Milestones in Library Land

Sometimes I feel very inspired to blog, but then I get home and watch Lost on DVD and get, well lost.
But today, my director of public services inspired me to maintain a log of the important events that happen in Library Land.

Today, it was the B word. Bitch. I am sure I have been called a number of bad things out of earshot, in people's thoughts, in foreign languages, etc. Until today, nothing to my face. I was helping a gentlemen through applying for a job online. I continually struggle with explaining technology and computers to people who have a basic skill set. I try and listen to what they are saying, watch what they are doing, and work from there. I was listening to the man explain what he wanted to do, and as I was answering his question, the patron next to us said, "Well, you have to this, and this and this and then..."

I cut him off. "Thank you for your input, I think I can take it from here," I said. (Or something like that. And patron input happens all the time. Sometimes it is great (language translation) and sometimes, it gets in the way.) So, the next thing I hear is bitch, just softly under the breath, but loud of enough. I ask, "Excuse, me? What did you just say?" (I know, I sound like my mother.) He tells me he was talking to himself, and I comment that it is inappropriate nonetheless. I continued my interaction with the patron, but was plagued by technical difficulties from our reservation system.