Competitive or what????

The Chinese Seniors came to Forest Lawn and discovered the world of WII. Once the seniors found out all about Bowling, some of the ladies were so competitive that they had to be reminded that others needed a turn. One lady wouldn't let go and she played until she got several strikes in a row. It was so interesting to watch them and I also learned a few tips from them. While some were bowling, the others were doing tai-chi in the lobby.

Soccer & Sunshine

Today, FLAWN participated in a Resource Fair hosted by the Youth Diversity Cup. The Calgary Police Service, Boys & Girls Club and military Cadets were also there. We were all treated to a tremendous lunch cooked up by Community Kitchen and enjoyed Capoeira and Bhangra dance demonstrations. Oh yeah, and there was tons of great soccer! As for us, we had loads of help from our pages and teen volunteers with activities for kids. The beanbag toss and bookmark crafts were both big hits! All around it was a great event and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

Anyone Matching that Description?

On a quiet evening, I turn back from the register and see these two huge brown eyes staring at me over the desk. I lean down and ask him, "Can I help you?" In this tiny little voice he says, "The man who tells you to be quiet told me to come ask you..." I was so entertained by his description of our security guard that I needed him to repeat his question!

School outreach and SRA

Outreach to schools and promotion of the upcoming SRA is already starting to pay off. Kids are coming in and putting books on hold from the presentations. They are anxious to register for the SRA. I've been getting lots of comments from kids coming in the library- "I know you" I have one more school to go to.

Wednesday night's happy customers

I just realized that I hadn't completed this entry.
We had some very happy lip-smacking customers on a Wednesday night a few weeks ago. Forest Lawn hosted the piza party for the families of Blessed Damien Elementary School participating in "It's a crime not to read" and there were some pizzas left at the end of the program. I walked around and offered pizza to everyone in the building. I did tell them that this was a very unusual circumstance. We even had 2 customers sign up for cards after eating pizza.

24 Hour Service

A grumpy customer at closing time asked when we would start 24 hours service!! Perhaps he wants to stay on the computer and blog all night. He claims we'd get lots of fees and it would be profitable for us to provide this service as there are people would appreciate and use the library all night long!!

Spring Cowman Goes Ahead and Makes My Day

It was an unceremonious day at the Forest Lawn Library, the building seemingly locked into the late Spring frigidity. Absent from the day was the usual mid-afternoon melee, and the delightful clatter of pre-adolescence. Gone was the hateful murmur of a pre-teen in full headlock, the red-faced humiliation of a bullied gamer at the computer, or the high-pitched antagonism of young girls cutting each other low hovering slightly above the allowable decibel level of a library voice. It was as if there was some miracle occurring outside which drew the teenagers to its bright light, and away from their TDC you-tubing, and nexopia.

As you can imagine, staff were in a gleeful, if not yearning mood, as the fresh snow melting in the bright sun signaled the oncoming season of renewal. A rather cowboy-looking customer approached me at the info desk with a question that began:” I’m not sure what you call it up here, but in Texas we call it a (in this space a blank).” The term that the man was asking about was for an officer, the title which I did not know at the time, and cannot now recall, who is the district court’s supervisor of domestic affairs. He told me the name of the kind of office he was enquiring about, and after some difficulty, I was able to locate telephone numbers for the man in Texas, that he could get in touch with. It had something to do with courts, and officers, and even lawyers, but it was beyond me.

“Thanks for all your work. You’ve been mighty helpful. I always knew that the public library was the place to go to get the information you needed.”
“You bet it is, “ I responded, feeling a sense of accomplishment – the kind of accomplishment one would feel, I presume sitting at the infodesk, who charges through burning houses to rescue sleeping children – not out of a deep-seeded need for recognition, not for the moniker ‘hero’, but out of the prosaic fulfillment of a specialized duty – one you were born to do.
“Thanks again,” said the cowboy, “Now I’ll be able to start the process of suing my wife for everything she’s got.”
“Not at all,” I offered, as the cowboy ventured out to his horse he had hitched to the bicycle rack. “All in the line of duty,” I whispered to myself.

Spring is here!!

Spring time takes the library to the schools . West Dover Elementary was our first stop on May 12 to promote the Summer Reading Adventure. The theme this year is "A dragon tale" and the children are anxious to register and start reading. Later on that afternoon some children came in to register- registration begins June 19th.

April Music!

The other day I helped a man photocopy sheet music. He's been playing the guitar for many years and even showed me how he grew his fingernails longer which made for good pickin'!! He was so appreciative for the help at the photcopier he promised to come back and play me a love song ???!!!

Walker Being Used!

I saw my first customer using the walker that we recently puchased for the branch! Its nice to see a new initiative being used and appreciated by customers.

The library is a good place where people will help you!

On a recent Wednesday evening a senior citizen customer came to the desk. She was trying to find "Calgary Eats" on 17th Ave. and an employee named Lydia. The senior needed to ask Lydia if she could spend the night. Carol S. and I could not locate "Calgary Eats " nor could we locate Lydia (we did have her last name).
Our customer's name was Ethel and she confirmed that she had no place to spend the night. She had gotten confused coming down 44th ave and found the library and decided that the "library was a good place where people would help you"
Ethel told us that she had left her place on 44 street and couldn't return there as it was "too much hassle" and "not a good thing". She was vague about where on 44th she had come from. She was dressed in red sweatpants, two coats, a ball cap and had a small suitcase with her. We asked her if we could help her find a place to spend the night and she agreed.
Carol and I made a some calls to agencies on 17 ave but most were closed for the evening. The Salvation Army didn't take females, the Centre for Hope and the YWCA were full. A call to Calgary 211 confirmed that there were no agencies in the Forest Lawn area that had facilities for over night; they suggested we try the Calgary Drop-in Centre.
Shane answered the phone at the Calgary Drop-in Centre and he suggested Ethel make her way down there. Ethel didn't think she could manage a bus and then a train ride (she had gotten confused coming down 44th ave.) Shane gave us a phone number for "DOAP" a street team connected with CUPS. Roxanne at DOAP was our next contact and she was driving a van and could pick up Ethel in about 30 minutes and take her to the Drop-in Centre providing that Ethel was sober! (she was).
We gave Ethel tea and cookies and she waited by the circ desk. She was grateful for the tea and quickly ate the cookies. Roxanne and her partner picked up Ethel but were unable to get a former address from her or any family members to contact.
Ethel thanked us for everything we had done for her and said she'd see us again! She was smiling when she left.

HA HA HA!

A customer took a book from the "Freedom to Read" display table and asked if he was allowed to borrow it. I said, yes he could certainly sign it out. "But its a banned book!" he replied!

Chinese Accent

"Your child must certainly enjoy the books with CD's" I said to my customer as I signed out her large number of readalongs.
"I am Chinese and I don't like to read to my son for fear that he will pick up my accent. So I borrow lots of readalongs for him. With these stories a Canadian reads to him!"

Dazzling Story Winner!

We have a lovely customer who has used us for many years. I made a terrible faux pas one day – after complimenting her on her weight loss – she informed me that her significant other and left her and the stress has caused her to lose weight (oops)! Another day she came in walking with a cane – her Multiple Sclerosis was acting up!

Last week she came in, walking with her cane and wanted to pay her fine as she owed too much to access the library on line. As she got out her money she mumbled that she’d had a bad week and had spent it at home. When I said I was sorry to hear that she said that her MS had acted up. Her speech was slurred and her eyes were red-rimmed. I said, “ Let me help you today and clear your fines” “No,no,” she wanted to pay. I told her that sometime, everyone deserves a break and today it was her day.

I wouldn’t have known about this customer’s personal problem and been able to help her but I had that personal connection (good & bad) with her over the years.

Act of Kindness

It always amazes me when a customer thinks that "doing my job" was an act of kindness, in other words, Dazzling Service.
An elderly gentlemen came in to return and sign out items. He was pleasantly surprised when I offered to renew the items at home. To us as staff, that's doing our job. For my act of kindness he gave a laser light from his key chain and insisted I accept it.

Literacy-what a gift!!

A young mom came in with her 10-month baby because she had been given a coupon for a free library card for her child. She was suprised to find out that kids could get cards no matter how young they were. While making the child's card I asked her if she had a card- an opportunity for one more membership (I thought). She was reluctant to say no and went on telling me that she had difficulties reading. She had read to her little girl as a newborn but now it had become very difficult. I offered her a library card, told about Reading Advantage with contact name and signed out a couple of boardbooks. She left very happy.

More Than You Expect

A gentleman approached the desk and asked if there was any possibility that I might know of any resources for a family that homeschools children who are stuggling with their reading and math. So I think "where do I begin"... I showed him the library website and the E-library resourses for students and parents, I showed him the best websites links to the school curriculum and I told him of the homework club, reading buddies, computer buddies and library camp. I gave him the program guide to read and of course he also left with an armload of books that we found him, a big smile and a promise to return soon to learn more. He could not believe all of what I showed him and I assured him there were more resources and books if and when he needed them. On leaving he said..."The library is great. There sure is more than you expect. I don't know why I waited so long to return to the library."

Forest Lawn's Believe It (or not!)

A Vietnamese customer handed me his library card and a $100.00 bill ( I thought - "OH THAT'S A BIG FINE!"). But no, not a fine - he was giving me a $100.00 donation!

A 5 year old girl gave me a present one Saturday wrapped in paper that she had decorated with drawings of herself and her Dad, Minh. Inside the package was a plastic pink bracelet and a board book (well used). I was thrilled with my gift and she was thrilled that I like it! Her Dad and Uncle watched and had a little chuckle. How generous!

January Blahs!!!

Survived another Christmas season and all that shopping!!! On to another year-2008. The month of January is really blah!!! The most blah thing that happened was frontal exposure in the fiction. Beleive it or not!!!!

Respectful Greetings

A regular Vietnamese customer always bows slightly and addresses the female staff as "madam". When visiting Thailand on a holiday I was greeted everyday with the same respect and a slight bow with the words "Sa wut dee kah" (hello, how are you). Upon returning back to work this customer had noticed my absence and I explained I was on holiday in Thailand. He lived there for a few years and asked it I knew Sa wut dee kah - I said yes. So everytime he comes in the door and I am on desk we make eye contact and slightly bow saying Sa wud dee kah. It is a pleasure to see this gentleman come in to the library with his wife and grandchildren.

Serenaded at the Library

I got serenaded by a customer the other day while on desk! A man was given the responsibility of creating a slideshow for a friend's wedding, and needed a few particular songs for the "soundtrack". We were able to find the first couple easily enough. However, he couldn't remember the title nor artist for one tune, and resorted to singing the song out loud! Long story short - we figured out the song and found the corresponding CD on the shelf.