Survey

Gooch · Post by **Gooch** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:33 pm

Okay kids, I have a question; How many of you actually used the library when you were in school, and if you did, did you actually ever ask a librarian for help?
Just curious. I've had a bunch of students come up to me and mentioned how they have always been afraid to ask librarians questions, which I find kind of odd....
Your input would be appreciated.

*Annie* · Post by ***Annie*** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:43 pm

I used the school library only whne I absolutely HAD to for a research paper... I did ask for help an many occasions, but I would sometimes roam around trying to find things on my own... I suppose I thought the librarian was too busy to help, or I wasn't smart enough if I couldn't figure it out on my own or with the help of those index card guides...
The rest of the time i was in the library because I wanted to take a break from the social side of school and just dissapear somewhere in the back of the library...

Gooch · Post by **Gooch** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:47 pm

Thanks Annie for the input. I appreciate it.
There are librarians (such as me) that are here just to help and are eager to answer questions. That's why they pay us the big bucks, just to sit here and wait for students to ask us questions, and then you guys have more time to write papers, study and party, instead of wasting your precious time wandering around the library.

assholitis · Post by **assholitis** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:50 am

Well, I'm pretty timid and try to be self-sufficient so I didn't have too many interactions with school librarians. But in college, I took a criminology course where we had to do research and ask the librarian for assistance. I guess a bunch of students had already gone up to the lady and asked for tons of help so when I came in and asked I got barked at with the, "OKAY, well I'm just going to tell you where the section is, I'm NOT going to do the work for you." It's like, well who asked you to, ya ol' bag?! So yeah, not the best experience with school librarians. My buddy had a similar experience while doing his paper. Are you a librarian at a high school or a college or what? I'm sure you'd be much much nicer. Where were you when I was still in college?

-Kevin

Gooch · Post by **Gooch** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:26 am

assholitis wrote:Well, I'm pretty timid and try to be self-sufficient so I didn't have too many interactions with school librarians. But in college, I took a criminology course where we had to do research and ask the librarian for assistance. I guess a bunch of students had already gone up to the lady and asked for tons of help so when I came in and asked I got barked at with the, "OKAY, well I'm just going to tell you where the section is, I'm NOT going to do the work for you." It's like, well who asked you to, ya ol' bag?! So yeah, not the best experience with school librarians. My buddy had a similar experience while doing his paper. Are you a librarian at a high school or a college or what? I'm sure you'd be much much nicer. Where were you when I was still in college?

-Kevin

That's horrible!!! Yeah, there are a lot of old grumpy librarians around, so I guess I can understand why students don't want to come up and answer questions. That makes sense, but its a shame. I always try to be nice, except to jerky students. There's one I'm dealing with right now that things he's the shit because he's a TA and wants everything now even though it was due the day before. But I've put him in his place twice...jerk...

Anyway, I'm a Reference Librarian at a college and so far, I've had people come back to me days later and thank me, so that must be I'm doing something right, right?

gidgetgoestohell · Post by **gidgetgoestohell** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:30 am

For me, as a kid, I used the library constantly and asked questions until the poor librarian probably wanted to throttle me (go figure, right?).

In college, when I was getting my AA in paralegal studies, the librarian wasn't much help because she didn't know how to use the law reporters and other resource materials. If I got stuck with my legal research (this was before Lexis/Nexis), I'd have to go to a law library. Those librarians were wonderful, simply wonderful, and in my opinion, sent from God.....

Gooch · Post by **Gooch** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:43 am

See!!! That's what every librarian should strive to be! I'm trying....

gidgetgoestohell · Post by **gidgetgoestohell** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:46 am

I couldn't blame the librarians at the JC because what I was asking was specialized and that was the first semester that the college even HAD reporters and the like....The poor things would just look at me and go..Ummm..I dunnnnnnnnoooooooo...LOL

Gooch · Post by **Gooch** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:50 am

I guess it depends on the library, but we have specialiazed Librarians that we refer patrons to when we can't answer a question. I'm unofficially California History and some U.S. History

gidgetgoestohell · Post by **gidgetgoestohell** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:52 am

I am pretty sure that they have it all sorted out now....but at the time, no dice. Besides, when I would have to go to Santa Ana to the law library, I got to hang out with law students and lawyers....and that was helpful too....