The Library Manager Files
File #1: The Case of the Clogged Pipes
📁 File #1
Case Name: The Case of the Clogged Pipes
Location: Public Library
Status: Closed ✔️
When I accepted my first library manager position, I imagined spending my first few weeks getting to know my staff, meeting community members, and planning exciting programs for the library.
Reality had other plans for me.
Right at the end of my first week I get a frantic report from the staff that water is rising up outside of the children's area and it looks like it's dirty water coming up from the pipes. The restrooms had backed up, the area outside of the children's area was flooding quickly and it became clear to me that I was going to have to start thinking fast on what to do. To make matters even more interesting, the library is an older building with aging and angry pipes, so the combination of eons-old plumbing and something else very unexpected backing up the lines created quite a memorable introduction to library management for me.
Ok, so first things first. What should you do when an event like this occurs? Glad you asked
1. Stay calm
2. Contact the public works and library administration
3. Alert patrons that the library may need to close due to an emergency
4. Wait to hear what the issue is and if you need to close
5. Close the library if needed, but make sure you have your upper management's approval first
6. Put up closed signs and assist staff in either finding another branch to work at or taking time off
In case this ever happens to you (and I sincerely hope it doesn't), here's what I learned.
I knew I couldn't fix the plumbing. What I did know is that I could do was stay calm, communicate with my staff, keep patrons informed, work with our facilities team, and make the best decisions I could while everyone worked together to solve the problem.
Needless to say, this wasn't something they covered in library school.
I remember standing there thinking, "Well...this certainly isn't how I imagined my first week as a manager would be."
That week was really a good experience for me. I realized as the manager, my job was to communicate with the city and our admin office staff, support our patrons as we ended up having to close the library, put up a sorry we're closed for the day sign as quickly as possible, and to keep moving everyone through the situation as calmly as possible.
Over the years, there would be many more unexpected moments that would definitely outshine this plumbing fiasco. I've never forgotten that first lesson because it gave me a glimpse of the skills I needed to handle a busy public library.
All in all, working in a public library you'll most likely
Have some days you'll recommend a wonderful book.
Have some days you'll help someone find life-changing information.
And have some days...
After the facilities crew investigated, they found the culprit.
A pair of PANTS had clogged the pipes.
Yes...an actual pair of pants was flushed down one of the toilets and clogged the pipes and that made it burst and overflow!
The universe was probably laughing saying welcome to managing a public library!
I do have a few extra notes to share with you:
Manager's Notes
- Public libraries are wonderfully unpredictable.
- You don't have to know how to solve every problem yourself.
- Stay calm, communicate clearly, and trust the people who know what to do.
- Sometimes the most unexpected days become the ones that teach you the most.
📁 Filed Under: Crisis Management, New Managers, & Lessons Learned
Tune in next week to hear about the Case of the Mysterious Black Goo
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