I can take you...

(Warning - if pressed for time, skip to the last paragraph... Long, yet quality, post ahead...)

Yeah, so today was my first real librarian experience (all those others were fake, I guess...). I was thrown into the deep-end and it was a sink or swim kind of day - and I think I learned to swim. First off, I've worked the reference desk many times before, but not during a program sign-up day, all by myself, while having three or four people standing in front of me needing help finding their lists of books and having six others waiting on a phone that I don't yet know how to work. And if you know anything about Westchester, you know that the people group here is not known for patience, but rather their lack thereof. Anywho, I dealt with it and moved on. It was a busy morning.

So really, I thought I had the worst of it out of the way, until tonight. Yes folks, tonight was a different kind of trial-by-fire. Let me throw out this disclaimer... I can deal with rowdy kids. I can deal with stupid kids. I can deal with the shy ones and I can deal with the flamboyant ones. And tonight, I learned how to deal with the library punks.

For a while now, I've had a growing concern for the lack of policy at my library on kids using the computers (and a growing concern for the complete lack of policies at all at my library!!!). We seriously don't even have any codes of conduct written anywhere. (And being the new kid on the block, it is not like I have a whole lot of pull, yet.) So about a week ago I started witnessing the lack of control my coworkers have on a particular group of kids. These kids come in everyday to game or get on myspace or something, and that would be okay, but these kids in particular are in the "push-the-boundaries" age and they drive everyone in the building insane. My coworkers give idle threats, like "Henry, you know you shouldn't say curse words..." and "Omar, you behave or else..." Or else what?!? Please tell me, because I am dying to know! This group of punk boys then start feeding upon themselves, punching and slapping, locker-room talking, and even looking at pictures you wouldn't want your toddler to happen upon. And obviously, the years of idle threats have not even phased them, so the situation worsens until no one wants to work the Reference Desk, so they throw the "new girl" to the lions. (Thus begins my rant.)

So here I am, already put into a bad situation. What is the "Librarian Trainee" to do, with no freakin' positive examples to go by?!? And no rules posted?!? And no examples having been set?!? By this time, these kids are ready to push those limits, ESPECIALLY since the "new girl" is at the desk. They want blood. But guess what, they got more than they bargained for tonight. Just like the Ghostbusters "ain't afraid of no ghost," I ain't afraid of no sixth grader. I laid down the law according to Suzy and let them know that they were on a "three-strike program." (Yes mom, how very motherly of me... I know!) One of them decided to try me on it by becoming Mr. Potty Mouth and I promptly threw him off the computer. He adamantly denied using the words that had so recently tumbled out of his mouth and looked to his friends for back-up. (I'm thinking here, "Holy Crap. I can take one or two of them out, but can I really take out six of them?!?") Naturally, the rest of them rallied behind punk #1 and I now realize that I have some serious choices to make really quick. Either I stick to my guns and let them all learn the lesson of "Guilt by Association" or I take the easy cowardly way out and just run. Let me tell you, I really wanted to run. (Read: my coworker all suck for putting me in this position in the first place.)

Long story short (or shortened... too late for short), they all lost their computer privileges tonight. All in the name of "Henry." I had to tolerate about 30 minutes of heckling, but then they all finally went away. (About halfway into it, I almost cracked - two big guys, brothers I guess, came to check in on them. I just about wet my chair. I got through it, though.) Funny thing is, once you lay down the law, I think (after the initial shock) that the kids start to respect you more. My little punks even thought that I was a Latino chick instead of the "gringo" that I am (but maybe that is because of my "ghetto booty!"). So I guess tomorrow, we'll see if my efforts were in vain or if I am going to get gang-banged in the parking lot. Tune in tomorrow - I hope.