I Needed a Computer
I Needed a Computer
“He’s here.”
I don’t even need to look up to know who Carol is talking about. I can hear it in her voice.
“And he’s doing it again”
The He she was referring to was undoubtedly young Scott Thompson, a sophomore here at McKinley Public High School, and the Again would be the claiming of one of the school library’s three laptops for visiting students use as his own. Nevermind that there’s a sign on the table saying “Laptops Are For All Students. 15 minute limit. Do Not Move” that I made myself to stop students, him, from taking them god knows where in the library. Nor the fact that Carol and I have told him repeatedly that he’s free to use them for his 15, but that’s it’s, and DON’T MOVE THEM.
“This is like the 5th time this month E”.
“The month’s only like a week old Carol”
“I know!”
“-sigh-So I’m guessing you want me to go talk to him?’
“It’s your turn, and you ARE the lead librarian. Go head and earn that lead librarian money”
“So for a few dollars more I’ve gotta deal with him?”
Watching a smirking Carol take her coffee and head into the office tells me that yes, I do in fact have to deal with young Mr Thompson this fine Monday morning. A truly wonderful start to the week.
Steeling myself with a softly voiced “I don’t need the money this badly”, I got up, transmorphitized-that’s a word- myself into “Erin Hudson, Lead Librarian Lady” and headed into battle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not about fighting with the kids. We try to keep it pleasant and inviting in our library, but I will hand out some Straightening when it’s called for. Like little Ms. “What’s Wrong With Loudly Facetiming My Friends While I’m Here ”. Or little Mr “Clipping My Toenails in The Study Section”. Their feral asses got the business.
But there’s something different about this kid. An entitled blankness. Talking with him is like talking to a tree with eyes. Or should I say talking TO him. There is no talking WITH him. He’s a smart kid, but he has the emotional range of a brick raised in a monastery, wrapped in a steel wired sense of superiority. We’re not sure what’s going on with him, and I’m not here to make any sort of librarian-chair mental health diagnosis. All I know is that the boy is off, and I’ve got about twenty-feet to get ready to deal with him.
“Hey Scott, we’ve already told you that you can’t take the laptops to different parts of the library and use them like they’re your own”
“I needed a computer”
And there it is. The blank faced, dead eyed answer he always gives; “I needed a computer.”
“Yes, I know, but so do the other students in the library”
“I needed a computer”
Strike two.
“I heard you the first time” actually, more like the tenth time “Where is your school issued one?” -Blank Face- “The one the school gives all you students?’-Blank Face-
“I needed a computer”
Strike three.
“Well buddy, it’s not going to be this one. Go put it back.”
No movement. Just the same blank stare. “Scott, go, but, the laptop, back”
He stood up and took the laptop back, but not before giving me five more seconds of blankness.
Back at the front desk to a grinning Carol
“Did he say anything else this time?”
“Does he ever?”
“Yeah, one time he said our Star Wars collection was not-quote-adequate for his needs-un quote. Why does he talk like a protocol droid?”
“Girl please, C3PO would never”
As a public librarian for 21 years, first I laughed and then I sighed while reading this. I literally don't get paid enough for the type of shenanigans I have to navigate each day. Intense anxiety envelopes me in each of these types of scenarios I have. Will the person comply nicely? Will they go off and cause a disturbance? Will they just attack me? It's Russian roulette each time you deal with a patron breaking the rules. Most of the time, a person needs to be doing something really egregious for me to even bother approaching because I don't know. Or maybe it will be the day I snap and I go to jail.
From a more sympathetic pov, most teens don't know how to use a computer effectively enough where 15 minutes is enough time. They don't know how to type, save a paper, do a proper internet search, or even copy & paste properly. It's really sad how many schools have failed in teaching kids basic computer skills while expecting them to use computers 90 percent of the time. A teen that seems distant but has "lost" the school issued computer indicates that they're bullied, homeless, or has an unstable home life. I learned that from kids and teens who always reported lost library cards or books.
So...is this the start of a story or something you witnessed?