Monday, May 4, 2009

I'm not cool enough for this club

Several months ago, I was perusing our local community newsletter and noticed an announcement for story time at the library (specifically for ages 6 months - 2 years old). Wanting to get out of the house and be more social, I thought this sounded like a great idea.
The first day of story time arrived and I made sure Peanut and I were out the door with ample time to spare. I went up to the children's section of the library and asked the librarian where the story time took place. She mentioned finding my name on a list. Uh...was I supposed to call ahead and reserve a spot? Yes.

When I returned home, I double-checked the announcement in the newsletter. Nowhere did it say to call ahead. I was baffled. This was a story time for a very specific age group on Monday mornings - you mean to tell me they have SO many people wanting to take part in this that they have to have reservations?!

Fast forward one month. The new newsletter arrives with the same information. I immediately picked up the phone and called the library.

Guess what? They didn't have any more spots. Completely full.

I hung up the phone, seriously ticked off. We just received the newsletter that day. This means for their list to fill up so quickly, the following had to happen:

1. People who have attended story time before get first priority
2. They were taking names down well before the newsletter published
3. It's a cover for a book-obsessed cult and I'm just not their type

The solution: Continue enjoying story time at home.

8 comments:

Melisa Wells said...

Are you kidding me??? I have never heard of that. (I believe you; I'm just saying I've never heard of a library that #1 takes reservations and #2 wouldn't go out of their way to get you in since you didn't know!)

Ridiculous. Well, just think of it this way: you're too cool for any of them. :)

Eternal Lizdom said...

True dat!

That sounds like a crazy system... the only thing I can think to ask would be if you can get on the next month's list... or you can act like it is their fault. Show up and when they ask about your name on a list, you tell them you called. Make it their fault!!

Call Me Cate said...

Story time at home sounds lovely. What a messed up system!

Jason said...

I'd much prefer story time at home. I'm not a very public type person...

Sandi said...

that is completely insane...and discouraging children from reading! I don't see how they can fill up story time. How utterly ridiculous, not to mention what is the point of advertising it at all?

Busy-Dad-E said...

Sounds like a librarian on a power trip.

Also sounds like it's time to "accidentally" misfile some children's books in the self-help section with a little note that says "for the people who run story hour."

You could start a story-hour of your own to compete with the library. If your friend who made peanut's 1st birthday cake made cupcakes, the library story hour would lose it's folllowing in no time.

Daddy Files said...

There is no way I'd stay home. I'd just plop my fat ass down with Will and let them kick me out if they wanted to. Then I'd make sure to go to the TV station and the newspaper to tell them a mother and a son were just kicked out of story time at the local library. That would make headlines EVERYWHERE.

Seriously, that's screwed up. Libraries are supposed to be places for EVERYONE to go to for free. I've never heard of a program turning people away like that.

Just Me said...

I would just sign up, go to the class and have a seat. What are they going to do, say you can't come and read with us? that would be a poster for illiteracy! LOL!

You belong! Go to the club!