisted that she sign the review by Monday
but failed to provide her a copy to review until then.

Deki · 27-09-2009 12:10am

(dutch probaby colloquial to this region - just means trouble or more trouble)
I know, it's hard to find a job now, so her hands are tied. But isn't that a real shame. Makes me sick to think employers now feel they can just do whatever they want. Well tell her to cheer up it can't stay this way forever. What goes around comes around and they'll get theirs in the end.

Matt Holck · 27-09-2009 12:46am

well. that doesn't matter (revenge won't solve the problem)
my friend needs her own

Deki · 27-09-2009 12:50am

She just isn't in a position to get her own unless she's willing to take the risks. and 19 hours is better than no hours. 10 years is a long time. She have another job to make ends meet?

Matt Holck · 27-09-2009 12:55am

no

she's applied for positions within the library for years

the risk she took was counting on the government to do her right
guess that hasn't panned out

the risk she takes is no health insurance
the risk she takes is harassment

I can't believe in this "risk" system of morality

Deki · 27-09-2009 1:09am

Its not right Matt. Nothing about it is. No health insurance is frightening, but there are a lot of people who sift through the cracks. If you worked all your life and obeyed all the laws and paid all the taxes required of you and hard times befall you you have a harder time getting anyone to help you, because they know you'll try harder , think of something, or just crawl off and quit bugging them. It's never been fair. You try to put people in power who will make a difference but in the end they're all pretty much the same. I might be forced to accept certain things but I'll never "believe" in them.

Danco · 27-09-2009 1:10am

Your friend is employed to shelve books, why shouldn't she be reprimanded for reading on the job? Her job description is shelver, not reader. Surely she can read on her own time?

Also, what justification do you have for saying the librarians are being lazy? They seem to be doing their job, carrying out performance reviews etc. Librarians have to study to earn qualifications, presumably that's why they want the librarians offering readers advice and the shelvers shelving books. They are employed to do different jobs. Your friend has simply been corrected because she wasn't doing her job right.

Matt Holck · 27-09-2009 1:41am

she doesn't read anymore
but she still gets that statement on her reviews

I think the paper work insists on flaws
so management is driven to find them thus pull from earlier papers

She should not be reprimanded for reading because it is important that she know about her work environment,
I think all employees of a library should be allowed to read.
They are on the floor and should be an asset to the patroons in that manor.

I think the poor wages and benefits are a little wider than cracks (a small margin of the population) Deki.
I cringe every time I hear Obama say middle class.