We're taking a bit of a breather while the world rearranges its underpants. Meanwhile, the other blog is here.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

The whole wide world is on your side

Pansy's in the doghouse. It has been decreed that all the Branch Managers will be responsible for Tiny Tots Story Time at their own libraries. The prospect of doing Tiny Tots Story Time scares Pansy to death. To the point where she was seriously considering having to jack the job in because she was stressing herself out. She had a chat with her line manager, who hasn't done a children's story time since Adam was a lad, and her response was useful, practical, supportive and innovative in its approach to problem-solving.

"Well, you'll just have to do it."

Given a more practical bent than is wanted on board the good ship library service, Pansy chatted up some of the folk at the local children's centre who were more than happy to come and do regular story times at Gypsy Cream Library so that they could get their outreach ticks in the boxes in their performance tables.

So it is that instead of presenting the tiny tots with a story teller who really, really didn't want to do the story telling they're being given an extended session with somebody who is both practised and enthusiastic; and we're not losing a Branch Manager at a time when we really can't risk having any vacancies. Win-win I would say. The more so as this arrangement means that this is the only library providing Tiny Tots Story Time throughout the summer holidays.

Plaudits and medals all round you might think.

Not a bit of it.
"We can't let Pansy get away with not doing story time. What would happen if we let everybody do this?" asks Julia.

We'd have a fucking good service, I would think. But then, what would I know about these things.

7 comments:

Major D'Omo said...

They truly make you want to throw up. It's one of those situations where you have to laugh otherwise you'd cry. Is someone going to wreak a terrible revenge on Pansy for doing so much good? Frog knows that when we worked together Darn Sarf I was always the one filling in to let someone else do the Childrens' activities. You're either born with it or you're not.

Affer said...

Being of that background, I did a quick search of Uni courses in Librarianship; I didn't find any modules relating to reading stories to small children.

(This blog is compulsive: the writing so engaging, the subjects so toe-curling!)

Gadjo Dilo said...

They must be a way fudging this. Get Pansy to record a (silent) video of her herself lip-synching the story and the talented story-teller can then supply the words on the day.

The Topiary Cow said...

People who are good at one thing not allowed to do it.

People who are bad at something being forced to do it.

Management, apparently.

Moo!

Kevin Musgrove said...

This is true, Major.

Affer: the curricula of library school courses bear no relation to the working reality of working in public libraries. The same could be said of some of the past graduates.

(and ta for the compliment)

Oh, Gadjo, you should know by now that the best we could manage would be a magic lantern show!

That's the ticket Ms. Cow!

Macy said...

This was the first archive that made me laugh out loud. Feel like I've met these peoples doppelqangers already out in the big bad commercial world...

Kevin Musgrove said...

Thanks Macy!

We are not unique. Which is one of those scary thoughts that keep my head under the duvet!