Goodbye Poets!

Thursday 24th March 2016

My Beautiful Scrapbook

What an awesome but sad day! It was the final session of the Keele Poets at Silverdale class before their end of term. Caroline arrived early with cake and I had put out some little Easter Eggs for them when I set out the room. She had asked them all to bring a poetic passage from Shakespeare to read out to the rest of the class - as a "gift poem".

When they had a break at eleven o'clock, Caroline called me in and gave a little speech to say thank-you for all I'd done for them and said they'll miss me when I've gone. They gave me the most beautiful scrapbook - full of photos of all the projects and events we've done together at Silverdale. Some of them had even written me poems. I was so thrilled! Caroline did warn me not to look at it until I got home as it would make me cry. She was right.

I did have chocolate cake too - and had a chunk of Miranda's wonderful fruit cake too!



SO many cards and presents!

Thank-You Megan!

I have so many cards and presents already. After today, I do only have a day and a half to work. I am trying not to think about it. It's going to be even more emotional next Thursday when I have my day-long tea party for all my lovely customers.

It's so sad.



Caroline was also kind enough to stay with me at the counter over lunchtime - as no-one turned up to cover my lunch today. it gave me chance to go to the loo and grab something to eat! I do hope that there'll be someone to open the library for the poets when they come back for their next term!

It's the Final Countdown...

Saturday 26th March 2016

It is my final half-day - as I only have Thursday left now - my very last day!
Spent the quiet bit of the morning tidying the office and making sure all the Health and Safety checks were up-to-date. I have to check the fire alarm and emergency lighting every week and the water temperatures every month. I also got the invoices for the room hire sorted and sent off to Cheryl - the Admin Queen at Newcastle.

I think everything is in order ready to hand it over to.. well I'm not sure who! I have no idea who will be on duty on Friday next week - in fact they haven't told me when or where to hand over my keys when I lock up for the final time on Thursday afternoon.

Pirates from 2011

Amelia the local councillor popped in with her daughter Lily. She has been bringing her in since she was a tiny baby. They used to come to Baby Bounce and Rhyme when I ran those sessions. Had to stop when Tracy left and wasn't replaced. We used to have a great time singing the Pirate Song - I even had a Pirate Hat to wear while we did it. It was always my favourite!

You can watch a video of it being performed by some girl scouts if you want to know what it was like :-) 

http://tinyurl.com/jj6qrsx

So, Lily had bought me a card and a lolly and some sweets with her pocket money.
I was really touched - especially when I read what she wrote in her card!
Crossword Guy aka Mr S also popped in. He had brought me a Good Luck card and some Swiss chocolates to  say thanks for all the crossword help over the years. He didn't think he could make the Tea Party on Thursday - as he has a busy week coming up.
The rest of the morning was really busy! I had to help a chap print out some insurance documents that were being difficult and not co-operating! Another man wanted to send a message to his daughter and grand-daughter in Dubai - via Facebook. Mr. M also came in to give me a photo that he took of me last week when I was sitting at the counter. It's great - I will add it to my amazing Silverdale Scrapbook.

So before I get too sad - here is the place I might apply to for a job after this week ;-)

Last Monday

Monday 21st March 2016

My very last Monday has arrived! It's a Coffee Tots day and the usual happy chaos reigns - along with singing and strawberries. It was sad to say goodbye to Jo and Trudie - who run the group.
Crossword Guy was in - but with no crossword!! He didn't come in last week because he thought I'd finished at the end of last month. I asked him where his list of questions was and he said he'd stopped buying the Sunday papers. How sad is that?? He did need me for something - photocopying!

Mr C was in to choose today's horses. He was very happy as one of his weekend choices had come in at 25-1. He was off to claim his winnings in no time. He'd  put 50p on - so was picking up over £16. Enough for a bottle of whisky :-)

My lunch was covered by the big boss from Newcastle - as Jayne was off sick. What she didn't realise was that J was also due to cover Knutton - so when she arrived to show some staff around there  ( as they may need to cover after 31st) she realised it wasn't actually open. Goodness knows how things will be after we all leave!

It was a pretty quiet afternoon - no book groups today. There was a lovely family in - parents and two boys who are being home schooled. They came to join last week and have been in most days since to use the computers. They seem to login to some subscription site and have to complete sections each day. The mum is good at keeping them focussed!

Caroline - the tutor of the Keele Poets at Silverdale - is doing something really sweet this week She is putting a photo on Facebook every day - to say thank-you for all the things we've done together since they've been at Silverdale. This is what she said today:

I'm going to miss them...

Give thanks for librarians and libraries while we can! On Thurs, Keele Poets at Silverdale will say goodbye to Berni Williams, our librarian extraordinaire at Silverdale Library, as she and numerous other staff depart after massive cuts across Staffordshire. I will be singing Berni's praises all week as part of a HUGE THANK YOU. We have had such fun running projects in the library over the past 5 years with you, Berni! The changes are heart-breaking...

She included this photo of their room waiting for them when they returned after the summer last year.

Saying goodbye...

Monday 14th March 2016

It was the final PEEPS session today - and the lady running it had more families than she expected I think the Health Visitors had been bigging up her course. There was quite a noisy session - one baby was taken home as he really didn't want to be there. He was very loud :-0



Busy at the counter

Mr. G was in - he is planning a holiday to Malta for next month and it isn't going smoothly! Each time he comes in to logon to check the details they have changed the flight or the time - or something else. He told me that he doesn't like just lying on a beach - so he's going to be exploring the back streets and hidden gems of Malta. I am the same - prefer a good city break to a beach holiday.
It sounds like it will be fun :-)

Mr. C was in studying form - he is really looking forward to the Cheltenham Festival which starts this week. I don't know much about it - so couldn't really offer any guidance. I used to listen to Radio 4 on the way in to work - and then pass on their racing tips as my own! He never took my advice - even when they occasionally came in first!

It was a gorgeous sunny Spring day. There was a coach setting off from the car park behind the library and as usual half the people getting on it decided they needed a visit to the loo. As the Public Toilets in Silverdale have been closed for ages - they came in to use my customer toilet. One after another, after another...

I discovered that they were off to Eastbourne - so I guess it's fair enough as that is quite a journey.
This afternoon I had my Book Group 2 in the meeting rooms. This is the one run by the local Health Centre - for people who've had life-changing injuries or illnesses. It is always well-attended. Today I had got them copies of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - but the lady who run it came back to the counter and told me they'd all read it before!



Personal Signed Copy

Luckily I had a back-up and swapped them for copies of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. They seem quite impressed by that one! I felt quite sad that it was the last book I would choose for them. Someone at Newcastle has been given the task of getting book sets for them in the future.

F came from Newcastle to cover my lunch. She had to come at 11am - as she had to cover Clayton and get her own lunch too at some point. She brought me a leaving card from C - who has covered a lot of lunches before now. It was sad to think that there are so many people to say goodbye to. Also, later Mrs B came in and waited while I came back from my lunch so that she could give me a card and chocolates. I really don't like this ...


My Blast from the Past is a photo of the copy of Tabby McTat that Julia Donaldson signed for N when she came to Silverdale. It has pride of place on our book shelves!







Finding the past...

Saturday 12th March 2016



Silverdale - the library and the book

Had a lovely Saturday morning. Lots of the regulars came in.

Nathan came with me to work today - as we are off to Yorkshire as soon as I finish at 1pm. He took some nice photos of my library - so I won't forget what it looked like. After today I only will work four and a half days. My time here is running out so fast!

Mr. C was in as usual. He was telling N about when he was a boy and lived in Grantham - in the next street to Mrs Thatcher's father's shop. He really enjoyed living there during the war as the place was full of Americans. He remembers so well the first time he saw sticks of gum when they gave him some.

French Visit :-)

I also opened the old lockers in the staffroom. I had no idea what was in them - but found old diaries going back years and old finance books and those quaint old floppy discs! I had a flip through some of the diaries - starting in 1992. In fact the Blast from the Past photo today is from that diary. It was quite sweet to see that the local primary school brought their visiting French guests to the library for an afternoon. I'm sue they would have been impressed!

Me at the counter - before opening time :-)

My Beautiful Library

Cutest card...

Friday 11th March 2016

Such a nice message

Thank-you Ffion!

I had the most beautiful leaving card from Ffion and her little brother Griff. They have been very regular customers for all their lives. Ffion told me she made the card herself and there was a chick on the back. She aid that  her mummy bought the present - some ginger body butter from the Body Shop. It was so lovely - it brought tears to my eyes. Oh dear - what will I be like on the last day? There was such a nice message inside. I love my customers!
The Knit and Natterers wanted me to take their photo this week - so I obliged. They seem to be going from strength to strength!

Another customer who shall be nameless covered my carpet in mud today! He runs a gardening business and he came in to print out his invoices. He does this most weeks - it's nice to think we are helping to keep a small business going :-) He did apologise about the muddy footprints - as he couldn't deny it was him since the they went from the front door to his seat at the computers! I told him not to worry as it would hoover up once they dried out!

My Blast from the Past is one of my favourite displays that I did for Family History Week - I just love the quote! :-)

Three weeks to go...

Thursday 10th March 2016



Last day!!

It really brought it home to me today that time is running out - as I as stamping books with the day of my departure. Noooooo!

Had a busy day - the poets were on good form. I could hear them reading out their poems with gusto! Also, the computers were busy. I had a chap come in with his son - he said they were new to Silverdale. I got them signed up and the while his boy was on the computers his dad was looking at the black and white photos around the wall of the library.

They are all on loan from the Borough Museum and are of Silverdale mine and the miners working there. My dad worked there for the last twelve months that it was open. My new customer was asking me where it was - I told him that it was now under the Country Park. He asked what kind of mine it was -so I told him -coal. He told me he as interested because he was from a town in Zambia where there was a copper mine. I showed him our local history section so he could find out more.

I also had Mrs D in - she was trying to renew her American passport online. She is from California. She likes it in Silverdale so much- she says she wouldn't go back! I told her I'd been to San Francisco last year and she told me she lived there for a year or so. Then she moved upstate to Gold Country - which was really out in the middle of nowhere. I asked if she saw a lot of wildlife and she said she used to have brown bears on her porch! Don't get that in Silverdale!

I was dreading the afternoon as our new Community Librarian was coming to hold a Finding Out session for prospective volunteers. I really didn't want to sit there and hear him telling people what wonderful opportunities and roles are available. It was as upsetting as I feared. Although only four people came - I didn't like to think they'll be replacing me. I needed a drink when I got home!!

Trying Monday...

Monday 7th March 2016

It has indeed been quite a trying day today. Mainly because of the new bus pass system that has been installed over the last 2 weeks. That means that no-one has been able to apply for or renew a bus pass all this time - so many have been eagerly awaiting the day that the new system was up and running. That was meant to be today.

I only realised on Friday that with Silverdale being a future "Community Managed Community Staffed"  library they didn't want me doing bus passes through the system for customers - and then lose this service when I am redundant at the end of the month. So, my customers have to do it themselves using the public access computers. Also the new requirement is to have the proof of ID documents photographed via a webcam. They won't give me a login and password so I can do it for them - as I'd been doing over the last few years..

Lavender-Scented heart

So, I don't think that many of my customers who come in to renew their bus passes have actually even touched a computer before. This would mean instead of me doing it at my PC, quickly and easily - I have to get them signed up for internet access, give them a PIN, show them how to login, show them how to find the bus pass link from the County Council website, then how to fill in all the boxes and plug in a webcam and photograph themselves and their documents!

There just won't be time when I have the counter to staff on my own.

In total I had seven people in during the morning - including one man who'd brought his elderly auntie in. Unfortunately there was no link from the council website - just a note saying it was unavailable. I tried ringing every number I have for Newcastle library - but no-one answered the phone. I eventually got someone in Cannock, who said that they'd not had the icon yet for the website so they couldn't put it on yet.

So, I had to send them all away. I don't like it when I can't help people. :-(

Had the Coffee Tots in today as usual it was a loud and lively session. Also, Crossword Guy came in but didn't need help with his crossword! I know - I was shocked too! What he did want was the lyrics to "Just a Song at Twilight" as it had been driving him mad trying to think of the beginning. I Googled it and printed him out the lyrics and he went off happy. The song is actually called "Love's Old Sweet Song"

I have been sent a form to fill in - asking for details of all the things that future volunteers will need to know about Silverdale - like where the light switches are and how you test the fire alarms. The final question was "Any Other useful information specific to your library - you can see what I wrote.
My heart Blast from the Past picture is a lavender pomander made for me by the local vicar's wife back in October 2014. :-)

Snowy Saturday

Saturday 5th March 2016

Before I even opened up today I had a visit from another member of staff - this time from  Clayton. Very nice lady but she wasn't sure how she was meant to cover Silverdale on Saturdays as she is only working 3 hours per week and it's open 4 hours. Still, I went through everything again- opening, closing, cashing up etc. etc. I have a feeling I'll be telling somebody this stuff every day until I leave!



I had an email asking staff to display the notice here. It's telling customers that pretty soon people from the community could be accessing their data that we hold on file for them. I guess library records do have a lot of sensitive data - with names, dates of birth, addresses mobile phone numbers. I think a few customers might be worried.

It was a pretty busy morning once my visitor had gone and the library was open. Mr C was picking his horses - but aid it wasn't a good day as due to the weather there were quite a few non-runners.

Amelia - one of the local councillors popped in to see the baby mats and 2 wooden changing tables that she'd ordered for use in the library. The Parish Council had agreed to pay for them. Then she rushed off in a hurry and told me they were easy to put together! I'm not sure when I'll get chance to do that! The Coffee Tots will need them on Monday.




My Blast from the Past is a photo I took a couple of years ago. I don't now what I was trying to get - but it made me laugh to see the customer behind the shelves and the face on the book. It's just perfect! I wish I could remember who it was now!

It's all Kicking off in Silverdale!

Friday 4th March 2016

It's been quite an interesting afternoon! To start with I had to get the room and the tea and biscuits ready for the Knit and Natter Group - and sure enough they were the first through the doors when I opened at 1pm.

Then I'd had an email from the boss at Newcastle saying that she would be visiting today to show the new Site Supervisor for Newcastle around the library. She needs to know how to open and close the place - as well as find out about the various tasks in the library from testing the water to preparing  the invoices for the room hires and washing all the towels.

The automatic door at Silverdale definitely has a mind of its own and can be very troublesome when it wants to be. In fact me and Tracy used to say it was possessed. I've got kind of used to its wicked ways - it can just open and close continuously for a whole morning, for example - if it sets its mind to it. I now have a straightened-out extra large paper clip which I insert into a particular hole if it doesn't behave :-)

The whole opening, shutting and alarm-setting  the library has traumatised many people - so I have tried to make it easier by writing out the procedure step-by-step. There are quite a lot of steps it must be said, involving as it does four different sized keys and a mysterious black fob - but if you follow them to the letter you are usually fine :-0

I think the alarm might be going off a few times in the first few weeks of my absence! 

While I was waiting for my visitors and in between customers I decided to weed the Mills and Boon I really have too many of them. I can't believe books with these kind of titles are still popular in this day and age! What would Emma Watson say? :-)

I was just about to wash up after the Knitting group when my boss arrived. It had been snowing for most of the afternoon - but it wasn't sticking - thank-goodness. The new supervisor was with her - and she will be responsible for timetabling her staff to cover Silverdale until we have lots of volunteers to run it.

Just as I was taking her through everything, suddenly there was a lot of loud shouting outside! We looked through the windows and saw two cars draw up and some young chaps running around. Then a police car - sirens blaring and blue lights flashing arrived at speed and screeched to a halt right outside. The  men were all talking at the officers at the same time and they all ran off to the Co-op right next-door. Then Coral, the library cleaner arrived and said there were some very agitated youths in the Parade and one  covered in blood. Some trying to calm others down. She was scared to come round to the library so her hubby drove her round.

My visitors looked a little shocked and nervous when they left shortly afterwards. When I left a few minutes later there was an ambulance there and a man being treated in the Co-op. I saw him being led into the ambulance as I drove away. No idea what had happened.

I know that Nathan worries about me working in Silverdale and thinks 'll be lucky to get away with my life at the end of the month, but I don't think it's too bad. Most people are so lovely although I have had a few scares while working there. The main problem came from just one customer - who was verbally abusive and somewhat unstable. The 8 months he was in prison for drug dealing were the most relaxed I'd ever felt there because I never had to think - I wonder if he will come in and ruin my day today. I knew I was safe! You do feel a little exposed working in a building that anyone can use - more so since Tracy left two years ago and I spend long periods working alone.

The scariest time was just after Christmas on a very dark morning when I opened up at 8.30am. There wasn't a soul about - as the kids were all on holiday so no parents taking them to school There was a chap stood outside the library as I arrived. He moved off while I unlocked and went in - but once inside he started to peer through the windows and follow me around as I got things up and running. I went into the back office where he couldn't see me and tried to call someone at Newcastle - but it was early and no-one answered. I did resolve to not unlock at 9am if he was still there - as he would be the only person in the building beside me. I was actually very scared. After a while I peered round the door and I couldn't see him at all. So, I did unlock the doors on time - but I was very nervous until some people I knew came in.

Just for me...

I did report this later to the bosses and asked for the CCTV to be put back. It had never worked since I had been there. They did actually send someone over to measure up for a new system - but when the quotes came they said it was too expensive and they'd look for another solution. That was the last I heard of it! Luckily, I never saw the chap again!

Oh dear - this has been quite serious hasn't it? I guess every job has it's downside. Anyway - back to the good stuff! My Blast from the Past is from when Simon Armitage visited Silverdale. After our session he did an event at Keele University - which I got tickets to. He is a great performer - and he signed my copy of his book afterwards  :-) I shall treasure it always!

World Book Day

Thursday 3rd March 2016

Eeek! I'm into my last month ever of working at Silverdale Library. This has been the best and nicest job I've ever had and I love coming in every day.

Nathan took me into work - as he needed the car today. He also brought his drone with him. I bought it for him a couple of Christmases ago but it hasn't had much use. Today he used it to take some video in the library. Obviously he did this before we opened - didn't want to be flying it into any customers and giving them a buzz cut! It worked really well and took quite a bit of video from above - I've not seen it from that angle before. Once he has edited some - I'll put a link on here so you can see it.  It looks brilliant!



Cute books for boys :-)

It was a really busy day today too. So many people in that I'd never seen before - many using the computers. Sometimes I get customers from further afield - like Newcastle - because we have a free car park in Silverdale - right by the library. No steps or stairs either :-)

Had a couple of problems to sort out - one uploading a CV to Universal Job match (a doddle!) and another who wanted to print out the application to become a cricket umpire. After many goes at pressing PRINT and nothing happening I realised that we needed to download the pdf before it would actually print out. That worked and the chap was very happy. He had got to the point of asking me if he could take a hammer to the PC - but luckily that wasn't necessary in the end.



Books for tough girls :-)

It was World Book Day today - and I had some free £1 book tokens to hand out to any kids that came in. However, as the banking needed doing and my lovely boss T came for the whole afternoon - I wasn't there for the end of the day. I don't see many kids in during the week. It's difficult with us closing at 4.30pm - as there is only the last hour or so when they can get in after school. I was looking forward to seeing some of them dressed up in literary costume.

Had lots of new kids books in too - I'm not sure I approve of the cute, fluffy, helpful animal books aimed at girls and the tough, scary monster-fighting books aimed at boys. I think I'll be encouraging them to take the opposite - would do both sexes some good!

Read the instructions!

Victory!

My Blast from the Past today comes from  last July and represents every summer when I've had to try and construct the Summer Reading Challenge dump bins all by myself! Tracy was so much better at them than me! They were a challenge - but I feel quite sad that I won't be doing it again this year :-(

I do like Mondays...

Monday 29th February 2016


It's Leap Day - and according to the internet we don't get paid for working an extra day!  As Feb is coming very rapidly to an end I thought I'd take a selfie at the counter. :-)

Lots happening today too. There was another PEEPS session - parenting classes run in conjunction with the local Children's Centre. That took place in the bigger of our meeting rooms. I could hear a few choruses of Row, Row, Row the Boat halfway through the morning.

The chap from Trinity came to check our fire alarms. As Premises Manager (Oh yes - I am more than just a qualified librarian!) I have to test the alarms and emergency lighting every week. I also have to check the water temperatures throughout the building for legionella once a month. These all have to be recorded in the Health and Safety Manuals.

Fire alarm testing

The Trinity chap has been coming here every sixth months for the last few years. He has special equipment to puff smoke at the alarms to see if they go off. I had to warn the customers to expect a very loud siren - but that they didn't have to run outside  this time.

He overheard me talking about my imminent redundancy to one of my customers and he interrupted to say that he was really sorry to hear that! He looked really upset! I was quite touched!

Crossword Guy aka Mr S was in too. He had quite a list for me today. Here we go:

1. An Olympic bronze winning German cyclist with the first name Judith

2. A member of the giraffe family with brown stripy legs - 5 letters

You are feeling sleepy...

3. The first name of weightlifter McKenzie - begins with P
4. The title of a Slayer Album - Hell .....
5. Another name for Perspex - begins with L
6. A type of popular cake Red ______

Answers below!
I knew a couple and checked out the others on the internet. He went off happy. Well, I say happy - he said he was off back to the washing up. He had been hoping that the doctor would say he couldn't do any more washing up! It's a hard life :-)

My Blast from the Past is a book we had in a little while ago. It caused quite a stir as it guarantees to get your kids to sleep. I had a look at it and I wasn't sure how it would work. It was quite complicated - as you had to emphasise some words and say other quietly and slowly. It made it quite difficult to read and the story didn't really flow. I'm not sure what little ones would think of it. It has to appeal to them if it is to become a bedtime favourite!


Answers: 1. Arndt 2. Okapi 3. Precious 4. Awaits 5. Lucite 5. Velvet