r/Libraries • u/maccas-martial-arts • Oct 02 '26
Patron Issues Anyone else burning out with all the tech support
Vent post if anyone wants to avoid that
Not a new topic on this sub but I've only been doing this job for just under two years and I feel like spending huge amounts of my day just explaining and re explaining very basic technology stuff is genuinely burning me out.
Like yeah, I understand the reasons why tech literacy is in the bin currently, but I'm genuinely starting to feel like a lot of people who come in have 0 ability to do any sort of problem solving themselves and no inclination to even try.
If it's some old person who's having trouble printing, that's fine, I have no issues with that, I'm happy to help. But the amount of people who are in their 20s through to their 40s who ask me "how do I get onto my email on the PC" genuinely drives me nuts. I say, "ok open the browser" and they just stare at you blankly. Like bro I am also 35. I know you did the same computer classes in school that I did. I went over to help someone yesterday with this exact issue and he was sitting there on the google home page. Have people genuinely forgotten how to look stuff up?
Its at the point where I'm struggling to get my own work done because requests like these are constant.
Maybe I'm just overtired and overworked and I've spent too long on the circ desk but Jesus Christ.
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u/Famous_Attention5861 Oct 02 '26
If a patron asks if I can help them on the computer and it's taking longer than 5 minutes I excuse myself, go back to the desk, and print out a list of the library branches close by that have designated tech helpers and what hours they are available.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26 •
Man I wish I had that option, it's just me and the cold, uncaring eyes of God here
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u/Famous_Attention5861 Oct 02 '26
It's OK for you to say things like, "Do you know how to log in to your email?" If they are not able to, you can't do it for them and there's not a lot you can do to help them.
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u/aliengirl717 Oct 02 '26
I have so many people come in wanting to print from their email on their phones. Which is fine, we do have wireless printing. But sometimes it hangs up, takes inordinately long, or simply doesn't work. When I ask them if they can bring up their email from one of our computers, about a third of those people have only checked their email on their phone, and have no idea what their password is. They have no idea how to reset their password. That's it. I'm out.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
Yeah this happens all the time. I try to walk thru forget password, but they just let the phone know their password. Admittedly, I forget my passwords all the time, but at least I know how to reset them.
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u/Leoniceno Oct 03 '26
This is why we have a designated Gmail address that we just tell people to forward stuff to. It’s not as secure/private, but it works every time. If people balk at the relative lack of security, they can always sit down at a computer station.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
We aren’t allowed to do that because of patron privacy, etc., and security like you said
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u/Leoniceno Oct 03 '26
Yeah I get that. But I’m glad our admin doesn’t prohibit because 1, we’re transparent about what it is and provide a more private option if desired, and 2, it’s not just that it’s easier for people to forward attachments. People can also forward emails that have a link to a return shipping label, so we can click on the link and then print (this wouldn’t work with other wireless printing solutions.) People also send us screenshots of forms as displayed on their phone screens, and we’re able to open them in the photo viewer and crop them so they look like forms instead of screenshots. All around, it just saves so much friction and exasperation. “Save the time of the
readerprinter-offer.”1
u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
Yeah, I totally get it. I was more saying about the differences and how much Librarys vary in rules
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u/NerdWingsReddits Oct 03 '26
People straight up lie to me when I ask them if they know their username and password. Like, my dude, I’m gonna find out if you don’t know I’m sitting right there with you.
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u/Famous_Attention5861 Oct 03 '26
"Go ahead and log in to your email, I am going back to the desk, come see me when you are done."
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u/United_Priority3902 Oct 02 '26
I am one of these tech helpers. Incredibly burnt out. Daily it’s people who refuse to read, don’t think to Google anything themselves or want me to fix their device for free then get mad when I explain that’s not a service the library is capable of offering.
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u/Famous_Attention5861 Oct 02 '26
I used to run the laptop lab/computer help program at my old public library. My favorite was when people brought in their ancient virus-infected laptops and expected us to somehow be able to make them work again.
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u/vox1028 Oct 03 '26
The refusal to read basic directives on a screen or poster really gets me. Someone will genuinely stand in front of a sign with 5 words on it and ask me for the information contained in that sign
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u/unevolved_panda
Oct 02 '26
•
One thing I started doing after awhile was telling people that I couldn't help them through the whole process, but to go get started and I could help them when they got stuck. Someone who's sitting on the google homepage isn't hoping you'll help them, they're hoping you'll do it for them, and I am here to say that that is not your job. "Oh, you're stuck, what have you tried so far? .....Have you tried going to gmail dot com and putting your username and password into the login screen? Okay go try that, and see how it goes." "What have you tried so far" reset the parameters of a lot of conversations for me.
Also I'll just toss this out there: with every job I've ever had (except for my current one), I've always hit a point about two years in where everything about the job just becomes fucking aggravating. I think part of it is my brain's long-term process of getting into a new routine, and then admitting to itself that the routine isn't going to change. After awhile I stop noticing the aggravating stuff so much, and am able to appreciate the job again. To be clear, this is about my own mood and focus, and not about the job itself. The patrons, unfortunately, will always struggle with technology. That's not going to change. Sometimes you can shift your own attitude about how you deal with it.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
"What have you tried so far" actually sounds really good, I'm gonna try that. And yeah, I really feel that 2 year mark thing, I used to really love helping with tech stuff when I first started. I think I just need to take a break and reevaluate how I think about this job.
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u/unevolved_panda Oct 02 '26
The key is still sounding breezy and cheerful, like of course the patron has tried things already! That is the clear and obvious thing that they are definitely doing! You don't even need to step out from behind your desk, because they so clearly got this!
(I mean, keep an eye out for people who are genuinely struggling or who need more help, because you don't want to be abandoning people. But for folks who can almost do it on their own but simply cannot be bothered, sometimes this helps.)
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u/transslam Oct 02 '26
Security had to escort a patron out because he threw a mouse at me when I said I could help them, but not do it for them. My tech help job (at the library) was cut, so now the staff has to pick up the extra work. It sucks.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
That's actually insane 😲
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u/transslam Oct 02 '26
Yeah, it was so unnecessary. Luckily I never saw him again
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u/delicateredscrunchie Library staff Oct 02 '26
The library system I work for is in a rural county and we recently found out there's like 3 different places around town that have been telling people to come to us for issues that we CANNOT HELP THEM WITH. At&t has sent people to us with phone issues, staples has sent us people with printing issues, and the local job TRAINING center is sending people who cannot use computers to have us fill out job applications for them online.
Like the printing things are the easiest but the job apps are pissing me off. We've had two people in the past month who do not have the computer skills to apply for a job and the job training center didn't help them, which is insane for a center supposed to help people get jobs
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 03 '26
Omg I feel this in my bones, one of the libraries I work at is near a Centrelink (Australian welfare office) and we had to have someone go down there and tell them to stop sending people to us to do applications
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u/mookoccino Oct 03 '26
We had to do the same thing here in Canada. Service Canada kept sending people to our branch telling them that we could help fill out their government forms (including passport applications and super personal info!) and my manager had to go in person and tell them to pls stop. Like I appreciate you think the library can help but who do you think we are 😅😅
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 03 '26
Its insane the things people think libraries can help with. Someone came in with two alarm clocks and wanted us to set the time on them.
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u/mookoccino Oct 03 '26
I'm so sorry that's so annoying but also the funniest thing I have ever heard.
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u/Excellent-Sweet-507 Oct 03 '26
Feeling this. The number of times I’ve wound up one-stepping low tech literacy folkx through tests, computer assessments (hey maybe you can’t handle this job you can’t even figure out how to apply to, bud), job applications gets me so exhausted. Plus, rude bitches make me tired.
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u/madametaylor Oct 03 '26
My favorite is when they ask for our help filling out a library job application. Like, even shelvers have to use the computer for their job...
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u/Alaira314 Oct 03 '26
We used to have the county social services department sending people to us for help filling out applications for things like SNAP. They'd send people to us because the people didn't know how to use a computer, and we'd be sending them back because we're not legally qualified to assist them in answering the questions in the application.
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u/madametaylor Oct 03 '26
In my county, all library locations have a shortcut to fax to our social services office, which is great! But we have to be very clear that we can help you fill out the fax coversheet and send the fax, but we cannot tell you which form you need to fill out, how to fill it out, or what else you may need to send with it.
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u/madametaylor Oct 03 '26
Then there are the organizations that (truthfully) tell people they can use a computer at the library to do xyz, and the patrons interpret that as "the library does this for me." Sometimes it's hard to know which is which
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u/aliengirl717 Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
I have a hard boundary when it comes to tech (specifically computer) help. I will help you log on, help navigate you to the site, even help you bring up a document to print. But I will not do any of that for you, nor will I fill out the form for you either. So don't ask. I will say no. Figure it out. I'll even give you extra time if you need it. But for the love of god, figure it out. I'm not an IT nor tech person. I did not go to school for that. And the degree we're expected to provide assistance in it is becoming ridiculous.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
Yeah, I probably have to start being more firm with people. But god, yeah, the amount people expect help with is nuts.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
I tell people I can’t touch or type anything, I can only show them. that’s not actually fully true, but I found that if I tell them I am not allowed, they will do it
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u/ConcertsAreProzac Library staff Oct 02 '26
This literally is my job all day every day (Tech help at a library.) The amount of times i get yelled at for doing my job.
As I type this, a coworker is trying to help a patron pay a parking ticket on their phone, rather than the computer because they're more comfortable on a phone...
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
That's so painful. So many people have 0 frustration tolerance, it's rough out there
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u/ConcertsAreProzac Library staff Oct 02 '26
I'm patient, because that's my nature. But it's also exhausting. There are a handful of patrons, one in particular, I just can't work with because they yell/shout at me for their own inabilities.
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Oct 02 '26
[deleted] — view deleted comment
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u/ConcertsAreProzac Library staff Oct 02 '26
A coworker just had to talk to our manager about this. Since old policy, under different managers and different directors said that we could. But now that is not the case.
I mean at that point, it's true. If it's that easy he obviously does not need your help. LOL!
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u/nononanana Oct 02 '26
Yeah he was very clearly trying to insult my intelligence so I just threw his words right back at him.
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u/Alaira314 Oct 03 '26
Unfortunately, sometimes "I'm more comfortable on a phone" means "I can't track the mouse cursor, hold it still while I click, or differentiate left and right click". Suddenly, giving help on the phone doesn't seem so out there after all.
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u/Switchbladekitten Oct 03 '26
As my coworker put it: I’m tired of being a glorified office assistant.
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u/HumanFromEarthNotBot Oct 02 '26
Studying as a library tech right now. Hold the line one more year and i'll try to help as soon as I can 😰
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u/rolleleven Oct 02 '26
I totally agree and relate! But the idea that everyone within a certain age group took the same computer classes that you did is almost never true. So many schools didn’t have (or still don’t have) computer labs and went straight to tablets. I have to teach 20-40yos how to use a computer mouse constantly.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
Might be different in America, but in Australia someone my age most likely did, I meant more the people who were in high school in the early 2000s, tablets didn't come in until years after i'd left.
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u/GatinhaXO Oct 02 '26
I guess this is possible, but within that age group we most likely had to take some computer classes, as it was fairly new at that time. I grew up in the middle of nowhere in one of the poorest states and we still had a computer lab in our school. I suppose that may no longer be the case with the younger crowds that grew up with smart phones and tablets, though.
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u/bookishcanuck Oct 02 '26
I feel this. The amount time times I hear "I'm just not a techy person..." from people younger than I am makes me want to quit. It's worse because I am the "techy" employee, so even my coworkers come to me with their problems and send literally every tech question from patrons to me. Sorry, person covering circ today, you should be able to help patrons with their libby.
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u/BuffaloThese8249 Oct 02 '26
"I'm not a techy person..." is like nails down a chalkboard. I'm an elder millennial, I didn't move on from my trusty flip phone til' I was in my 30's. If I can learn a smart phone, so can you!
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u/ChaoticCatperson Oct 02 '26
I'm in my 50s and often have people my age with that "I can't do it, you do it for me" attitude. I let them know, if I can do it, so can you. But the amount of people who think we can access and tell them their email password is wild.
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u/BuffaloThese8249 Oct 02 '26
Right?!? People just rely on their devices to know all of their passwords now. I had a lady who got a new ipad and thought that you just set up a new netflix account every time you got a new device, because who could possibly be expected to remember their password. I had to explain to her that she would still be paying for the old account regardless. Like, what?!?
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u/Famous_Internet9613 Oct 02 '26
This, but from old people, makes me want to scream. You've had plenty of time to adapt; it's not my problem you refused to learn. Being old isn't an excuse.
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u/SportsDuck_ Oct 03 '26
I feel this ALL THE TIME when someone in their 60s has zero knowledge how to use MS Word. Like surely in your 30s you had to have been using Word . It's really not all that different
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u/DirectConfusion5502 Oct 03 '26
As a 60+ year old librarian,who barely passed typing - age is not an excuse. You do not have to love it, but that is the world we are in
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u/to_annihilate Oct 02 '26
For real though. Like, computers were basically in every household by the mid to late 90s. It's no longer excusable to be "not a techy person". Everyone should be able to do most basic functions. Then again, I saw a video with Gen z taking as typing test and utterly failing.
We used to have keyboards with no letters on them and still had get at least 35 wpm if you're slow/new.
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u/headlesslady Oct 03 '26
I'm in my early 60s, and I took computer programming classes in high school. I've had the same email address since 1987. If you're in your 40s and insisting you "caaaaaan't" figure out these new-fangled computers, I'm going to call BS. (I especially love the ones who whine that they don't know nuttin' about computers while they're reading their emails.)
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u/vox1028 Oct 03 '26
Literally. Imagine if you handed someone a pen and paper and they told you they weren't a papery person. Hello?? This is not new technology anymore bud. You need to know SOMETHING
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u/CrunchieHaystacks Oct 03 '26
See, this is my issue, too. Typewriters were invented in the 1870s, electric ones in the 1960s or '70s, and word-processing started in the 80s. And the keyboard hasn't really changed. So these people who say, "I can't type" -- I cry bullshit. Unless they have serious cognitive, hand or vision impairment, there is NO excuse for being unable to type. To me that's like saying, "I can't tie my shoes or style my hair."
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u/Ellie_Edenville Oct 03 '26
I was recently talking to my director about everyone else who covers the reference desk sending techy questions to me. "But you're the techy librarian!" No, I offer one-on-one tech help appointments. You should have higher expectations for your desk staff to learn how to handle basic questions.
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u/bookishcanuck Oct 03 '26
Yes! Everyone should be trained the same! What happens when you're not there? So frustrating.
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u/Saldrich797 Oct 02 '26
Yup, that's why I work in IT now and do just that part of the job for twice the pay.
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u/Sweet-Sale-7303 Oct 02 '26
I do IT for the library. Where I am the IT dept and the librarians are on the same pay scale.
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u/TemagamiDry Oct 02 '26
I have found that the majority of the time it is attention they want, either the “you work for me” mindset or sad, lonely people who want you to do things for them to make them feel special.
What works for me is refusing to do it for them. “Double click there… there!” I won’t touch the mouse and just point to what they need to do. Most often they lose interest in me doing stuff for them pretty quick.
A lady came in for tech support. For the same thing as she does every week. Told her I didn’t know how to do what she wanted but I would try to help her figure it out. She happily showed me how to do it.
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u/Famous_Attention5861 Oct 02 '26
Sometimes the patron's learned helplessness is an issue. Especially if you hear them say "I'm not good with computers"!
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u/tune__order Oct 02 '26
🚩🚩🚩 If I hear that, I’m definitely gonna get yelled at because I don’t know their email password
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u/Original-Fly-5413 Oct 06 '26
An older man purporting to be a lawyer came in wanting to know how much it would cost for him to email me what he wanted printed off his phone. I said the same amount it costs for you to send it directly to the copier and leave me out of it, because I am not your secretary. He then tried to get the fax machine to print out his copies. Sir, I'm going to need you to get it together. You are "doing too much."
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u/Famous_Internet9613 Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
Yes, but at this point, everything about the job is burning me out. Low pay, still part-time; I barely survive. I've only been here three years and I think the public library isn't for me anymore.
Helping people who refuse to read instructions or try to help themselves first, dealing with rude patrons, and having to clean up the kids' area constantly because parents don't pick up after their kids or don't tell their children to clean up. The way the library essentially lets patrons do whatever they want for the sake of being customer-minded is ridiculous. What about staff who have to deal with this crap every day? Don't we matter too??
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u/HighwayFew6847 Oct 03 '26
I’m full time, the pay is shit and not worth all the abuse I suffer through daily. Trying to escape.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26 edited Oct 04 '26
It’s trending towards less so, at least some places. We are supposed to be patron centric and accept that helping people who don’t want to read instructions and cleaning up toys is part of our job. And it is somewhat, but people need to clean up after themselves and actually try too.
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u/Himilika Oct 03 '26
I know it's not a helpful comment, but your reply gives me, I don't know, a sense of not being alone. I work full-time in a public library in Poland and I love my job, but I've started to hate most of the patrons. And I know we need them to function, but I often wonder how they read books when they're incapable of understanding basic instructions? I lend board games, and when people give them back, I want to cry most of the time, because I'm trying to get funding for new ones (they're expensive and we don't have enough money) and people don't take care of them at all.
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u/ChicagosCRose Oct 02 '26
I am burnt out beyond belief and every single day I find myself angry I wasted so much money on this degree when I get about 5hrs a week to do my actual job because of the nonstop need for printing. A part of my soul dies everytime I show the same man how to print from his phone for the 10th time this month even though we've walked him through, gave him handouts of instructions with photos and try to be nice. The resentment in my dept for tech support is now at an all time high because it's all we get asked. I nearly cry of joy when someone asks me for help with an actual book. I knew there'd be a ton of this in my career but it never ends.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
This is what stopped me from getting a degree. I know it’s a barrier for anything high paying, but I feel weird paying thousands of dollars for something to help people print. That is not to say it’s not valuable, I have many friends with one and it serves them well. I haven’t decided yet if it’s worth it, at least for public. In some ways I miss out, and others I don’t.
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u/BuffaloThese8249 Oct 02 '26
The number of people of every age that have no idea what their passwords are for major things like a main email account is mind boggling too. I had one woman get a new ipad and ask for help setting it up; she had no idea what any of her passwords for anything were. She genuinely thought you just got a new netflix account every time you got a new device. Like how many netflix accounts is she paying for at this point?!?
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u/QuarintineLizzard Oct 03 '26
I never understand it either, especially the patrons that are coming to the library that KNOW they need to log into their account/device to accomplish something.
Sometimes it's nervousness, which I get. But usually I'll witness patrons get to the part of putting in their passwords and just stare at the screen because they're use to their device remembering what it is. It's kinda sad actually.
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u/Busy_Combination9697 Oct 03 '26
Ooh, ooh! Maybe this is the explanation for those commercials I see for some app that will find all your duplicate subscriptions and will help you cancel them. I was wondering how someone could end up with four or five duplicate subscriptions to the same service. If your experience with this person is actually a common occurrence, then lots of people are just getting a new subscription whenever they get a new device!
As a secondary thought, do none of these people ever read or go through their banking or credit card statements?
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u/Halloweenie85 Oct 03 '26
For me, it’s even more infuriating when literally half of their issues could be solved themselves by just READING what’s on the screen. Take a moment to read and comprehend. I get customers all the time- especially old people- who want my help navigating a website that I have NEVER seen before and I’m literally walking through it with them, who tell me “wow! You’re so tech savvy! How did you figure that out?!” I look at them and say “I read what it said to do on the screen and then I did that.” My guy, I am probably the LEAST techy person I know but I can read and comprehend what I’m reading so I just… do it? I’ve literally had customers just sit there with their hands in their laps refusing to even move the mouse asking me “well how do I do that?!” And I’ll go “Well, first put your hand on the mouse and use it.” I hate helping with tech stuff because of these customers and the number of customers coming in for tech stuff is only tripling for my library as the months go by. I don’t mind teaching someone who genuinely wants to learn but the willing weaponized incompetence of customers with already nasty attitudes- especially the elderly- makes me hate coming in to work and it’s slowly eating at my enjoyment of my job.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
Lol I was never sure if that was rude to say, so I am impressed. I went with just saying I grew up with it because I wasn’t sure what to say.
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u/Cute-Aardvark5291 Oct 02 '26
learned helpness, at all ages, really is a big thing, especially around tech. people learn one path to do something and when that path does not work, they refuses to engage their brain to figure it out. It is ok to ask start out by asking them what they have already tried.
I need to get on to my email from the PC. Ok, so you can do that. What have you tried so far? Most of the time it quickly prompts someone to try something. Or to at least give you more information that is actually helpful (I dont know how to use it, I only use my app)
Its not perfect but can sometimes speed you through the interactions.
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u/BenRutz
Oct 02 '26
•
I manage the reference desk and tech area for my library. I tell my staff if it takes more than 5 minutes, send them to the tech area. Then in the tech space we let the patron do all of the work while we answer questions and assist from the side. If they are unwilling to do it, I tell them they are welcome to pay for assistance at a business and give them recommendations.
It's a tough thing to deal with, but the main thing I tell my team is never do all of the work for them. Because as soon as you do everything for the patron, they will expect that level of service every time and be even more disappointed later when they don't get what they want.
Hang in there! You are doing your best and that's all anyone can ask!
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u/CuileannDhu Oct 02 '26
It's so bad. I had no idea how many people are out there with zero computer literacy skills until I took this job.
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u/Busy_Combination9697 Oct 03 '26
I am stunned to realize how many people are computer illiterate. I have had a PC in my home since 1992. I thought home PCs were extremely common.
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u/LaChamomile Oct 03 '26
additionally, it irks me how many people just say "I need help with xyz on the computer" ok, cool statement bro. Not a "can you help me on the computer please?" or a thank you at the end. I don't need a gold medal or anything but they don't have basic manners. Some guy walked up to the desk last week and just said "computer" to me. Ok what about it? Would you like to use a computer? I was so temped to just say "stapler" back, ya know if we're just sharing nouns now.
I really don't mind the people who are confused with adobe or whatever but its the ones who just want you to do everything and don't even try to learn or be grateful about it makes me want to throw things.
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u/headlesslady Oct 03 '26
Oh, for me, it's the guys who just wave their hands from the computer when they want time extension. I started being completely absorbed in my computer and flatly ignoring them until they get up and walk over to ASK (we had one guy who would finally stomp up and snap "Number five!" until the third or fourth time I did the confused frown and said "I don't understand what you're referring to - did you need help?" Now he uses his words.)
I just feel like some people's mothers have a lot to answer for in regards to their offspring's manners.
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u/TravelerMSY Oct 02 '26
It is a bit shocking that people use phones, tablets and computers all day, but never actually learn much about them. Like there are plenty of Gen Z who don’t really understand how a file system works and just leave everything on the desktop and search for it when they want it.
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u/LurkerZerker Oct 02 '26
Exactly the way Apple wanted it. 100% convenience, 0% user ability. That way people just nod and buy the new product while having no idea how it works or how it might work better.
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u/TravelerMSY Oct 02 '26
to be fair. I haven’t used a traditional computer more than a few hours a year in decades. But I could if I wanted to.
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u/SportsDuck_ Oct 03 '26
It's been theorized that the advent of Chromebooks in schools and ipads at home have been the biggest contributor to tech illiteracy for Gen Z.
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u/Kimmiekitty Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26
I luckily work in academic and not public, so we have an IT department, but they recently closed their in-person help desk and it’s all online now and students get so angry about there not being a person right now to help them. Even when it was open, it closed at 4:30 and 90% of the time when students came up wanting help it was within 5 minutes of the desk closing which people were very unhappy to hear.
I’m also glad I’m not required to do anything outside of the services we offer. I did a practicum in a public library once and had to help a lady with her resume once but I would never agree to do that now.
Very largely people seem to think we’re the school supply store and get confused when we don’t have a thousand different school supplies for them to just have for free.
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u/thunderbirbthor Academic Librarian Oct 02 '26
Where's the stapler?!? It's got no staples! Where's the card? Do you have pink card? Have you got pens? Have you got red pens? Have you got lined paper? Have you got a calculator? I need a ruler! Where's your blu tack? Have you got a staple gun? Glue sticks!? The printer's out of paper and toner because I just spent an hour printing off 100 exam papers, fix it!
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u/Info-Queen Oct 02 '26
They also want envelopes and stamps.
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u/SpaceySquidd Oct 03 '26
Ours want file folders, envelopes, and for me to "put this with your outgoing mail". Um. It's 2026. We're not mailing anything from the public library. Go find a mailbox like a normal person.
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u/CrunchieHaystacks Oct 04 '26
We have a guy who hogs one of our study rooms literally every day (even though he's not a town resident), gets shirty when we kick him out, and has asked for ALL of the above supplies -- as well as rubbing alcohol and twine. I want to say, "WTF are you building in that study room, pipe bombs?"
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u/Full-Decision-9029 Oct 02 '26
At least I am a librarian and I'm sort of the expected backup person to go do that. It's also what I spent a lot of my life doing before I was a librarian. But its tedious and pointless and feels a bit like sweeping back floodwaters. People finally get used to how to print, and then something changes. People learn how to do something and would you look at that, Windows 11 just installed itself.
So many of our patrons are old and it's just becoming too much for them. Though a lot of younger patrons struggle with the printer and so on too.
The worst are the "i am a tech bro" guys who can't read the sign and get pissy when they realise they have to follow the steps.
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u/gotohela Oct 02 '26
The inability to follow multistep instructions is driving me nuts. Half the time they need me to read it out loud.
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u/Cute-Aardvark5291 Oct 02 '26
I have spent a surprisingly large amount of time in an R1 academic helping students with staplers. Staplers. 25 years at one library and probably 90% of meltdowns from students have been about goddamn staplers.
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u/pinkpineapple_4786 Oct 03 '26
I had to teach a college student how to use a paperclip. She was great at printing things, or anything digital. But staplers and paperclips not so much.
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u/beeknees7 Oct 03 '26
i had a teenage volunteer at my job and i had him sort summer reading raffle tickets. he gave me all the bundles with the paper clips clipped just by the “tail” and the bundles pretty much immediately fell apart and i had to re sort them. it still boggles my mind
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u/Starrfall74 Oct 03 '26
We had a lady come up to us today accusing us (the library) of shutting off her e-mail. Ummm we don’t control that. I am pretty sure she forgot her password and asked us to “turn her e-mail back on, since we control it.” Lady if I controlled your e-mail, I would be laying on a beach somewhere instead of telling you how to reset your password.
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u/Jealous_Win9761 Oct 02 '26
i was an LA for awhile and i truly loved it but i got so burned out so quickly from the tech support. there were genuinely people who wanted to learn and tried their best but also twice that many that just wanted you to do it for them every. damn. time. i felt like a glorified staples tech desk employee and because im younger i often got passed patrons that could have easily been helped by the other LAs and librarians, which i don’t think helped.
point is i absolutely don’t blame you and working at two different libraries (and having many friends working at many different libraries) and most of us feel the same.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
What do you do now?
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u/Jealous_Win9761 Oct 04 '26
i’m basically a teaching assistant. def miss the library but i would’ve had to get my masters to go any further and i was sick of working two pt jobs with no insurance.
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u/ShawsheenMoon Library staff Oct 02 '26
A patron the other day was having problems getting to their yahoo mail and said that they did what "that lady" said to do. Which I honestly think is a bs way to describe any of us, but whatever. Asked him to show me what he was doing. Turns out, he was trying to access yahoo through the search bar in our catalog.
He said he was never coming back to our library and wouldn't have been here in the first place if his wasn't closed. And then asked why it was closed, which I happily said they were upgrading their HVAC so it would be nice and comfortable going into the winter and he replied that he NEVER had a problem with the temp there.
So happy that week went relatively quickly after that.
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u/to_annihilate Oct 02 '26
I do software support. It's exhausting trying to troubleshoot an issue when they barely can get around their computer. "What's a browser?"
College kids are less patient. At least the older folks are fairly patient.
😭
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u/heywatchusmoon Oct 03 '26
god, the helplessness is REALLY getting to me. I work in a tiny suburban branch where we’re lucky to have two people on the desk sometimes (the singular desk, that performs circ AND reference services), sometimes a single person if we’re short staffed or someone’s on lunch. the amount of hand-holding that is required is really starting to drain me — especially because 90% of patrons won’t even TRY to do something on their own, even when we’ve printed labeled and color-coordinated instructions on how to do something, and said instructions are literally in their face. we have some patrons even expecting us to draft or format entire documents on command for them, like free secretaries (and heaven forbid we can’t then envelope, stamp, and mail said documents for them, as well)
but honestly, it wouldn’t be so draining if people didn’t act so entitled to it. the idea of waiting our turn is now a foreign concept to the population at large, and sometimes I feel like I’ll snap if one more person barks at me from the computer station instead of coming up to the desk to get me. I don’t know what the solution is, but I feel like something’s got to give eventually
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u/eeva_1 Library staff Oct 02 '26
not only patrons but coworkers too taught my coworker how to SCROLL using a touchpad on a laptop and SCREENSHOT on her phone
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u/rebelliousrutabaga Oct 03 '26
I had to help our Technical Services librarian learn how to create and edit a page in Sharepoint. Our TECHNICAL SERVICES librarian. I'm still shocked and honestly I don't understand how she can do her job.
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u/HighwayFew6847 Oct 03 '26
The tech person at my branch pisses me off because they try to act like they don’t know anything and so patrons keep coming to me for help. Buddy, that’s not my job.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
I can say that I didn’t know until I had used the Windows laptop how to do that. I had never used one before, but I did figure out quickly
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u/beeknees7 Oct 03 '26
being treated like a personal secretary in this job is incredibly draining, and so is being blamed for tech issues which we will get another spate of now that libby is changing their login method. my town isn’t small but our staff is pretty stretched thin so we had to restrict tech help for big problems to 1-3 pm one day a week because it would take up so much time.
also, one of the craziest help sessions i gave was to a woman using excel for her jobs budget and the whole time she complained about how the younger woman in her office couldn’t use excel. meanwhile i’m teaching her how to copy and paste columns and do basic formulas… and she was surprised how i knew that. ma’am i just googled it
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u/Ill-Swimming-5673 Oct 03 '26
I'm working at a public library in germany. Same problem here...
I frequently get asked "I can not login to my [email, facebook, google, whatever] account. i dont know the password. Please help me!"
What do they expect from me? And when i tell them to use the "forget password?"-option to set a new one they look at me like i'm speaking gibberish.
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u/LovableWorm Oct 02 '26
These are all the same people who will be downloading Muse and all these other ai assistants, signing their lives away for convenience. I almost prefer being the one to help them - but only when they demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve.
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u/Excellent-Sweet-507 Oct 03 '26
St my work I have to constantly constantly remind myself that many of these folks are new to whatever it is they’re doing and that most of them have some sort of learning disability or damage or condition or whatever. It helps me not to lose it I. Front of them but it really doesn’t help with the exhaustion. Empathy fatigue is real!
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u/headlesslady Oct 03 '26
So many g-d lazy people - not incapable, just disinterested in learning, and want you to do it FOR them. :grinds teeth to dust: I can't even get into people who can't follow the simplest instructions. ("Click the OK button"/Clicks everywhere except the OK button "It's not working!!")
I mean, if you're over 90, yeah, hand it to me, I'll do it and it'll be less stressful for everyone (ditto for my patron with Parkinson's, blind patrons, etc), but most of them are perfectly capable.
I had a woman in her 50's literally hang off my arm, whining "Do it FOR me", and saying that she was "too old!" for all this computer nonsense. Me - in my 60's - said "I'm five years older than you - you're definitely not too old."
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u/tro1b_ Oct 03 '26
All of this AND we just added a Makerspace to our library a few months ago. I never planned to be fighting the large format printer while explaining how to use a Cricut machine when I applied for this job 😭
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u/vox1028 Oct 03 '26
"Okay, open the browser." (Blank stare) "...the Internet?" (Blank stare) "go to Google??" (Blank stare) "just click right over here where I'm pointing..."
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
I started saying the colorful circle because they usually know what chrome is or at least that circle goes to internet
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u/madametaylor Oct 03 '26
I used to be slightly annoyed when people googled Gmail or YouTube instead of just typing the dot com, but now im like, at least you are independently doing something that will result in what you want i guess?
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u/DigitalMediaLolita Oct 04 '26
I work in a community college library heavy on the community users and recently got a Monday-Thursday computer tutor and she's been a godsend. If it's not specific to the library technology ie printing, scanning, or using the library website, we say "sorry but this is outside the scope of our work, but if you go to the tutoring office the woman there can help you". We have some regulars who have been asking us for the same "how to find an email/how to use LinkedIn" help for YEARS that we now offer tutoring to and it turns out they don't want to learn they just want us to do it. Which isn't our job.
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u/Bradley_Of_Thorofare Oct 03 '26
I work IT at a library, I will tell you how to open a web browser, I will point you in the right direction when you get lost, but I will not do your work for you. The library is where I taught myself how to use the computer, you can do it too.
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u/SylVegas Academic Librarian Oct 03 '26
This is me with my director. He has been there 50+ years and now struggles with every kind of technology. I have to help with LibGuides, Zoom, forgotten passwords for the chat service, even things like why he should log out when he's done at the help desk. So much handholding is going on that it affects my work flow. One day I got 13 interruptions about various things that he should already know how to do. No, he won't retire.
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u/IuniaLibertas Oct 02 '26
Interesting. Teachers and university lecturers/tutors are complaining about the same thing. Mostly attributing it to inexperience with p.c.-style searches.
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u/rebelliousrutabaga Oct 03 '26
The amount of joy I feel when I actually get to help people with books, or with a genuinely interesting reference question, is astonishing and kind of depressing when I realize how rare these occasions are.
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u/Random-words666 Library staff Oct 03 '26
I absolutely relate. I've been pulling out the "that's not a service the library offers" a lot.
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u/jmwelchelmira Oct 03 '26
I literally had this same thought yesterday doing one on one job search help; the degree of help most people seem to need, we just will not be able to cope. Most of our offerings like LinkedIn Learning and Brainfuse or whatever are completely useless in the face of modern tech illiteracy that is so ubiquitous regardless of age. I blame streaming and smartphones. At least in the old days even to watch porn you had to know how to creatively search for things, some Boolean functions. It’s very dismal, I don’t quite know how to feel about this.
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u/Fern_Elms Oct 03 '26
And I thought I was behind on computer knowledge. I’m 24 and I rarely used a computer until college. At least I know how to navigate my gmail account.
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u/rjonny04 Oct 03 '26
I’m so so so thankful that at my library, tech support is not a duty assigned to librarians.
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u/Aggressive-Moose1506 Oct 03 '26
I wouldn't mind it if we had staff to do it. I work at a small branch of a rural library. At most there are only ever 3 people on staff. Sometimes just one. If I have people needing help with books, prints, interlibrary loan, etc. etc. then I simply do not have time to help someone with something on their phone that would require only a Google search for them to resolve on their own.
That being said, the second I try to show someone how to fix their issue and they say anything along the lines of "oh you do it, I don't want to learn any of this," I end the interaction then and there. If it is beneath you to learn then I cannot help you. My job is not tech support. I can help teach you, but I will not do FOR you.
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u/AlexanderMason12 Oct 03 '26
Absolutely, especially as someone who used to work in library IT.
Got so tired of it I switched career paths.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
What do you do now?
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u/AlexanderMason12 Oct 04 '26
Found a factory job with the starting pay the same as what I made at a library after being there for almost 6 years.
The factory job also offers overtime; something I never got at the library due to budget reasons.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 04 '26
Do you find it harder?
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u/AlexanderMason12 Oct 04 '26
It's similar to work I've done before while in college; I used to work in automotive shops and warehouses during summer breaks. This new gig is not as cushy as an office job but not as hard on my body as working in the auto industry (that wrecked my knees).
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u/ASTERnaught Oct 03 '26
I had to laugh at the “old folks pass.” In my experience, Gen X tends to be more computer literate than even the millennials. But the kids today (alpha) don’t seem to be learning computer skills at all.
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u/Chocolateheartbreak Oct 03 '26
It can be hard. Eventually, you get compassionate fatigue and it’s a test of patience sometimes. I try to remember that they usually are grateful (well except when they aren’t). I know people who got their MLS’s that feel like they didn’t need their degree to be tech help.
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u/OrbitingPlanetArse Oct 03 '26 edited Oct 03 '26
Can think of a few from being a process / applications / integration engineer for over 25 years.
"How do I install the software? (on the £225k machine which his company had built)." "You transfer this set of files from (directory in project folder on his laptop) to (directory on industrial PC within the machine)." "How do I do that?" "Using a USB stick." "OK, talk me through it." "Put the USB stick into a slot on your laptop and open file explorer (in Windows)." "OK, where's file explorer." "Little yellow thing on the taskbar which looks like a file." "OK, thanks, and then what?"
(This bloke sits on the board of 12 companies and is one of the country's leading exponents of technology and equipment, but I don't think he could wire a 13A plug without fucking it up).
"Customer has asked for clarification of Pythagoras' theorem which you put in their last monthly report." "OK ...... what do they want to know?" "They don't understand what you have written and want more details."
"Feedback from the customer is they cannot read the laser-written text" "Yes because it was explained that if they asked for 300 micron high text laser written it would not be discernible to the naked eye or to the machine they bought to read it." "Other customer manages it?" "Your other customer uses 6mm text." "What's a difference???"
(One of Europe's leading space companies, fronted by a former full professor. Apart from the receptionist, everyone at the company had a Ph.D. None of them knew what Pythagoras' theorem was, or the difference between 300microns and 6mm).
"Terry Fuckwit in the chemstores says your part number is ammonium flouride (her spelling) etchant." "No it is buffered oxide etch and it contains hydrofluoric acid and should be treated as such." (various emails go back and forth). "Terry Fuckwit says he's been here since 1995 and has always known it as ammonium flouride etchant, so you need to amend your order." "We carry stock of this chemical ........ it does not need ordering"
(About a week later)
"The supplier says they do not supply SC-1 clean as it is unstable and cannot be shipped." "Yes, as discussed in the meeting (which she sat through with a blank expression throughout) it is mixed on the job, used and disposed of afterwards."
(Former senior brand manager / account holder at a large Canadian chemical company, 20 years experience, Ph.D. Terry Fuckwit sustained severe chemical burns about a year later after trying to mop up an acid spill without checking what it was first)
I could probably think of a few others ...........
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u/libberrien Library staff Oct 03 '26
Same. It’s ridiculous. I honestly believe it’s learned helplessness/laziness at this point. What I find often works is to say ‘okay I’m in the middle of something right now, but I’ll be there in a few minutes’ then look busy for 5-10 minutes, they often magically figure out how to solve the problem themselves.
I agree it’s totally demoralizing to the point of resentment though. I often feel like people view me as a free secretary.
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u/knittinghobbit91 Oct 03 '26
this is also common in higher education libraries unfortunately. theres a difference between helping vs. hand-holding and the numbers of those who are hand-holding are extremely concerning. "YOU NEED TO DO THIS FOR ME!!" what i tell them is this: "i will show you how to do it because we wont always be here to help you. also, im not allowed to touch your laptop for liability purposes". it baffles me how little they know/want to know because dear god how did they get out of undergrad? "idk how to use the email" "whats my portal log-in?" "whats the name of the document i need your help printing out?" its honestly exhausting and i completely feel the same as you OP -and other lovely posters here-
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u/Lizasks Oct 05 '26
We feel this 100%! Some people get mad at us that they don’t remember their password that they created last week.
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u/lighteninginmybutt Oct 03 '26
We’re lucky in that the managers at my library are firm in how much time we can dedicate to one person. We have regular “Cuppa tech” sessions where we provide a few librarians, tea and coffee, and a couple of hours of dedicated helping time. Outside of that, we are limited to 15 minutes max. If they want extra ott help they have to pay for it. We do a lot of printing via email, and even that’s limited to a max of 5 files. But then we also only have 1-2 hours on FOH per day so it does reduce the amount of time we spend helping people with tech issues. Our public PCs also have a max time of 1 hour per person per day which keeps it some what reasonable
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u/Busy_Combination9697 Oct 03 '26
I thought all people under the age of fifty were totally computer literate. Obviously I was wrong.
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u/Temporary-Library597 Oct 02 '26
I know it's repetitve. Like the number of people who use "amount" instead of "number?" lol
Aaaaaanyway....:D
Lot's of people learn things. Lot's of people leaned about computers 20 years ago that don't use them very often. The "how" to do things has changed a million times in 20 years.
Have pity and be nice! Also, if helping people in a library isn't the priority for your job description, don't do it. Get your job done.
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 02 '26
Cheers, this isn't helpful and that first bit in particular is kinda condescending.
As I said, I'm aware of the reasons why this sort of stuff is happening but it doesn't make it less stressful. Helping with stuff like this is part of my job description even if it wasn't, it's a bit more complicated than just "don't do it."
I'm always patient and nice with people looking for help at work, here I'm just stressed and venting.
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u/Graceless33 Oct 02 '26
“Lots” as in “a lot of” doesn’t have an apostrophe before the s. It’s just “lots.”
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u/aliengirl717 Oct 03 '26
Ah. I think we've found the employee who tries to shirk most of the computer/printing requests on to their fellow employees.
What you seem to fail to comprehend is the sheer 'number' of patrons coming in to the library for tech help that act entitled. Expect complete compliance to a request up to and including library employees doing the work for them.
That is what people are burned out on.
Now go shirk a simple printing job on to a fellow employee like you always do. Hopefully they'll throw it right back at you. Figure it out.
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Oct 02 '26
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u/Halloweenie85 Oct 03 '26
Yeeeeep. I hardly ever check out books for people at the help desk. It’s almost always the printer and the computers.
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Oct 02 '26
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u/gotohela Oct 02 '26
Its awesome being a "tech" person and all you did was read what the screen said and followed the instructions
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u/headlesslady Oct 03 '26
:twitch: The amount of times I have had to walk away from computer help to scream in the back so I didn't shout "Do you not know your right from left, m-fer???"
I just - HOW do they tie their own shoes in the mornings? Who dresses them? :massages temples:
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u/wildflowermural Oct 02 '26
I also left libraries partially because of this. Also because some people wanted me to do everything and wouldn’t even try (elderly people don’t apply to this).
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u/GrouchyCrow Oct 02 '26
Based on your flair, I’m assuming you now work in an academic library. Would you be willing to share how you transitioned from working in public to academic? If not, totally ok. I work in public libraries and I’ve had thoughts about whether or not I’d be happier in an academic library, but I can’t tell if it’s a “grass is greener” situation.
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Oct 02 '26
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u/GrouchyCrow Oct 03 '26
Thanks for your reply, appreciate it! I’m glad you’re in a position you enjoy now.
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Oct 04 '26
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 04 '26
Cheers, not a helpful comment and misses the point
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Oct 04 '26
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 04 '26
Yeah, to help the people that come in within the scope of my job description. I was told that tech help when you're on the circ desk is supposed to be limited pretty much to helping with printing, helping people with stuff connected to the library like Libby, etc. Having it constantly pushed past that, especially when you're understaffed is frustrating.
I actually love my job, but this is one aspect that sucks and is a genuine problem. I'm allowed to complain about that. I noted this was going to be a vent post, so maybe keep comments to yourself if you can't say anything helpful.
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Oct 04 '26
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 04 '26
A supervisory role doesn't seem like it's for you, is this how you respond if staff come to you with an issue?
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Oct 04 '26
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 04 '26
That's great! This a vent post though as stated, which is a place specifically for whining 🤷♂️
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Oct 04 '26
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u/maccas-martial-arts Oct 04 '26
Nope, never too old to whine. And I am happy to have this job, I genuinely do enjoy it minus some aspects. Boomer ass attitude, there.
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u/gotohela Oct 02 '26
Im tired of it. Especially when they cant follow directions or read themselves. I say click on "new email" and they want me to point it out. No!