help! boring colleagues

[halia]

what on earth do you do about boring colleagues? I've started a new job as a school librarian so I'm not desk based but mainly doing reshelving, stock checks etc. Now I've no problem with the repetitive nature of the job or anything like that but dear god some of my new work mates are incredibly boring.
We have a little 'staff' room and we are suppoused to meet there for a 10 minute team meeting every day to check who is in, what jobs need doing etc. Well the 10 mintues usually stretches to over half an hour and its just chat - I'm not a big one for pointless chat about my personal life at the best of times.
The worst thing is though there is one person who does monologues, I kid you not last week I spent nearly a full hour listening to a blow by blow account of her SUPERMARKET shopping trip. Along the lines of, "then dave dropped me in the carpark but he couldn't find a parking spot so I had to wait for him and there wasn't a small trolley so then we had to get a big one and half way round my sister rang and asked me to pick up some milk" .... on and on and on.
Its not give and take conversation - if you try and say anything they stop talking but the minute you finish they just pick up again.

Now I know we all can have days when we need to just chat or let of steam etc, but this is driving me up the wall. I hate just sitting around when there's work to be done and although its quiet out of term time there's plenty to be done with new books etc and exam results. Plus if its that quiet I could use the time to catch up on my OWN reading (not really allowed but I'm sure hiding in the staffroom for an hour in work tiem isn't allowed either!)

Not only is it boring me to tears but I'm getting worried about how our performance will be judged. I mean we were told last month that there was a big 'summer hols' job to do, it hasn't got done yet and there's no earthly reason why given how quiet things are - but the team (particularly this person + 2 others) just waste so much time.

I wont' even go into how racist, homophobic and sexist half the conversations are.

I know there's nothing really i can do except grin and bear it - just letting off some steam myself! I really need this job right now!!!

[halia]

nah its not too immature! if I have to sit there and listen to them I might as well get a laugh out of it

I've tried knitting, gardens, walking, classical music, housework, DIY, children/family, with no success so far. Hmm maybe if I get into the staffroom early and start checking work emails I can have an excuse to tune out once they start the general gossip session by saying quietly 'oh look, better read/respond to this'.

[EsmeWeatherwax]

Welcome to working in a library.

[posieflump]

If you are the librarian are you in charge of these other people? what job do they do?

[Lilymaid]

My colleagues are also incredibly dull. I too am a librarian, but a sole librarian in a commercial setting and am on the same floor as the secretaries/admin staff who are ... incredibly dull. Added to this one of my colleagues plays local radio (just audible to me) all day whilst she copy types. Fortunately I know lots of other librarians in similar posts plus booksellers and other suppliers and there is a great deal of interesting chat as well as work related discussion going round on e-mail/phone calls and the work I do is interesting. (I'm on holiday, btw, and don't do mumsnet from work!)
The best action for the OP is to look at her watch after 10 minutes and say "Oh dear, how time flies, I'd better go back to work" and to find a vacation project to improve her library service.

[halia]

posie, they're all library staff to and no I'm the newest staff member and certianly not in charge of them!

I think I'll use the email thing and adapt Lily's suggestion. I can't exactly say I'd better go back to work as we work in a team and that would be tantemount to saying 'we better go back to work'

I can however say 'oh look at the time, I could do with stretching my legs before we start on X job, tell you what I'll go and see if there's any more returns and meet you in 5 minutes to get started on X"

[halia]

btw, I work p/t so not skiving at the moment!