Sir, I can't tell you whether it's worth visiting us in person for your research. Only you can determine that, just like only you can prevent forest fires. #GLAMS #ArchivesLife

I’ve never seen someone date an email the way they would a posted letter before. Interesting.

Bleh the single occupant restroom on this floor reeks of pot.

If anyone hears distant cursing it’s just me wrestling with the Shifts app in Microsoft Teams.

Things I say at work: What in the plaid rabbit hell is going on with case 2??

Me, trying to find literature on a research topic: WHY DOES IT ALWAYS COME BACK TO FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS??? Boss, from her office: *chortles* My suffering is being MOCKED.

For almost 24 hours, all of the reference queues I can access were at zero. Glorious.

My favorite art history genre is "Judith beheading Holofernes"

The door-clicking ghost is back. The lock system has been fixed multiple times this year and it always starts up again. The ghost is bored and needs to stim!

Checking my spam folder, as per usual, and am amused that someone from "Omniscient Editorial" needs to ask me a question. Shouldn't you already know the answer, sir/ma'am?

Happy National Library Week and National Library Workers Day to all the administrators at this fine institution who have not mentioned either recognition time even in a bland form email.

I had to end my lunch break and go on desk just as my book was getting spicy. Harrumph.

I confess I’m relieved to realize that for once I am not the most frustrated, angry one in a committee.

Channeling my stress about Current Events into rage about higher ed fundraising campaigns acting like engineering and athletics are the only things that matter on campus. Productive? No. Healthy? No. But it’s making me feel less like throwing up.

"hey, remember that project i emailed you about in December 2024, I'm circling back now" dude, you think I remember that? I hit "send" on reference responses and you immediately leave my brain unless you're high on the bonkers scale. You don't *want* me remembering you.

Today’s theme is “I’m running out of ways to explain this to you.” And the letter Y, as in “Y U NO LISTEN”

Ok so I like my job and my work very much but I have absolutely no desire to do any of it or be in the office at all today.

*shrieks into the void*

Two separate people asked me for marriage and death records today and seemed astonished to hear those are probably with the city or county, rather than the university archives. This bodes poorly for the week.

So apparently yesterday was Employee Appreciation Day at my workplace. Information I only happened across by chance today. Because nobody told us, the employees, that it was Employee Appreciation Day. I feel like a pretty important point got missed somewhere along the way.

What is it about being super stressed and on a tight schedule that makes my coworkers want to hang out and chat?

Overheard during an upper level university class visit to the archives. Student: do you want me to put my name on my assignment? Instructor, more patiently than I would be: yes, your name should be on it somewhere.

The lights are on, the door is unlocked, there’s stuff on the tables, there’s a sign next to the door. Why are students so daunted by the door being closed so as not to bother people studying nearby? Your class starts in five minutes, quit staring through the window like Victorian street urchins.

Finding myself cooing delightedly over new, entirely unscratched acrylic display supports. Hopefully this is charming.

If everyone could just try using some basic common sense first that’d be awesome.

I can’t believe I have to say this, but when you return folders to an archives box, they should face the same way as the other folders. And that direction should be LABELS FACING FRONT. This instruction archivist needs a large adult beverage.

I am so not emotionally prepared for the coming month.

“My scrolling finger is getting a cramp” is a real complaint I said aloud at work today.

Border Patrol is pulling out of Minneapolis. Bovino is ending his punitive tour of blue cities. Calls for Noem's resignation are mounting, even in conservative media. Senate Democrats are dug in now on refusing to fund DHS and ICE. "Abolish ICE" is now a mainstream position. They are losing.

That’s two professors in the past month who’ve felt the need to tell me how to search in the library catalog. Like I don’t know how and could definitely teach them a thing or five.

I know maintaining cultural heritage and teaching critical research methods are important in the long term, but day to day everything I do feels so frivolous right now.

Today I exasperatedly compared a professor to a golden retriever who’d had several shots of espresso. I like the man but I absolutely stand by this description.

Oh no, not another “I saw this photo in a book plz help me find it” inquiry. Needle in a flippin haystack, every time.

Even in states that don't have laws, some people at some universities are avoiding doing things in anticipation of things happening in the future. : (

I only ever substituted as a children’s librarian but ye gods the urge to yell “walking feet” after Kids These Days.

Truth.

I knew there would be problems when the haunted paper towel dispenser was removed. Now the workroom door keycard lock won’t stop clicking at random intervals. The ghost needs to stim. #glams #archiveslife

could someone please remind The Youths that spell-check is a thing and should probably be used on job applications

Me: we only have this on microfilm, I hope that’s ok. Patron: Well it’ll have to do. Me: *side-eye to check for passive aggression*

I was *this close* to starting the work year in a good mood.

John Oliver really was not kidding about the overwhelming rebellious power of just saying “Fuck you, make me.”

It’s finals season and the reading room is empty. Think anyone would notice if I use a book cradle to take a nap?

The number of reference inquiries today that just wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. “But I just need to know —-“ “I really don’t know any more ways to explain that we *literally do not have this.*”

I should probably try to curse out loud less frequently while installing exhibits. Especially when the library is open.

I’m pleased to report that I was victorious in my semi-annual argument with the microfilm reader. Did its best to tangle the leader, but I won.

Could all the patrons PLEASE be cool for the rest of the year. Not gonna ask you to stop being weird - we know what we signed up for - but could you please dial back the lunacy for a bit.

COLD NAMETAG COLD NAMETAG AAAAAAUGH

In research purgatory. This project just won’t end.

Some days you can just feel the IQ points leaking out of your ears.