h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Or why do all males who enter the librar think it'll be good fun to play with the library equipment?

Term has started again here and we have a record intake. The Learning Advisor left just before enrolment to start in a new job, so I'm back on my own again with on one to cover the library for me whilst I have lunched.

They're also short staffed in the main campus reception, but they have been sending someone over each day to sit at the main desk to stop the library being trashed, or any materials 'walking' out of the front door.

Anyhoo, up until today everyone who had been sent over had been female - they've been happy to log onto a computer, check their email and then settle down with a paper or journal to read.

Today they sent a male over - and a very nice chap he is to. However, within seconds of him ensconsing himself into my chair he is fiddling with the date stamp, testing the journal and reference stamps on scrap paper and playing 'shoot the passing student' with my laser gun.

What is is with males? The students are the same to given half a chance.

Ah, the laser gun. And why do they want to run their hands under it all the time? At least you aren't in a public library where small children run and crash and throw things around all the time.

Or shoot their friends foreheads?

No, there aren't any little brats running about which I'm very thankful for. This term is going to be hard enough as it is. Mind you I do get the odd bout of 'bumper car' type games being played with the IT room computer chairs. Apparently jousting isn't a sport that has completly died out in this country.

I have often thought that children's libraries should be in concrete bunkers about 100 feet below the surface - totally separate from adult services.

As a male, I'd like to speak up in defence of my poor abused half of the species, but anything I said would clearly be a lie, so I won't bother. I found that date stamps lost their fun value after a few days! When we have kids come in (chaperoning their mature student parents), they always always want us to scan them in and are very disappointed when they don't make the computer go 'ping'.