the plight of an insomiac library monitor...

Oh, how I was disillusioned. Somehow I had convinced myself that signing on for a contract position at the UW library was a brilliant idea. I had entertained thoughts of whimsical evenings spent circulating the library's circumference; lovingly handling the multitude of journals and microfilms...breathing in the musty odour of aging volumes(refer to picture on the right); the outer linings of the bindings heavily laden with dust. I had romanticized my role as a Library monitor...which is easy to do, when faced with the grave yard shift; an insomiacs late night haven...complete with half done crosswords/sudokus, a clutter of empty tea cups, scone crumbs and intermitten gchat sessions. I was seduced by the prospect of dim lights, sheer silence, and the innocuous presence of studious students with their nose(s) stuck in a book. I could not have been more mistaken. The youth of today are an intolerable lot...they bear no respect towards the library's policies; nor the people who inhabit the same space as them. I made the mistake of foolishly believing that a library is still an establishment where people go to study, to learn...a quiet space...conducive to brainstorming, research, and fervent writing sessions...not conducive to rowdy pizza parties, gossipy tete a tetes, and full on make out sessions. Possibly I am just a stick in the mud; adhering to the diminishing policies of the past. Nevertheless, as dawn broke, I was bombarded by the rude awakening that this younger generation is sans manners; amongst a multitude of other necessary life enhancing skills. Unfortunately for me, that means my stay at the UW library is sure to produce a more stressful than whimsical experience, most likely resulting in several more silver hairs sprouting from my head. My only solace is between the hours of 4am and 6am, where very few students linger, and I am granted some peace of mind...and for a fleeting moment in time I can still cling to some of the romanticism I had earlier spoke of...where I can lose myself in the soft trickle of time...returning and stacking misplaced books to the appropriate book cart, jotting down entrance stats, and diligently taking note of the library's occupancy. As I write this, I realize that not all is lost...although the majority of patrons are riled up/disrespectful little twerps, the library itself is still an inspiring place to work... even if my position there warrants me to be a full fledged babysitter, there are certain behavioural management strategies that I delight in...such as shushing the students, and/or donning a rather menacing look as I traverse the library's parameters....oh the joys and woes of being a library monitor!