Meetinghouse library--hub/water cooler of the ward

Our Ward leadership had announced that we would only have Sacrament Meeting on Christmas day and on New Year's day. They probably amended that decision for New Year's day last week, but too late-- the thought was firmly planted in our minds (Art and myself). Kathleen even ran a check for me, logging onto the Church's website, pulling up the Rockwood II Ward's information, and reading that on New Year's Day, there would be Sacrament Meeting ONLY at 9 AM. And she did this YESTERDAY! To our surprise, when we arrived at Church today, a full compliment of meetings was expected. We felt like the only ones out of the loop.

Thinking no one needed library assistance for Sacrament meeting alone, I didn't bother to go in early. The two assistant librarians, however, did. Good thing! We got bombed with copying requests.

Brother Tolman served as the Sunday School President who has stewardship for the library. He was released about two weeks ago; he tried valiantly to have the library close about 15 minutes after Sacrament meeting lets out. That gives us time to hand out pictures, chalk and erasers, etc. It was Brother Tolman's hope that 1) the librarians would go so Sunday School class and 2) other ward members would go to class also, rather than frequenting the library for whatever purpose. I think I saw a "look" in his eye as he came to the library to return a TV/VCR after Sunday School and found a veritable beehive of activity! but we stayed open today as we were constantly copying and/or colating and/or stapeling and/or cutting.

Next Sunday, Ward Council meets. I need to think of a way to send the message to that group that planning ahead so that requests are made a week in advance would allow us--the librarians--to better serve everyone.

It was hilarious in some respects today. We had casual observers recommending which copy work to do next. Some people could take offense at that. I'm grateful we did not, but I do come close. We had some sister missionaries who are serving in Rockwood I ward come in and want copies. One of them had worked in a copy center and was all set to "help herself". While there are times I appreciate people doing that, there were three of us there today; I handed the job to Sister Bonnie.

Sister Bonnie has recently become active, her non-member son (age 12) was baptized before school started in the fall and now her non-member husband has joined the Church. He even spoke in Stake Conference about his conversion. Sister Bonnie is very willing to do things on her computer at home to help things run more smoothly in the library. She's helping us read the instruction book and learn how to use the special features of our new copy machine, which is ever so much more capable than the pervious machine. Now we scan in copy so that the machine can then print front and back without us having to do that in two steps--turning the printed copy over and loading a new page to print on the back.

Learning to use this machine is a bit of a challenge, and will require patience on our part as well as those who needed their copies 5 minutes ago.

Knock-knock joke told to me by our Ward Clerk:

Sister Wittwer, if I left the room and came back in five minutes, would you remember me?
Yes.
If I left the room and didn't come back for a week, would you remember me?
Yes.
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Aw, gee whiz! You've forgotten me already!