Wren

Streetpass was one of the coolest features a portable device could have and they did it so well. It was always so exciting to see that little green light

Yep, loaning physical media with software isn’t a thing anymore for that exact reason. Any software or digital platform we offer (ancestry, language learning, ebooks, etc) we either have a ‘one copy one user’ licence which essentially functions like a physical copy, we’re directly paying for each time something is accessed, or we have a subscription specifically made for libraries. We can loan out things like Kindles loaded with ebooks that we’ve purchased, but there’s still a grey area with loaning out a tablet that has the major streaming services installed (with accounts paid for by the library), so we haven’t gone down that route yet

Definitely varies for people, and there is actually a book coming out soon called “The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center” that you might find an interesting read.

For me, my fiancée is my best friend. Sure we’ve both had best friends before, but the connection was instant and way more intense than with anyone else for both of us. What makes our relationship different than a friendship is that we want to build a life together, we’re a team, we’re each eachother’s top priority, and, yes like most relationships there’s a physical aspect to it, amongst other things. The phrase ‘she’s my person’ really encompasses what it feels like, personally anyway.

If somethings right, you’ll feel it. When you find someone that sparks a connection beyond just friends, you’ll know. And if that never happens, don’t be too hard on yourself and start thinking there’s something wrong with you. Being neurodivergent and on the asexual / aromantic spectrum can make these questions harder, if they apply. Just do what feels right and don’t over think it too much. Easier said than done, I know

I struggle with a lot of sounds, having a sensory processing disorder, the list of which is far too long to write out here. So I totally understand the frustration and how rage inducing it is, you are definitely not alone. Especially when people don’t understand it’s not a patience issue, it’s a ‘my brain isn’t wired the same way as yours and it genuinely cannot be fixed’ issue.

Other people have mentioned therapy, which is definitely a good idea. They can help you find ways to channel the energy into something else, or help you find the root cause (if it’s a children-specific thing, and not just a general sensory issue), or teach you good cognitive behavioral therapy practices.

In the interim, since finding a good therapist for you can take a lot of time, I would definitely recommend some form of earplugs. Mine have saved me and my sanity so so so many times. If I can recommend a particular pair, I would suggest the Loop Switch, since they let you adjust the sound reduction levels on the fly - but any brand / even the foam tip ones (as long as they fit you properly!) can help immeasurably. For me, just knowing I have earplugs with me helps dealing with these sounds, even if I don’t wind up using them, just knowing the option is there. Some form of stress ball or those grip / forearm strengtheners might also be of use for you? It can be a good distraction, as well as allowing yourself to let off some of the steam in a relatively healthy and inconspicuous manner.

And kudos for knowing this is a problem for you, and looking for help on how to improve it. I hope you’re able to make progress you want, one way or another. Good luck, OP - we’re rooting for you

Absolutely amazing, though I will say the name made me do a double take

As an actual librarian, I love this. Freedom of information!

There’s better licencing options for libraries now that allow librarians much better control over getting their patrons the books they want, you should give it another go.

Libraries can buy metered access and one copy one circ, and depending on how the library’s consortium agreement is, usually home patrons holds will get advantage over same-system-but-different-home-library holds; so those will still have the ‘limited like a physical book’ restriction, but you’ll have priority if your library bought a copy. We also use Cost Per Circ, and so as long as our monthly budget hasn’t been met, any books I’ve added as part of our CPC collection can be taken out instantly by my patrons even if the wait time would’ve been months long due to how many people are on hold. If the budget has been met, those holds on CPC titles will be filled once the 1st of the month rolls around and the budget resets.

Give it another try, and put the books you want on hold. Librarians have a harder time knowing what their patrons want when they don’t have data because patrons don’t place holds. I’ll add books to CPC whenever I can, even if there’s only one or two holds on a title

PiP works on iOS, even without premium (with some restrictions). At least it did very recently, I have premium now though so I can’t verify as of today

It’s just points, all the way down

If this were written by anyone else, it would read as an absolutely sarcastic and ironically self aware lampoon-esque post

Thank you for giving me a new line I can use to make my fiancée roll her eyes lol

Shhh let me compliment youuuu

80%?? Legend

Annnnd bookmarked. Thanks, this is really cool!

And people say what instance you choose doesn’t matter. Wild that the choice often seems to be between giving your info to mega corps or trusting a random person who’s servers could be raided at any moment for entirely unrelated reasons.

You can’t make this stuff up, this is hilarious and beyond apropos

Because forum posts are always full of accurate and helpful information?

Not necessarily, but at least there’s much more opportunity for other people to jump in and correct false info or expand upon something. It’s by no means a flawless system, but it’s better than only have one source of information