我在图书馆工作期间了解到的关于公众的事情：
Things I have learned about the general public whilst working at the library:
1. 大量 20 岁以下的人看不懂传统的钟表，因为他们在成长过程中只接触过数字时钟。
A huge number of people under 20 can’t read face clocks, having grown up with only digital one.
2. 很多人不知道 “图书馆”这个词怎么拼。这是我们的电子邮件地址，所以这个问题还挺大的。
Many people don’t know how to spell “library.” It’s in our email address. This causes problems.
3. 令人不安的是，很多年轻人并不知道图书馆的图书借阅工作是如何进行的。他们认为这需要花钱！教孩子们了解图书馆！
A disturbing number of young people don’t actually know how book-lending at the library works. They assume it costs money! Teach your children about libraries!
4. 在很多情况下，犯罪和惊悚片基本上是一回事。事实上，正因为如此，我们的图书才会成倍增加。
Crime and thriller are basically the same thing in many cases. In fact, we have doubles of books because of that.
5. 人们使用星号等隐藏代码来标记他们读过的书。请不要这样做！系统会告诉你是否已经借过某本书！请直接询问。
People use hidden codes like asterisks to mark which books they’ve read. Please don’t do that! The system will let you know if you’ve already borrowed something! Just ask.
6. 如果自动门坏了，人们会走进去，而不是阅读门前的标志。
If an automatic door breaks, people will walk into it instead of reading the sign at face height.
7. 图书馆是盲人和聋人的天赐之物，不仅仅是有声读物。他们可以来图书馆寻求帮助，填写表格和问路。
Libraries are a godsend for blind and deaf people and not just for audiobooks. They can come for help with filling out forms and getting directions.
8. 有些老人看书的速度惊人。他们值得敬畏和尊重。
Some elderly people go through books at a TERRIFYING rate. They are to be feared and respected.
9. 有些人非常惧怕电脑，他们会带着疑问来找你，如果你提出用电脑而不是用书查找，他们就会不高兴。
Some people are so afraid of computers that they will come to you with a query and then become upset if you offer to look it up on the computer instead of in a book.
10. 有些人从未使用过电话。尤其是老年妇女。她们的丈夫为她们打过电话。
Some people have never, ever used a telephone. Especially older women. Their husband did it for them.
11. DWP 欺压所有人，尤其是最弱势的群体，我还没见过哪个图书馆工作人员没有帮助过在图书馆苦苦挣扎的用户，为他们提供食物或电话，甚至在天气寒冷、没钱取暖的时候为他们端上一杯茶。
The DWP fuck over everyone but especially the most vulnerable and I haven’t met a single library worker who hasn’t helped struggling library users with food or phone calls or even a cup of tea when it’s cold and they can’t afford heating.
12. 就业中心经常欺骗人们，喜欢告诉他们可以在图书馆获得根本不存在的服务。我们将尽最大努力帮助您获得就业中心本应提供的服务。
The Jobcentre regularly lie to people and like to tell them they can get services at libraries that simply do not exist. We will try our very best to help you get what you should have been given at the Jobcentre.
13. 大多数银行都认为现在每个人都有电子邮件。事实上，有些人在没有电子邮件的情况下很难证明自己的存在。
Most banks assume that everyone has an email now. In fact, some people have trouble proving that they exist at all without one.
14. 图书馆的工作人员都是好人。我们做这个工作纯粹是出于热爱，这是我们必须要做的事。
Library folk are good folk. We do this because we are passionate about it. We have to be.
15. 图书馆不再安静。它们现在是社区中心。它们可能有安静的学习区域，但大多数图书馆都热闹非凡。儿童班、为痴呆症患者开设的歌唱和记忆小组、手工课和嘈杂的办公设备，别指望图书馆会安静。
Libraries aren’t quiet anymore. They’re community hubs now. They may have quiet study areas but most libraries are bustling with activity. Between kids’ classes, singing and memory groups for those with Dementia, craft sessions and noisy office equipment, don’t expect silence.
16. 图书馆仍然是唯一一个无需花钱就能在公共建筑中消磨时光的地方。在下雨的日子里，家长们来图书馆免费为孩子们提供娱乐。穷人来图书馆是为了找个温暖的地方坐坐。图书馆是避风港。
Libraries remain the only place where you can spend hours in a publicly-accessible building without being expected to spend money. Parents come to entertain their children for free on wet days. People in poverty come for a warm place to sit. Libraries are a haven.
17. 有些人一辈子只读两三个作家的书，但仍然可以做到每个月都有书读。
Some people will go their entire lives only reading 2-3 authors but still have enough material to read a book every month. (See also: Danielle Steel, James Patterson, Clive Cussler, etc.)
18. 图书馆的生死取决于柜台上的工作人员。你可以拥有世界上最好的资金、所有的书籍和技术，但只有当你的员工不遗余力地工作时，你才会有更多的读者。但有时即使这样也行不通，令人沮丧。
A library lives and dies by the staff on the counter. You can have the best funding, all of the books and tech in the world but you’ll only get footfall if your staff go above and beyond. Sometimes even that doesn’t work, though and it’s frustrating.
19. 我们能得到的资助资金取决于接待人数的多少。我见过员工因为失去了一个青年团体而痛哭流涕，因为那个团体去了一个拥有咖啡厅等更豪华设施的私人会堂。我们需要尽可能多的人流量。
We’re funded based on footfall. I’ve seen staff cry because we lost a youth group to a private hall that has fancier facilities like a cafe. We need all the footfall we can get.
20. 员工们撞得头破血流，他们自愿创建各种活动、课程和小组，却因为地方议会不了解社交媒体或想收费而被否决。我无论如何强调员工所做的无偿工作都不为过。
Staff are hitting their heads against walls volunteering to create events, classes and groups only to have them shot down because local councils don’t understand social media or want to charge for it. I can’t overemphasise just how much unpaid work staff do.
21. 大部分设施之所以能正常使用，是因为员工自掏腰包。我的经理在我们买不起复合机的时候买了一台新的。她给孩子们买填色材料。我们有时会自带文具。我们甚至连灯泡都是自己买的。
Most of the facilities are only working because staff pay out of pocket to get things working. My manager bought a new laminator when we couldn’t afford one. She buys in colouring materials for kids. We sometimes bring in our own stationery. We even but lightbulbs in.
22. 作家不喜欢去小图书馆，因为他们没有报酬。书店通常会付钱。
Authors don’t like to visit little libraries because they don’t get paid. Bookstores often pay.
23. “性感图书管理员 “这个特例实际上造成了很多伤害，导致了无数分不清色情和现实的男人的性侵犯事件。
The “sexy librarian” trope has actually done a LOT of harm and has caused countless incidences of sexual assault by men who can’t tell the difference between porn and reality.
24. 老太太让图书馆生意兴隆。阅读的老太太是最棒的。能告诉你哪一页的谋杀场景最恐怖的老太太是最棒的。
Old ladies keep libraries in business. Old ladies who read are the best. Old ladies who can tell you exactly which page features the most gruesome murder scene are the very best.
25. 图书馆工作人员总是想知道您对这本书的看法。我们想知道向别人推荐什么书！
Library staff ALWAYS want to know what you thought of the book. We want to know what to recommend to others!
26. 我不应该有最喜欢的图书馆用户，但我有： 我喜欢图书馆里的情侣，他们为彼此的阅读口味争吵不休，或者分享书籍，然后就主题争论不休。我还喜欢有特殊兴趣的自闭症儿童。我会爬过炙热的炭火，为你找来一本你感兴趣的关于特定类型火车的书，小朋友。我会听你详细讲述。我会尽量记住你下次来的时间。
I’m not supposed to have favourite library users but I do: I love library couples, who bicker over each others’ reading tastes or share books and then argue about the themes.
I also love the autistic kids with special interests. I will crawl over hot coals to get you a book about the specific type of train you are interested in, tiny child. I will listen to you tell me about it in great detail. I will try to remember for the next time you come in.
27. 对我来说，最美好的时刻莫过于当图书馆的读者从青少年读者升级到成人读者时，突然间整个图书馆都向他们开放了！他们可以阅读任何书籍！没有之一。
The single best moment, for me, is when a library user graduates from Young Adult to Adult and suddenly the entire library is open to them! They can read anything! No more
28. 最后，请记住这一点：图书馆工作人员可以克服很多困难，但如果你剥夺了我们的咖啡因，书神会帮助你的。你不会想知道会发生什么的。
And finally, because l’ve spammed you long enough and because my typos are mounting up, remember this: Library staff can overcome many challenges but Book Gods help you if you deprive us of caffeine, you don’t want to see what happens then.