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Innovative advice; do you know how the library staff felt about it? Did they know? Also, I read your last sentence as "You should work out in the library," an

by khafra 17y ago

Innovative advice; do you know how the library staff felt about it? Did they know? Also, I read your last sentence as "You should work out in the library," and imagined laying down under a cart full of large hardcover volumes, trying to grunt very quietly while pressing it. Just sayin'.

tptacek 17y ago
The library staff definitely knew about it. I felt bad originally for booking private study rooms for work, and not "private study"; I was vigorously assured that I shouldn't feel guilty for doing so. Two things to realize: (1) The library staff is a lot more nervous about the library being empty than they are about it being full. Something about busy libraries being the reason they get paid. (2) If libraries have headache clientele, it's the homeless. I had no idea what a mess that situation was until I started going to the library every day.
- raghus 17y ago
  The library staff is a lot more nervous about the library being empty than they are about it being full. This I can attest to. At our local public library there's a lady who is constantly picking up and re-shelving kids books only to have some kids take a bunch out and toss most of them on the table or the floor. When I asked her if she wasn't frustrated, she said counter-intuitively that she's actually happy to come in to the section and find a ton of books to re-shelve.
silentbicycle 17y ago
While I'm not claiming to speak for all library employees, I worked for a public library for about six years* , including some time when wireless internet access was relatively novel. Someone camping out with a laptop wasn't a problem, even all day, provided they weren't being noisy (cell phones!), downloading porn, or otherwise being a nuisance. Actually, people who bring their own computers are probably a lot less trouble for staff, who may be busy keeping of track of whose turn it is next on the public computers, helping adults figure out how to file taxes online, etc. The staff (and/or branch policy) ultimately decide what to do if a group of people is obviously using the library as a kind of temporary office, and they may request you make more formal arrangements. (The branches I worked at always had back rooms that could be rented out to tutors.) With several people, noise may be an issue. Still, one person typing, or two or three people working with occasional quiet collaboration is probably on par with a couple teenagers studying together. Just be considerate. Libraries are paid for with tax dollars, and (as tptacek noted) staff are generally more nervous about empty libraries. Branch funding is often closely tied to usage stats - people coming through the door each day, circulation, internet station sessions, etc. Also, depending on the neighborhood, the staff are probably more worried about drunk and/or mentally ill street people, misbehaving teenagers, etc. (Oh, the stories...) * Great job to have through college, BTW.

by khafra 17y ago

tptacek 17y ago

The library staff definitely knew about it. I felt bad originally for booking private study rooms for work, and not "private study"; I was vigorously assured that I shouldn't feel guilty for doing so. Two things to realize: (1) The library staff is a lot more nervous about the library being empty than they are about it being full. Something about busy libraries being the reason they get paid. (2) If libraries have headache clientele, it's the homeless. I had no idea what a mess that situation was until I started going to the library every day.

raghus 17y ago
The library staff is a lot more nervous about the library being empty than they are about it being full. This I can attest to. At our local public library there's a lady who is constantly picking up and re-shelving kids books only to have some kids take a bunch out and toss most of them on the table or the floor. When I asked her if she wasn't frustrated, she said counter-intuitively that she's actually happy to come in to the section and find a ton of books to re-shelve.

silentbicycle 17y ago

While I'm not claiming to speak for all library employees, I worked for a public library for about six years* , including some time when wireless internet access was relatively novel. Someone camping out with a laptop wasn't a problem, even all day, provided they weren't being noisy (cell phones!), downloading porn, or otherwise being a nuisance. Actually, people who bring their own computers are probably a lot less trouble for staff, who may be busy keeping of track of whose turn it is next on the public computers, helping adults figure out how to file taxes online, etc. The staff (and/or branch policy) ultimately decide what to do if a group of people is obviously using the library as a kind of temporary office, and they may request you make more formal arrangements. (The branches I worked at always had back rooms that could be rented out to tutors.) With several people, noise may be an issue. Still, one person typing, or two or three people working with occasional quiet collaboration is probably on par with a couple teenagers studying together. Just be considerate. Libraries are paid for with tax dollars, and (as tptacek noted) staff are generally more nervous about empty libraries. Branch funding is often closely tied to usage stats - people coming through the door each day, circulation, internet station sessions, etc. Also, depending on the neighborhood, the staff are probably more worried about drunk and/or mentally ill street people, misbehaving teenagers, etc. (Oh, the stories...) * Great job to have through college, BTW.