I have around 3 weeks left of work for my current job. I’m teaching my last classes this week. It all seems a little surreal. With that, I give you a refgrunt:
We have drop-in hours for writing help in the library (staffed by graduate students in English) but they aren’t on duty tonight. A student [...]

I’m really tired of some of the e-mail I get from ALA. I have my communication preferences set to official communication only, which on the ALA site is defined as “I only want to receive official membership communication (ballot, renewal and membership card, American Libraries and division journals and newsletters specified in the ALA Handbook [...]

Yes, you can have some scissors.
Your class isn’t meeting in the library today. I know this, because your instructor e-mailed me yesterday, and I haven’t been able to schedule the class yet. Maybe in a couple weeks, you will be meeting in the library.
Scissors guy needs help blowing up an image on the copier.
My co-worker [...]

I was at the reference desk all day long today. So I present to you dear readers, a very special very long refgrunt:

Isn’t eating breakfast food in the middle of the night one of life’s great luxuries? I had to work the late shift tonight, didn’t get home until 11 pm and I was craving pancakes. My copy of the Joy of Cooking automatically opens to the pancake page. Ah, lovely, lovely pancakes! I’m glad I [...]

The night shift librarian
was sitting at the desk
She answered many queries
both sublime and grotesque
Look in the architecture section
for construction romanesque
“I can’t download from JSTOR!”
The hapless student cries,
“What’s wrong with acrobat?”
Try photocopying, the librarian replies.
Yes, we do have art books,
in the section ‘oversize’.
The printer says “toner low”
shake the toner cartridge.
Students research stem cells, world wars
Voltaire, psychosis, [...]

I’m not sure how long I can do refgrunts in various poetic forms, but here’s another one!
I’m working an evening reference shift
Jeff Spicoli’s doppleganger asks me a question.
He’ll have to use interlibrary loan.
She wishes all the articles were full text.
I show a girl how to search the New York Times.
Books with PQ call numbers are [...]

I decided to write this evening’s refgrunt in haiku. Really really bad haiku. So you’ve been warned:
to recall the book
circulation desk will help
get it back for you
yes I do have some
white-out and a binder clip
you are welcome
you’re right acrobat
is choking on that file, strange
try the lab next door
Korean War news
New York Times Historical
Archives to start [...]

First shift on the reference desk with the students back!
Anna Karenina
Tape
I’m sorry, I don’t have a protractor.
Yes, go ahead and use the phone to call your prof.
Number of times I say a variation of “Well, we can check to see if we have your textbook.. but the library doesn’t have every textbook used for every [...]

Yay! I hadn’t realized that there were new posts on the original refgrunt this month.