So, I've decided to try a new shooshing technique.

Silencing by humiliation.

Also, it saves me having to get off my lazy ass (although I have recently become an avid gym go-er, did you know that? I bet not).

My new technique is to stay ensconced (is that a word) in my little reference desk pod and just yell at the people who need to shut the fuck up.

"EXCUSE ME! YOUNG MAN! CAN YOU KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN?!?!"

Or the ever popular "I CAN HEAR YOUR MUSIC ALL THE WAY OVER HERE!"

So, then, everyone else sees that they have been shooshed and the humilation is complete.

It's even better if I just sort of get up and just sort of walk towards them so everyone is aware that I am up and READY TO RUMBLE. Then not really going all the way over to the offending loudmouth (ooh the irony that I am calling someone that.. sigh.. ) but just 'sort of' going over and saying "PLEASE WHISPER" really loudly. And then clumping back to my desk.

Then if they keep it up, I can just yell at them to shut the fuck up from my desk, because, you know, don't make me get up again.

Ooh they don't like it at all!

It makes me EXTRORDINARILY uncomfortable to do it, but it seems to work.. hehe..

I wish I *could* just say "Shut the fuck up, please, you're in a fucking library, you dimwit asshole" but apparently that's considered bad form.

Oh well.

These are the challenges librarians face EVERY DAY on the job. It's a reality not many know of.

The front lines of shooshing.

It's a shoosh or be shooshed world out there.

Ok, I'm sorry for just saying that. I'll stop now.